LGW-MCO the upstairs is changing??

disney_cjd - http://www.virginholidays.co.uk/info/fl ... _upgrades/

I suppose the question that springs to mind is will VH charge to 'preselect' these seats?

I just don't see how this will work without upsetting people. I see 6 months down the line the situation arising whereby returing VH customers have preselected their seats using the VS website resulting in rows 76-82 being full and rows 71-74 remaining empty.

As someone who prefers to fly in row 71 - I would not be happy if this did occur. Time will tell.

[Neil]

I very much doubt VH will charge for pre-selecting seats, especially as it is only a request and not a guarantee. People get very upset now when they haven't paid and there seats moves can you imagine the uproar if they had paid [ii] (I think the Dibb members would start WW3!)

The situation you suppose is highly unlikely to occur. If this is the case and VH pax now have the front section exclusively then I am sure that the manage my booking section will recongnise the VH booking ref and blank out the rear half of the upstairs cabin, like the VS pax are seeing with the front half.

Neil

If the impression that the front half of PE in upper deck is for the use of VH then it rather cleverly allows VH to charge what they want for the seats over and above what VA is charging VH for them.

This is a case of pulling aspects of a package away in order to earmark a different priceing structure.

This is happening to products and services that the public seem to say they like most on forum's ( fora[:p]), someone appears to be switched on at a desk in the VH headquarters taking note of what people rave about and then spinning it to a premium product with a new revenue possibility.

It could also be the case that VH and VA have factored in stats for expected %age of ex TCD clients coming to Virgin and making accommodations for the projected increase in bums on seats..

Although we've booked PE out to MCO in April via VH and when we went to preselect our seats the front section was already blocked out. It is all very odd
VG

Knowing my chance of getting a seat upstairs had halved would put me off flying VS PE from LGW...

Originally posted by oxmatt
Knowing my chance of getting a seat upstairs had halved would put me off flying VS PE from LGW...

I booked my UVF trip based on the knowledge from EF that there were 2 upstairs PE seats unallocated. No sooner had I booked the tickets then I was straight into 'Manage My Booking' to nab 'em.
As long as you check EF first you'll be fine.

[Neil]

Originally posted by oxmatt
Knowing my chance of getting a seat upstairs had halved would put me off flying VS PE from LGW...

I don't think your chances are halved. If VH pax have the front cabin then they aren't going to be able to select from the rear part of the cabin also. I would imagine a good % of the PE pax on an MCO flight are VH customers, so it could work in your favour. Plus some pax prefer the downstairs PE cabin, especially families who like to sit all in one row.

Neil

As a family that never books with VH, I don't think it's fair to block off half the seats upstairs either, especially as VH customers don't have to pay the full amount on booking and VS customers do.

[mitchja]

Originally posted by 2Tinks
especially as VH customers don't have to pay the full amount on booking and VS customers do.

That's not stricly true.

For example when the VS sale was on last week, you could book a VS sale 'N' return fare and choose to pay as little as £150 for a one way upgrade to Premium. The same upgrade via VH is something like £350 so VH arn't always cheaper for upgrades.

I've been looking at my VH booking for ORD. I'm booked in N for the economy flights and if I have booked direct with VS, it would have only cost me about £400 to upgrade to Premium both ways. I've not paid any less for my N fare via VH then if I had booked direct with VS. VH wanted ~£700 for the same return upgrade to Premium.

Regards

I have PE flights to Montego Bay booked for Jan/Feb 09 and selected my seats back in April. This was booked with VH. The front half of the upstairs cabin was blocked off then. I just assumed it was because not all seats are released for pre selection. New cabin would be nice, but i won't be holding my breath!

Originally posted by 2Tinks
As a family that never books with VH, I don't think it's fair to block off half the seats upstairs either, especially as VH customers don't have to pay the full amount on booking and VS customers do.

Thats incorrect as Mitchja has pointed out.

Some on here grab a UC flight for c.£1350, where as VH passengers pay much more than that.

If anything VH customers have the harsher deal. Prices very rarely fluctuate and they are charged a much larger figure for upgrading. The flight portion of the ticket is actually set in stone, so there is no chance of a sale as VS passengers get. Plus VH seats on the a/c are strictly limited so once they are gone they are gone.

It is common practice for airlines to give tour operators x amount of seats on a/c. The only difference now is that VS are showing exactly what seats VH are being given. This is no different really to a large group booking down in Y blocking off a large number of seats.

Originally posted by mitchja

Originally posted by 2Tinks
especially as VH customers don't have to pay the full amount on booking and VS customers do.

That's not stricly true.

For example when the VS sale was on last week, you could book a VS sale 'N' return fare and choose to pay as little as £150 for a one way upgrade to Premium. The same upgrade via VH is something like £350 so VH arn't always cheaper for upgrades.

I've been looking at my VH booking for ORD. I'm booked in N for the economy flights and if I have booked direct with VS, it would have only cost me about £400 to upgrade to Premium both ways. I've not paid any less for my N fare via VH then if I had booked direct with VS. VH wanted ~£700 for the same return upgrade to Premium.

Regards

The only time VH customers have to pay in full is if it's less than 8 weeks to departure - VS customers pay in full from booking and that can be as far as 336 days out.

We aren't arguing about the price of the upgrade - it's the policy of blocking half of the best cabin. It should be first on the phone/online at 336 days to make it fair for everyone.

Originally posted by willd

Originally posted by 2Tinks
As a family that never books with VH, I don't think it's fair to block off half the seats upstairs either, especially as VH customers don't have to pay the full amount on booking and VS customers do.

