Unforseen Operational Changes

Hi folks, this is my first post to this great resource, thanks to everyone for all th eadvice given.

My wife and I are flying PE - VS7 LHR to LAX on 5 April. When I booked and paid online, I chose my seats as per marketing hype. I am now told that due to 'unforseen operational' changes - the 747 config 4 we booked on is now a 340-600. Actually I was not told, I found out my accident.

The seats I have now been allocated are not ones I'd have chosen - as a PE customer I should get to choose, shouldn't I? They took my money on that basis (is this not a contract. Despite phone calls and even a letter I have heard nothing for over a week.[:(!]

How can a change three months out be unforseen?[:?] It has been forseen some three months out. I have no problem with unforseen changes on the day, delays or even, where they occur technical faults, but so much for chosing VS as they offered great service options.

OK maybe I am being too quick to expect and answer or even naive, but I dont know what to do next. Oh, I am disabled so I suppose I could ask for special assistance, but want to avoid that if I can - we don't all like being given special treatment. I just want what I paid for (seat choice)and some answers from cusomter services. The ironic thing is I had to listen, for 10 minutes, to a recorded message saying something like 'book PE online and chose your own seats'......

Please feel free to tick me off if you think I'm out of order or just wasting my time and yours..

[Neil]

Hi and welcome to the site.

As you have found out some times VS make changes to the a/c operating certain routes/flights, for various reasons, quite often due to seasonal demand or maybe even something like a maintenance schedule etc.

Your contract with Virgin will be for to provide you a PE seat on a flight between LHR-LAX on the day/time you bought, it won't include a condition that they have to provide you with a specific seat of your choice.

However, there is still a lot of time before your flight. Have you checked the manage my booking section to see if you can change the seats you have currently got? Also remember only 60% of seats are available for pre-allocating, so whilst it might appear there aren't any better seats there is a good chance at OLCI stage some more will become available. Also on the A346 a/c Row 18 is a bulkhead and therefore not available for allocating until the actual airport so if you get there early enough then there is a very good chance you will be able to bag that too.

I understand how frustrating it can be when you have selected a seat you want and it is then changed, but Virgin are quite specific that the pre-allocation of seats is only a request, is not guaranteed and may be changed due to operational reasons. Whatever you do, don't let it ruin the build up to your flight, I personally think the A346 PE section is very nice, its quite small and compared to the new LHR config looks much more exclusive, so it could be a benefit to you in for your flight.

If you are still worried why not give FC a call and see if they can help at all, they might be able to make a note in your booking about your disability which might help you getting row 18, it can't harm to try!

Neil

They advertise check in online and select your seat and print your boarding card but do not advertise book a flight and choose your seat at time of booking because only a small percentage is pre bookable that would not work for people who booked late or after all the pre allocated seats had gone.

Airlines change aircraft types all the time, its just that having this website helps to keep you more updated than with other airlines.

You say you have a disability then its worth calling special assistance who can put a request in for you for the bulkhead seats at row 18, this wont be guranteed until the day but should help make you journey more comfortable.

Do phone as they will change your seats if they can![y]

Hiya - welcome to v-flyer.

I'm not sure that PE (or any class) guarantees you can choose your seat - that's just not practical for any airline to guarantee for a number of reasons.

If you booked direct with Virgin, then in most cases you can choose from a selection of available seats online - but they still make it clear that its a preference and they may have to change your seat for various reasons.

I do appreciate though that it can be frustrating if the aircraft changes and you were set on travelling on a particular configuration.

You mentioned that you had a disability, in which case if you have a preference for medical reasons (such as the little extra room that a bulkhead can provide so its easier for you to get in/out of the seat and so you can get up to stretch during the flight etc) then your best bet is to call Special Assistance and let them know, and providing their is a genuine need they will do all they can to accomodate your request (although again with the caviat that it can't be guaranteed and you must be able to fly if they had to move you to another seat). They will add a note to your booking and if they can assign you a bulkhead then this normally happens the evening before your flight - or if this isn't possible then the ground crew can maybe help at checkin or even as late as at the gate.

