exit seats fiasco, never flying Virgin again

well I shall never fly with this lot of chancers again, I got a flight booked to Japan from London specifically with Virgin (I had a choice) as I remember them as being one of the best!
I have a tight turn around of working in thailand for a week, flying back to London then leaving for Japan the next day, I arrived back yesterday with a nice flight with Emirates, I managed to book exit seats on my two flights from Bangkok to Dubia then Dubia to London. As I am 6'4 and with this much flying it's a killer on my legs.
So I phoned Virgin flying club, they said no propblem and put me through to reservations, who told me I couldn't I'd have to get to the airport early as they don't book them.
Later on in the day I phone again as I remembered you can put in a request, I was told the same thing by the flying club and reservations (reservations being some awnser service in india).
So I set off at 6 am this morning to get there first , this way I could see more of my family if I check in early too, I then wait in slowest queue imaginable, eventually I get to the checkin and am told I have to PAY 75 for the exit seat. I am gutted, I tell her I phoned several times the previous day and no mention was made of this, she was very sympathetic but there was nothing she could do & I should see her manager.
I speak to the manager, who is unsympathetic and tells me she'll send an email!!! So you pay for a seat , then are asked to pay again for your seat choice? how crap is this.
What a total waste of a drive to the airport!!!! on the day I have only a few hours. I shall make sure and never recommend Virgin and shall certainly never fly with them again, they are worse than the lowest cheap cost cutting bus airlines.
You pay for a product, go to pick it up and are then told you have to pay again???
I so wish I could cancel this flight now.[n]

[Pete]

Hi Boomish, and welcome to V-Flyer. How nice of you to vent your spleen on your first post.

It is common practise, and has long been the policy of Virgin, that you cannot pre-book an exit row. You have to present yourself at the airport to prove you are physically able to assist in the event of an emergency.

As for the exit row charge, this has been in place for some years now. Regardless of whether I agree with it, I can understand that the exit rows are very popular and provide a select few passengers in the Economy cabin a huge advantage in terms of leg room. Given the limited supply and the high demand, Virgin do offer the option of paying a supplement to have those seats. If no-one wants to buy them, then they will let them go for free.

In terms of your comment, 'You pay for a product, go to pick it up and are then told you have to pay again', you have to admit that you are paying for the basic Economy product, which is an average 32' seat pitch; not the 6 foot or so you'd get in the average exit row. No-one has a right to the exit rows, regardless of their size or shape. The reality is that Virgin clearly outline their product on their website, and if a standard Economy seat doesn't suit your needs, then they are under no obligation to provide you with a bigger, wider or softer seat. That's what Premium Economy and Upper Class offer.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I'm finding it very difficult to be sympathetic given the something-for-nothing mentality you present.

[preiffer]

Originally posted by boomish
well I shall never fly with this lot of chancers again, I got a flight booked to Japan from London specifically with Virgin (I had a choice) as I remember them as being one of the best!
I have a tight turn around of working in thailand for a week, flying back to London then leaving for Japan the next day, I arrived back yesterday with a nice flight with Emirates, I managed to book exit seats on my two flights from Bangkok to Dubia then Dubia to London. As I am 6'4 and with this much flying it's a killer on my legs.
So I phoned Virgin flying club, they said no propblem and put me through to reservations, who told me I couldn't I'd have to get to the airport early as they don't book them.
Later on in the day I phone again as I remembered you can put in a request, I was told the same thing by the flying club and reservations (reservations being some awnser service in india).
So I set off at 6 am this morning to get there first , this way I could see more of my family if I check in early too, I then wait in slowest queue imaginable, eventually I get to the checkin and am told I have to PAY £75 for the exit seat. I am gutted, I tell her I phoned several times the previous day and no mention was made of this, she was very sympathetic but there was nothing she could do & I should see her manager.
I speak to the manager, who is unsympathetic and tells me she'll send an email!!! So you pay for a seat , then are asked to pay again for your seat choice? how crap is this.
What a total waste of a drive to the airport!!!! on the day I have only a few hours. I shall make sure and never recommend Virgin and shall certainly never fly with them again, they are worse than the lowest cheap cost cutting bus airlines.
You pay for a product, go to pick it up and are then told you have to pay again???
I so wish I could cancel this flight now.[n]

As responded in your identical thread on FlyerTalk, my view would be:

a) The VS website DOES mention such charges.

