3 seats for 1 passenger

I have booked 3 economy seats (for myself) to LAX, looking at the flight availability,it looks like the flight may be oversold.
Whats the likelyhood of VS asking me to vacate two of my seats.
Plus what compensation would I be entilted too as in Therory Iam 3 people ??

[Pete]

Hi seat1aupper,

I saw your other post about this, and I have to admit it's the first time I've come across it, but had assumed you'd done this before.

The immeadiate problems I could envisage is at check-in. How do you check-in three times as the same person? Can the system actually cope with that?

Assuming you can get past that hurdle, will they be able to record your mileage x 3 - again, will the system cope?

Again, a check-in issue. If the flight is overbooked, what are your chance of getting three seats together?

Then, on the flight, if it is absolutely jam packed apart from your row, I can see someone stuck in a middle-4 row eying one of your spare seats and attempting to move. How on earth do you stop it happening?

Not sure about the compensation. If you are offloaded, then the general deal is either 50K miles or a round-trip free anywhere on the Virgin network. However, I'd want to pick over Virgin's T&C's of travel to see whether the second 2 seats are classed as no-shows; or whether there's anything in there specifically about multiple confirmed seats on the same flight for the same person.

I'd love to know how this all turns out. One of those things I'd thought about in the past, but never seriously considered

Pix

Pix

quote:I'd love to know how this all turns out. One of those things I'd thought about in the past, but never seriously considered

Yeah, I'd like to see the result as well - with the price of economy seats at some parts of the year, it could be a great idea

BTW, WRT someone trying to get one of the seats....I'd say that if seat1aupper gets everything according to plan, then surely it's tough for the one trying to move in?

Cheers

Michael

[Bazz]

Hi seat1aupper,

This is an interesting thread, have you booked three seats together on VS previously and/or on other airlines?

I have heard of this practice but in the context of privacy rather than to use as a bed (good idea) but have never met a perpetrator in the flesh so to speak.

Assuming you have done it before can you share some of your in-flight experiences with us, I am sure they would make interesting reading!

Bazz
Still Flying

[Bazz]

Didn't realise you were FC Gold, that makes this thread even more interesting! I look forward even more now, to reading your trip report.

BTW when are you travelling?

Bazz
Still Flying

What happens if all three seats are spread throughout the flight? [:p]

Now there's an interesting discussion.

-Will

[Bazz]

quote:Originally posted by Winglets747
What happens if all three seats are spread throughout the flight? [:p]

Now there's an interesting discussion.

-Will

Seat1aupper has already got his seat assignations so that shouldn't be a problem How the check-in staff, cabin crew and other pax react, well that, I am sure, is another story.

Bazz
Still Flying

[RichardMannion]

quote:

Seat1aupper has already got his seat assignations so that shouldn't be a problem How the check-in staff, cabin crew and other pax react, well that, I am sure, is another story.

Bazz
Still Flying

Quite so, as I have flown in Economy before and the check-in staff have blocked off a seat (or two) so that I have a row or a spare seat next to me. This data is not put on the PNR list, so it won't say '7A - Blocked for Passenger XXXX' and thus can be viewed by other passengers as spare seats. It does cause problems for the flight crew, other passengers don't take too kindly to being told that the seats have been blocked off for a passenger - they don't quite get the term frequent flyer. Especially if the flight is quite busy - the window and aisle seats are always in demand....

Thanks,
Richard

im new to this so sorry if its a silly question but

is this so much cheaper that flying upper class

steve[?]

steve w hickling

[Pete]

Steve,

It's likely to be cheaper, but the question is at the moment, will it work? If the flight is full, and you're sitting there on a row of three seats to yourself you're going to have a tough time avoiding a constant stream of people (lone travellers stuck on a centre seat, for instance) trying to take one of your 'spares'. It's also yet to be seen whether you'll be able to check in for three seats when it's an overbooked flight. I asked some of my contacts at Virgin, and even they're not sure. Could be interesting at the airport.

I think I'd be happier with an Upper Class Suite and the full Upper Class service than trying this method of getting a bit of extra personal space. That said, I'm still very interested to see what actually happens!

Pix

[Bazz]

Hi All,

I think we are all waiting for seat1aupper's trip report to learn how he got on. Unfortunately he didn't say when the flight was, so we don't know how long we have to wait, but I'm sure it will be worthwhile!

Bazz
Still Flying

Hi, well iam back from LA.
Got my THREE seats as booked, but only after minor irritations!!
When checking in at LHR, agent assigned me ONE seat,Told agent I have booked Three seats not one,off she trots to the Ticket desk to ask and after 10mins she returns and says Yes thats OK, but I need to go over to the tkt desk and pay for the other Two seats (thought I had paid already,as I had given my Amex details).

So I paid for the extra Two seats and went back to check-in and was met by another agent who had been told of my situationa and she was even Nicer than the first lady.

I was only issued One boarding pass, I did say at the time could they not issue me with just the stubbs from the other two boarding passes to show I had booked Three seats (just in case I had trouble claiming the extra miles).
No that will be fine, its all in the system I was told.


I went off to the Clubhouse and waited for my flight.

After boarding I noticed there were prob 5 empty seats in economy and two were opposite me in the centre section with two elderly people occupying Four seats, Good for them I thought.

I had a few glances my way from other pasengers "whys he got three seats" said there faces! I BLOODY WELL PAID FOR THEM I thought to myself.

Comfortable and a little smug with my extra room and flat bed I started to enjoy my flight.
I actually fell asleep soon after take off and missed the main meal service, No problem Crew got me a meal from Upper class, lovely Fish and on a real china plate.