Thats incorrect as Mitchja has pointed out.

Some on here grab a UC flight for c.£1350, where as VH passengers pay much more than that.

If anything VH customers have the harsher deal. Prices very rarely fluctuate and they are charged a much larger figure for upgrading. The flight portion of the ticket is actually set in stone, so there is no chance of a sale as VS passengers get. Plus VH seats on the a/c are strictly limited so once they are gone they are gone.

It is common practice for airlines to give tour operators x amount of seats on a/c. The only difference now is that VS are showing exactly what seats VH are being given. This is no different really to a large group booking down in Y blocking off a large number of seats.

What on earth has the price of a UC sale fare got to do with allocation of seats in the PE cabin ????

VH customers should get the harsher deal IMO - VS operate the plane and their customers who pay in full at time of booking should not have to see seats blocked - it should be all available at 336 days when bookings open.

[Decker]

VH are a much bigger customer of VS than you or I - why shouldn't they get a better deal?

I'm not worried about the front half of PE, I much prefer 79a & C as long as I can get those, I'm happy!!!

Originally posted by ela123
I'm not worried about the front half of PE, I much prefer 79a & C as long as I can get those, I'm happy!!!

Me too.

Katie

Originally posted by katie666

Originally posted by ela123
I'm not worried about the front half of PE, I much prefer 79a & C as long as I can get those, I'm happy!!!

Me too.

Katie

Had those seats last week and fully agree, The additional little table is quite useful too

I am booked for the first time with VH for the honeymoon next May and I have seats in the back half of upstairs PE.

I have sat up there before when booked flights only through VA website. But the theory that VH have the front half is wrong, in my opinion as I am in the back half.

As I'm going on Honeymoon..... if there is a service change of Aircraft.....Anyone know how I might get an UC Upgrade?

Originally posted by AlecK
What on earth has the price of a UC sale fare got to do with allocation of seats in the PE cabin ????

It was to point out that VS customers do on the whole get a better deal than VH. The OP had stated that VH customers get better treatment. IMHO that is not the case.

VH customers should get the harsher deal IMO - VS operate the plane and their customers who pay in full at time of booking should not have to see seats blocked - it should be all available at 336 days when bookings open.

As Decker points out VH are much bigger customer of VS than you or I will ever be. VH in theory buy the seats off VS at the start of the season. VH have also played, and will continue to do so, a very vital role in the success of VS.

I still dont see why VH customers should get a harsher deal? Surely everyone should get the same deal? 99.9% of passengers will not care two hoots about what seat they get in PE, all they will want is to have one. Therefore VS have decided its easier to section off half the cabin in order to manage their arrangements with VH.

I don't really see the problem here. Lets remember you are lucky that VS allows you to have a seat *request*, BA for example do not (unless you have senior status).

Its also important to rememeber that currently this is all educated guess work on behalf of members of VF. For all we could know the blocking could be for something all together different (more ucs seats maybe?! or as I originally suggested it could be due to the heavy maintenance of the LGW fleet that will take place in 1stQ next year. [:D]

Originally posted by Decker
VH are a much bigger customer of VS than you or I - why shouldn't they get a better deal?

Decker, if my fare is giving VS a bigger profit, why shouldn't I get a better deal?

That said, I do understand volume [:0].

[Decker]

Economies of scale as you imply Should a VB-TOP who gets there on route deals be treated as lesser than one who gets there as a solo business traveller?

Originally posted by woz099

I am booked for the first time with VH for the honeymoon next May and I have seats in the back half of upstairs PE.

I have sat up there before when booked flights only through VA website. But the theory that VH have the front half is wrong, in my opinion as I am in the back half.

As I'm going on Honeymoon..... if there is a service change of Aircraft.....Anyone know how I might get an UC Upgrade?

Tell em its your honeymoon and I bet you get bumped to UC. We did both ways!!!

[Darren Wheeler]

Originally posted by woz099


As I'm going on Honeymoon..... if there is a service change of Aircraft.....Anyone know how I might get an UC Upgrade?

Ahh, if we know the answer to that, we'd all be doing it.[;)]

The site FAQ's cover this in depth - http://www.v-flyer.com/faq.asp#33

The LGW flights only have 14 UCS seats and VS can fill them with ease. There is no harm in mentioning it at check-in but the agents have heard every tale, ploy and scam imaginable. Plus check-in staff usually don't have that ability. That's left to gate teams and on-board as needed.

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by disney_cjd

Originally posted by woz099

I am booked for the first time with VH for the honeymoon next May and I have seats in the back half of upstairs PE.

I have sat up there before when booked flights only through VA website. But the theory that VH have the front half is wrong, in my opinion as I am in the back half.

As I'm going on Honeymoon..... if there is a service change of Aircraft.....Anyone know how I might get an UC Upgrade?

Tell em its your honeymoon and I bet you get bumped to UC. We did both ways!!!

Then you got lucky.

woz, if you have seats in the back half of PE upstairs, that tells me that you are flying on a LGW configured aircraft in which case it is highly unlikely you will be upgraded. There are only 14 UC suites in the LGW aircraft and the chances of two being available is very low.

The most you can hope for is a change of aircraft to a LHR one while a LGW is out of commission for maintenance etc and possibly there might be a chance of an upgrade then. The downside in that scenario is that if you don't get the upgrade and are still in PE you will be downstairs as there are no PE seats upstairs in the LHR aircraft.

According to SKY NEWS, Virgin Atlantic profits SOARED in the year to August.

So..... About these Upgrades to the Cabins on the LGW Work horse fleet !!

I think we deserve the new PE !!!!