Q Can I select an exit row seat?
A Exit row seats are held for assignment at airport check in only, as passengers wishing to sit in these seats must be physically capable of carrying out the associated responsibilities. We must be able to see a passenger's physical condition before assigning them an exit row seat. On most routes, these seats can be purchased for a fee on arrival at the airport.

b) boomish, you paid for travel in an Economy seat - not 'an economy seat with loads of legroom'. You got exactly what you paid for, and it sounds like you would have been very happy to watch other 6'4 people struggle to squeeze into a standard economy seat had you got an exit row first, for free.


If you want guaranteed legroom, pay for PE or Upper Class. Failing that, if it's SO important to you I'd say £75's a reasonable trade...

Sorry, the OP appears somewhat melodramatic to say the least.

[Decker]

Originally posted by boomish
they are worse than the lowest cheap cost cutting bus airlines...
I so wish I could cancel this flight now.[n]

Why is this worse? They only charge extra for exit seats in coach. Aer Lingus charge extra for selecting ANY seat, RyanAir charge extra for selecting ANY seat and even MORE for exit seats. That's just two examples who come to mind immediately.

As it is Panto season - your wish is granted. You SHALL be able to cancel this flight now. Regretfully I'm the economy fairy so you only get one wish. Hence your likely two other wishes (that you get your money back AND you find another seat for the same price give or take a few pounds) will have to go ungranted.

Frankly I'm surprised by your vehemence - it would seem you're not a 'once a year' flyer so you're quite capable of reading the T&Cs.

As Karen Taylor would say 'boo hoo hoo'.

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by Decker

Originally posted by boomish
they are worse than the lowest cheap cost cutting bus airlines...
I so wish I could cancel this flight now.[n]

Why is this worse? They only charge extra for exit seats in coach. Aer Lingus charge extra for selecting ANY seat, RyanAir charge extra for selecting ANY seat and even MORE for exit seats. That's just two examples who come to mind immediately.

Aer Lingus charge Û3 for selecting any seat, Û10 for a seat in the first five rows and Û15 for an exit row - and let's face it, an exit row space on an A320 or a 737 doing short-haul is only marginally greater than a basic economy row.

To my mind £75 for the extra leg-room on a long haul flight is good value for money and people are prepared to pay it. It isn't a God-given right just because a passenger is 6'4' and, as has been pointed out, the charge is mentioned in the T&Cs

[Decker]

Ooh does that make Aer Lingus even worse than the worst then d'you reckon?

I wouldnt be too put off. On a moderately busy flight to SFO and from LAX once the plane was in the air i have simply moved and sat there. You have to watch that seatbelt sign like a hawk though!

Once the seat belt signs are off as far as i have always been aware you can move about and re locate yourself. So much so the last time i went to Florida my daughter was annoying my son no end so i moved him a few rows back. He had a full row of the central seats to himself, a pillow and a blanket and he was loving it. Meanwhile i had to spoon my 2 year old across the 3 seats, still had a lovelly few hours sleep!

I would just wait and see what happens once your airborne.

Whilst I'm first to criticise Virgin for brand-hostile penny pinching, the charging for the exit seat has always seemed reasonable to me: it means that those who *really* want the exit seat are more likely to get it. Boomish, with all his exclamation marks and question marks, doesn't strike me as somebody who would easily be pleased with any rational explication, and for once, I feel sorry for poor berated team at the end of his research failure.

Frankly, 75 quid is very cheap for all that extra legroom. Compare it to the PE or UC upgrade costs.

[mitchja]

Paying for exit row seats really doesn't bother me either. Some of the time, you wont even need to pay for them.

I've been on several VS economy flights where the crew have actually asked pax (I was asked once as well) to move to exit row seats once on-board as all exits row seats have to be occupied during take off and landing.

Regards

Well, in defence of the OP when you're not aware of how other airlines operate, or your experience - as in the mention of EK - is that they will allot exit row seats, then VS's position may come as a shock.

That said, I do agree with all the comments - exit row seats on most airlines are a) charged for or b) restricted to elite fliers. Heck, on most US airlines you have to do either of these just to get a seat in the first half of the economy cabin. It is about time VS made this possible online however, then it would be even clearer to people what the policy is, VS is way behind the industry in its online information and services.

