UC Ticket Chauffeur & Seat Query

I shall be travelling out to Dubai late August UC with my wife and daughter. If I understand correctly not all UC tickets qualify for the complimentary chauffeur service? Can anyone clarify what the conditions are? Also, I have about 35,000 miles on my flying club card, if I don't qualify can I spend these to get the chauffeur and drive thru check-in?

Finally, what advice do you have regarding which seats to request so that I'm closest/in-view of my daughter on-board with the UC seating arrangements?

[preiffer]

Hi Darren,

Only J and D tickets (the most expensive) come with car transfers. It's best just to call Virgin up and ask which ticket type you have.

You can use 12,500 miles per transfer to "buy" them, but only in conjunction with a reward ticket (which it doesn't sound like you have). Even then, it's only within a certain radius. Best best, call VS and ask them if you have an eligible ticket type (they can do that in seconds).

There are a few bits of information that would be useful to know to be able to answer your questions - what class ticket have you booked and which aircraft type are you travelling on ( you can tell this from the seat map on the Virgin Atlantic site)?

There are some reat resources on v-flyer that will help you

Seat Maps

Seat Ratings

Fare Codes

and if all else fails try SEARCH

To answer one of your queries - if you do not have a limo on the fare you are flying then you cannot buy this with miles. However - if you have booked a flight using miles then you can add this to yoru booking for 10,000 miles!!

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by MarkJ


To answer one of your queries - if you do not have a limo on the fare you are flying then you cannot buy this with miles. However - if you have booked a flight using miles then you can add this to yoru booking for 10,000 miles!!

Er, Mark. It's 12500 miles now

Originally posted by MarkJ
There are a few bits of information that would be useful to know to be able to answer your questions - what class ticket have you booked and which aircraft type are you travelling on ( you can tell this from the seat map on the Virgin Atlantic site)?

Thanks, I don't yet have the tickets but will report back when I know what class it is and thanks also for the limo clarification. I suspect we won't have a qualifying ticket but as we're staying at the Burj it would have been nice to round it all off with a drive thru check-in

With regards to the seating, I thought only the A340-600's flew to Dubai and as far as I can tell they all share the same UC seat layouts?

[preiffer]

Originally posted by griffog
With regards to the seating, I thought only the A340-600's flew to Dubai and as far as I can tell they all share the same UC seat layouts?

Correct [y]

Problem is, on the A346's, there's not the "nose section" like there is on the 744 which would have been ideal for keeping a family together (and under watchful eyes). [:?]

There has been the occasional 343 on this route but the likelihood of being on one is about 100/1 according to the "which aircraft" section.

Originally posted by preifferCorrect [y]

Problem is, on the A346's, there's not the "nose section" like there is on the 744 which would have been ideal for keeping a family together (and under watchful eyes). [:?]

Ah I see, so on the A346's are there any preferred options to keep the three of us together or within sight i.e. would say 3A, 3D and 4A be Ok or would 3K, 4K and 3D be better (I'm not sure if the central aisle points to port or starboard!

[preiffer]

It actually switches. The central set face Port for the first half, and then Starboard for the second (after the closets). (The D's point left, the G's point right)

So, 3/4 A & D would work, I think.

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by griffog

Originally posted by preifferCorrect [y]

Problem is, on the A346's, there's not the "nose section" like there is on the 744 which would have been ideal for keeping a family together (and under watchful eyes). [:?]

Ah I see, so on the A346's are there any preferred options to keep the three of us together or within sight i.e. would say 3A, 3D and 4A be Ok or would 3K, 4K and 3D be better (I'm not sure if the central aisle points to port or starboard!

On the 346s in rows 2-7 the K seats face the wall and from 8 to the end of the UC cabin the A seats face the wall

Originally posted by honey lamb

Originally posted by MarkJ


To answer one of your queries - if you do not have a limo on the fare you are flying then you cannot buy this with miles. However - if you have booked a flight using miles then you can add this to yoru booking for 10,000 miles!!

Er, Mark. It's 12500 miles now

Ta Christine [y]

Time for Richard or Pete to update the fare codes blurb then - I guess the stuff on there is a moveable feast!

Originally posted by griffog
...so on the A346's are there any preferred options to keep the three of us together or within sight i.e. would say 3A, 3D and 4A be Ok or would 3K, 4K and 3D be better (I'm not sure if the central aisle points to port or starboard!

3A, and 4D are kind of opposite as the central seat column starts further forward, hence I'd recommend 3A, 4D and 4A,

We had 6A and 6D on the A346 thinking they were opposite only to find 6D was actually opposite 5A!

Originally posted by griffog
I suspect we won't have a qualifying ticket but as we're staying at the Burj it would have been nice to round it all off with a drive thru check-in

also, Dubai has no drive through check in unfortunately. The Burj will do a Rolls Royce transfer if you're feeling flush though...

In fact, last time we visited Dubai, a Burj RR picked some UC passengers directly from the aircraft steps....now thats better than Virgin CDC!!