An hour or so after my late lunch, some of the inflight entertainment started to play-up on some of the monitors and two passengers were moved to the centre section where the old couple were sat.
THEY WERE NOT AMUSED and said to the Crew why cant they (the moved passengers) move over to my extra seats instead, that passenger has paid for those extra seats they were told and that Shut them up.

I did smirk to myself a little.

Rest of flight was Good, FAB views of Grand Canyon and Las vegas on final approach to LAX.

Return flight, was told my two extra seats had been cancelled (after all the performace at Heathrow) VS really have NOT gotten their act together.
No prob really I still had my Three seats for the return leg and was told to contact flying club for the extra miles when I got home.
I phoned fly club on my return and was credited with the 35,000 miles I had earned.

Really is worthwhile booking the extra seats.

I have just got back from Narita Japan today and had the exit row on the AIrbus A340-600, I slept but was not as comfy as I had my feet up on the exit slide.

Upper class is nice, DONT EVEN BOTHER with pre-econ, book extra seats and sleep very well.
ideally 4 seats are even better in the Centre section.

Oh yes and You only pay One lot of taxes for one ticket not three.

[RichardMannion]

Hi Seat1aupper,

I think you are a unique kind of custoemr in this aspect - it is a very unusual situation for the crew and staff at Virgin Atlantic.

I'd have to disagree with your last comment about not bothering with Premium Economy - W Class is a great offering and one of increasing poularity. Its not too difficult now to get a W seat for a good price.

What I don't understand is that Virgin seriously overdelivered on the flight for you, you missed the meal service and they served you J food. I've not seen that before.

Virgin have got their act together, following the performance at LHR and onboard, I can quite imagine a flight report and station report going abck to HQ to not allow passengers to book multiple seats like this again. Its not really in the airlines interest or the passengers. If you book 2 seats for a flight, you are booking 2 seats to get from A to B, they don't necessarily have to be adjacent.

LAX really does ahve its act together, they have a team of star employees there. They deal with lots of xxTOP's on a regular basis and Celebrity passengers. The service I ahve recieved there is consistently excellent. You had your 2 seats cancelled, but you still got 3 seats together - do you really not think that VS has gone out of its way for you?

I see your other psot in the main forum complainign about Virgin and its crew - I can tell you for now the people I have spoken to when I have a complaint (and this is before I got to knwo anyone at VS) really did go out of there way to correct the issues I raised. If you are a regular customer, you will be contacted by the special team there in regrds to service issues. We all have the choice of who to fly with.

Thanks,
Richard

[Bazz]

Hi seat1aupper,

Thanks for your trip report.

quote:
I phoned fly club on my return and was credited with the 35,000 miles I had earned.

Did you also collect 12 tier points?

I must agree with Richard about the PE product, if you are accustomed to travelling in coach (with just one seat) PE represents real luxury and IMHO is well worth the extra bucks.

On the whole, setting aside your grumbles and general letting off steam in your other post, it appears that VS looked after you pretty well on your LAX flight?

I assume as a VS Gold you will continue to patronise them but it will be interesting to see if they will allow multiple seat bookings in the future.

Bazz
Still Flying

Hi Yes I did receive my tier points.
I have received Upper class meals in Economy and Pre-econ,and of course when I sit in Upper class.
When the food in Econ was not up to standard(and there are times it's Not).
Its just good customer service and is not costing Virgin anymore (and they will just destroy the food if not eaten anyway).They also give out champagne in economy and other goodies, its not just me or a one off.
I also have Freinds at Virgin and just like anything else in life there is Good and Bad, you enjoy the Good and Bitch at the bad.
The Crews are the Best people to complain about Virgin and do that Very well indeed.
At the end of the Day Virgin is just a Large Company out to make money and whilst they continue to serve my needs I will use them.
I have no loyalty to them, they provide a service which I choose to use and when it is not up to the level that Virgin promote I can Bitch just like anyone else.
Its not my Family or personal bestest friend, sometimes I think its Great, and when its not performing well (and there are plenty of negative things on the net about virgin onboard service/product)Iam gonna bitch.YES VIRGIN DOES DO WRONG AND DOES THAT WRONG VERY WELL INDEED SOMETIMES.
I look forward to the reply to this post,and feel free to tell ALL your friends at Virgin about the comments I have made on virginflyer.

[Bazz]

Hi seat1aupper,

Thanks for the post, glad you got your tier points! Surprised to hear of further experinces of UC meals in coach and PE and champers, I always thought the FA's tried to avoid this kind of practice as to do so can annoy the pax not getting the extra benefits.

Nobody disagrees with you that you get good and bad anywhere and VS is no different, we do believe that VS try harder and overall, when comparing airlines, VS is one of the best.

You are the pax and as such have the basic right to place your business where you choose. You are a VS Gold, you have obviously chosen to fly VS a number of times so I would expect, on balance, that you have not found the experience that disagreeable?

Nobody gets it right 100% of the time and nobody here minds someone posting a critical report, it's a question of balance, specifics are great, constructive criticism can help make things better for everyone.

This board exists to help make the VS experience better and to assist people to find out answers to questions that help them to do this. Yes it is run by people who are pro VS and FF with them and yes we too have contacts at VS but we don't need to tell them to read your posts they already have, they do know of and regularly visit the site.

So I don't know if this was the response you were looking forward to or not but you are welcome here and you are welcome to air your views, good or bad.

Bazz
Still Flying