BTW I think boomish is a great monicker for a venting of spleen post !

eh![?] When i fly Economy (im 6,3) i very much dislike the seats so i strive to get to the airport early and pay the 75 quid which is very reasonable tbh on say a flight to Orlando whoch ive done this! Think about it, an economy price ticket plus 75 quid for more legroom than PE? Makes alot of sense financially, i dont like to be a tight arse but sometimes this has to happen.
[:w]

When i saw this post i thought it was down to poor service, but this is just ignorance from the OP[V]

Not sure if its just because I am pretty [;)], but when flying the 747s, I have been given the emergency exit row window seat in Y for free - because the chute in the door takes up a good chunk of space, they don't feel able to charge for it. I know they sometimes give the other aisle and middle seats away - but when its available, I always seem to be able to get the window for no charge.

Virgin is certainly not alone. KLM also charge and they have extended it to where any row of 2 seats on the 747 (3x4x3) and 777 (3x3x3) fleets are charged for.

AF

[preiffer]

Sorry to be the one to break the dream AF, but they never charge for the chute side seat - for exactly that reason. Often, they'll wrap it up into a statement like 'if you buy the other two, we'll let you have the one with a slight restriction for free' etc, but they don't normally charge for that particular one.

Sorry.... [:w][;)]

I too have to agree with the other comments, these exit seats are in high demand, and why should you get this seat over someone else. By the looks of it, your travel schedule is very tight, and being tall I am 6ft 4in too, I suggest you upgrade to PE or UC then you won't have this problem. If not stump up the £75 or put up with the normal economy seat.

DMB

If I particularly want something and having it is really a big deal to me then I usually appreciate that if I pay for it I can have it.

What you paid for was a bog standard EC ticket and thatswhat you got, if the seat you wanted was so so important to you it was available for £75.

VA can have its dissapointing moments but on this occaision they gave you what you paid for.

I flew coach back from NY in 03 and was delighted that I could get the exit seat for £75, I'm not tall but I do like the space. I had a few tall people ask me to give them the seat as they needed the leg room and when I informed them that I had paid extra for this seat they still expected me to give it up so I politely suggested that if they needed more leg room they get there wallets out and buy a seat with more room. If you want the product then pay for it. I fly on business to mumbai in PE and that is great and it's not really that much more the the basic seat but a big difference in envioroment.

Originally posted by Pete
Hi Boomish, and welcome to V-Flyer. How nice of you to vent your spleen on your first post.

It is common practise, and has long been the policy of Virgin, that you cannot pre-book an exit row. You have to present yourself at the airport to prove you are physically able to assist in the event of an emergency.

As for the exit row charge, this has been in place for some years now. Regardless of whether I agree with it, I can understand that the exit rows are very popular and provide a select few passengers in the Economy cabin a huge advantage in terms of leg room. Given the limited supply and the high demand, Virgin do offer the option of paying a supplement to have those seats. If no-one wants to buy them, then they will let them go for free.

In terms of your comment, 'You pay for a product, go to pick it up and are then told you have to pay again', you have to admit that you are paying for the basic Economy product, which is an average 32' seat pitch; not the 6 foot or so you'd get in the average exit row. No-one has a right to the exit rows, regardless of their size or shape. The reality is that Virgin clearly outline their product on their website, and if a standard Economy seat doesn't suit your needs, then they are under no obligation to provide you with a bigger, wider or softer seat. That's what Premium Economy and Upper Class offer.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I'm finding it very difficult to be sympathetic given the something-for-nothing mentality you present.

thats ok Pete, I thought thats what Forums were about discussing good and bad points, or are you only allowed to say good things here?
Obviously you are, seeing as I was banned from here after just 1 post! I wonder how long this thread will be here before it's deleted, blimey where is the freedom of speech.