Regards

j.

Thanks everyone for your advice, I will give SA a call but live in hope they change the aircraft back again. We'll still have a good holiday and I am sure Virgin is still the best choice for us.

Why do you want the aircraft changed back? The A340-600 PE cabin is just as nice (if not better) than the 747-400 config 4 PE cabin in my opinion. Smaller, more loos per passenger, quieter aircraft etc. this could be a blessing in disguise!

Originally posted by oxmatt
Why do you want the aircraft changed back? The A340-600 PE cabin is just as nice (if not better) than the 747-400 config 4 PE cabin in my opinion. Smaller, more loos per passenger, quieter aircraft etc. this could be a blessing in disguise!

Couldn't agree more [:)]

Exactly what I was thinking. I would be happy aboout the aircraft change.[y]

Again, thanks for your help and advice. Havign decided that two weeks was long enhough to waity for a reply to my correspondence I emailed their press office - the only email address I could find. I had a telephone call with an hour and SA are on the case, thanks to a very helpful team.

OH, and I acceopt that I probably don't know what I am talking about with the 747 versus A340 - my original hope was for PE upstairs, but of course that option changed long ago.

You are DEFINATELY better off on an Airbus!

When you say you booked due to all the marketing hype- you're getting exactly what you saw on the Airbus! So much more personal than on the Boeing.

Originally posted by Lipstick
You are DEFINATELY better off on an Airbus!

When you say you booked due to all the marketing hype- you're getting exactly what you saw on the Airbus! So much more personal than on the Boeing.

you ARE joking are you not? [:(]
The Airbus range of aircraft are noisy, rattly and overall a worse chouice than the far superior Boeing 747.
Give me the size and design of the 747 any time over the awful Airbus 'designed' aircraft

Originally posted by AlanA


The Airbus range of aircraft are noisy, rattly and overall a worse chouice than the far superior Boeing 747.

Give me the size and design of the 747 any time over the awful Airbus 'designed' aircraft

Hi Alan,

Your preference for the B744 over the A346 is a personal choice, however your off the mark on the noise of the cabin.

The airbus A340-600 is industry recognized as having the quietest cabin in the sky. It's only fair that we don't give the OP incorrect facts over your personnel preference. [:)]

The Airbus range of aircraft are noisy

As said above the Airbus is sooooooooooooo quiet compared to the 747 although they do both rattle just as much!

Originally posted by AlanA

Originally posted by Lipstick
You are DEFINATELY better off on an Airbus!

When you say you booked due to all the marketing hype- you're getting exactly what you saw on the Airbus! So much more personal than on the Boeing.

you ARE joking are you not? [:(]
The Airbus range of aircraft are noisy, rattly and overall a worse chouice than the far superior Boeing 747.
Give me the size and design of the 747 any time over the awful Airbus 'designed' aircraft

Not wishing to be so direct, but you are massively wrong. It is not really up for debate whether the 340-600 is quieter than the 747-400; it is, move along.

If you prefer the 747 then great but at least backup your preference with fact and not nonsense.

[HighFlyer]

Originally posted by inkiboo
Not wishing to be so direct, but you are massively wrong. It is not really up for debate whether the 340-600 is quieter than the 747-400; it is, move along.

If you prefer the 747 then great but at least backup your preference with fact and not nonsense.

Ahem. Can we all please treat each other respectfully. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion.

Thanks,
Sarah

[Pete]

A vs B wars are better placed on airliners.net - let's not fall into those mantraps here, thanks.

Did I start this debate?

[Nottingham Nick]

Originally posted by rs6484
Did I start this debate?

[:D] Just another example of V-Flyer tangents. [;)]

Debates that start at point A often go off track. Sometimes we split the thread. We have always tried to avoid the Boeing -v- Airbus debate here in the past. This is because, as Pete says, it is done to death on A.Net, and there are never any real winners - it is all down to personal choice, and your own experience.

Nick