best way to get seats changed on "full" plane?

Hi,

My first post! I have tried searching for this topic but without any results, apologies if this has been addressed recently, but would appreciate any advice that can be given.

Just booked my b/f & I on a flight to Boston in Oct (meeting the parents!!!). I used the Virgin site to book the (economy class) flights, and at the end of the booking process when it gives you your assigned seats, I tried to change them (dire - both ways the two "middle" seats in the "middle" column of seating). From the seating plan, it appears we had the last two available seats in Economy for the outbound flight at least?!?

If we HAVE to sit there then I won't cry, but obviously it would be very pleasant to shuffle around if/when seats free up, to get an aisle or window for one of us.

What is the best way to do this? Watch online for seats to free up - if so, when are they likely to do so? 24 hours before flight? Earlier? Or check in early at the airport? Or maybe checking in late is better? Watch like a hawk and leap for empty seats as soon as the cabin crew close the hatch?

I'm at Silver level in Flying Club which probably won't help but would be glad to hear if it could? Also my b/f has a old injury (very badly broken ankle several years ago) which means he is quite uncomfortable if he can't straighten his right leg fully from time to time - worth mentioning? And if so to whom? When?

Probably tooooo much information here (!) but the inner workings of air travel are still a mystery to me, any information on how to best go about trying for an advantageous seat shuffle would be very appreciated.

Thank you! decemmie

[Pete]

Only a percentage of the seats on the aircraft can be pre-booked, so if your b/f turns up early at check in, he'll be able to snag a better seat.

Pix

Hi Decemmie & welcome

quote:Also my b/f has a old injury (very badly broken ankle several years ago) which means he is quite uncomfortable if he can't straighten his right leg fully from time to time - worth mentioning? And if so to whom? When?

If you can get a doctor's note for him regarding the injury and the discomfort, send a copy to VS quoting your booking reference and giving as much notice as you can before you depart. Also, show the note on check-in. This may help secure an emergency exit seat - certainly, I've done this before when I had discomfort before & after a knee operation

HTH

Cheers

Michael

[Pete]

Having an injury will definately not get you an emergency exit row - you have to be able bodied for those; but you might be able to bag a bulkhead if you have appropriate documentation and those seat haven't already been assigned.

Pix

Or call VS special assistance.

I would just say get to the airport early on the day.

Only 65% seats are pre booked the other 35% are done on the day only.

Exit seats cost £50 but as already said you have to be able bodied.

Checking in late my result in you not travelling at all if the flight is full, as VS close there flights 60 minutes before departure on busy days!

[Nottingham Nick]

Correct me if I am wrong, but OLCI the night before doesn't enable you to snag any of the 35% that are allocated on the day, does it?

When are these released, would OLCI early on the day of the flight give a better selection?

Nick

quote:Originally posted by Nottingham Nick
Correct me if I am wrong, but OLCI the night before doesn't enable you to snag any of the 35% that are allocated on the day, does it?

Hmmm... dunno about on VS but on BA using OLCI you can definitely bag any of the seats: very useful when all the preallocated seats have gone, particularly as Exec Club members get to use OLCI before everyone else.

BC

Understand what you're saying about being able-bodied for the exit row. For clarification of what I meant - IMHO, having an old injury that's healed, but causes discomfort if sitting in one position for a long period doesn't make you not able-bodied. Now, if it was an injury that hadn't healed, or prevented walking properly all the time, then that's probably a different story

Cheers

Michael

This is rather a grey area. Should you be entitled to more leg room because you are injured? Because you have some discomfort? Because you are tall? What about morbidly obese? There is certainly no way I would want anyone with any sort of injury (be it existing or old) sitting in an exit row if it meant that they were less able to help in an evacuation.

It's sad, and undoubtedly VS do their best to accommodate all sorts of people, but IMO the best way of getting the leg room is just to pay for it.

BC

BC

I don't think there's any sort of "entitled to more leg room" issue here at all, that's not what the OP is on about. I mentioned the doctors note (and I did only say it may help) because I've previously done this when suffering discomfort before & after a bilateral arthroscopy of the patella - my mobility wasn't impaired either then or now (obviously, straight after the op, I didn't travel at all while recovering - this was a little while after the wound had healed completely).

IMHO, the exit/bulkhead seats have to be filled one way or the other - I think it makes sense to let folks sit there that'll pay £50, and I also think it makes sense to maybe make someone's journey a little easier as long as there's no detriment to emergency procedures

Now, if you have a passenger that says "I'm entitled to an exit/bulkhead seat and demand one because I'm tall/fat/tight etc..." then that is bang out of order - nobody is entitled to them like you say [V]

quote:but IMO the best way of getting the leg room is just to pay for it.

Absolutely - as a tall and large person, I find that's the definitely the best way

Cheers

Michael

quote:Originally posted by BlackCat
in an evacuation.

When in this situation I am always in the toilet, so someone in an exit row seat (or any other, for that matter) can't help!!
Sorry - just my toilet humour!

It seems that if you have any form of disability then you are not allowed to sit in the exit row. I am on the special assistance database as 'disabled' as I have a blood clotting disorder but otherwise I am very fit. I get strange looks at check-in when I am checking in skis!

I now have an excuse to buy at least PE because I need to stretch out a bit and, even then when in PE, VS normally allocate me a good seat (at the front of the cabin but never in the exit row). However, I agree with BlackCat - if you need the space then pay for it.
cheers
GO

quote:Originally posted by Nottingham Nick
Correct me if I am wrong, but OLCI the night before doesn't enable you to snag any of the 35% that are allocated on the day, does it?

Yes, I believe you can choose from the 35% by using OLCI. Be aware that although the OLCI system may let you choose an exit row seat you are not allowed to be allocated these on-line and you will be allocated another seat randomly. Hopefully this bug has been fixed by now.

Gareth.