As I said I didn't know there was a charge, the ticket was purchased for me, also as not many of you have noted I asked Virgin several times about the exit seats and their advice was to get their early.
You travel for 29 hours, get not a lot of sleep then drive to the airport to be told youv'e wasted your time.
I think it's crap idea charging for exit seats, you don't simple! But I should have been told so!!
It is an economy seat, it's in the economy seat section, it's narrower than an economy seat because the table is stored in the sides, it also has restriction to the tv display as it's stored underneath. This does not as you say make it bigger or wider! and I think everyone knows what PE and UC offer thats why they are called that, it would be better to rename them Exit seats as it's not economy in your book.
It's not a 'something for nothing', it's a 'never heard of this before in my life: attitude.

Sorry for the venom but thats my opinion, if you don't like it posted here then ban it & delete it (as you already have) then go on with your blinkered views. welcome to ryan air and Aer lingus..I bet BA are laughing their socks off, you'll be paying for sandwiches and drinks next..which BTW I don't mind at all!

Merry Christmas Virgin Lovers

[Nottingham Nick]

Originally posted by boomish2

Obviously you are, seeing as I was banned from here after just 1 post! I wonder how long this thread will be here before it's deleted, blimey where is the freedom of speech.

boomish

As I have just posted in the identical thread you posted on Flyertalk. You were not banned from V-Flyer. Your original account is still open. I think it is more likely you forgot your password. [;)]

We encourage free speech on V-Flyer, assuming that it is not insulting or in breach of any of the other rules of the forum. Being critical of Virgin does not constitute a breach of the rules.

What I would suggest is that you read the responses you have had to your original post, both on here and on Flyertalk. It seems that there is very little support for your sentiments. Does this tell you something?

Happy Christmas

Nick

[Pete]

Sir,

Clearly you don't do any research before opening you mouth. Neither into the products you buy, nor the validity of criticisms you so freely hurl. Needless to say I care little for your opinion.

BTW, as Nick has pointed out, no one banned you from V-Flyer, you probably just forgot your password. Judging by the careless attitude you display in the construction of your post, it's hardly surprising. Oh, and Free Speech gives you the right to publish your own internet site and say what you like on it. It is a common misconception that you can spout your views in any publication you like; but on V-Flyer we generally do allow other opinions unless they break site rules.

I'm sure Virgin will deeply lament the loss of your extravagant contribution to their bottom line. I can see them closing whole departments in response to the lack of your business.

Some customers just aren't worth keeping, imo.

Oh Dear! Maybe VA need to return to the old advertisments about there are no free upgrades and had advertisments of business people who pretended to be married looking for an upgrade.

I will say I'm not impressed with the call centre because when my flight got cancelled on the day that I was travelling, first they said that the flight was delayed until the time of the next flight and then said that I had to rearrange the change with the travel agent that I used! It might get better when the circle of cheaper call centre moves from India and Bangladesh to China. [:p]

Thing is though, would boomish have been even more angry if he got the same response from BA or other non-Middle Eastern/Asian airlines. [:?]

Virgin's advice to get to the airport early was logical, given that these seats do fill up quickly with people (who are willing to pay the extra money) who want the added legroom. I know what you feel, I am 6'4' tall. I have problems sitting comfortably in EC seats, but I would definitely pay the extra money to get an exit row, and I know this is the policy on almost every airline on the globe. It doesn't make sense for airlines not to charge for a seat that gives PE legroom in an EC seat. Personally, I like the flip up televisions as well, and as I am not overweight I care not about a slightly thinner seat, as long as it has more legroom. I think you are being unreasonable in this situation.

I am 6ft 1' tall, so always have problems with the industry poor seating pitches in Economy.

But its a fact of life, if you want cheap seats there is a comparible effect on your comfort.

If you don't want to pay the money then your option is 31' pitch. The extra cost of exit seats is well known and a standard on many companies.

Pay your money or take your choice.

[preiffer]

Originally posted by VS-EWR
I would definitely pay the extra money to get an exit row, and I know this is the policy on almost every airline on the globe. It doesn't make sense for airlines not to charge for a seat that gives PE legroom in an EC seat.

Actually Nick, in fairness, that's not true. Virgin ARE in the minority in terms of 'selling' exit row seats - although many airlines are beginning to look at the business model favourably now.

Originally posted by preiffer
Actually Nick, in fairness, that's not true. Virgin ARE in the minority in terms of 'selling' exit row seats - although many airlines are beginning to look at the business model favourably now.

I stand corrected then, thanks.[y] I still think it's reasonable to pay more for those seats, though.