Is it common for scheduled aircraft to change?

Hi everyone

I just wondered what experience people had of the aircraft showing on the VS seatmap in the booking (or on expertflyer etc) actually remaining as such come the flight date? I know some routes pretty much always use the same but I'm referring more to routes with variable equipment.

My motive for asking is of course that I want mine to change! It's been showing as a 343 since booking and I was kind of hoping that was a standard entry due to not knowing what will be used yet. However now I'm sure the winter schedules are in the system and it has still not changed.

It's the VS5 to Miami in Jan 06 and I know this is a variable equipment route, especially in winter. Looking at expertflyer, it seems to be scheduled as a 343 Sun-Wed and 346 Thu-Sat. Indeed the seat map on VS for mine is a non-UCS 343! I just find it really strange that VS would use their lowest capacity aircraft on a route that must be in peak season compared to other destinations in January and one that BA sustain 3 x 744 dailies on and AA 2 x 777 dailies!

I'm probably clutching at straws but thought I'd ask whether from the vast experience on this forum that this entry might just be provisional or whether it will be as good as firm.

I ran through all VS flights on the day of my flight to account for scheduled aircraft versus number in fleet and taking into account 3 x 346 gone at any time on the HKG/SYD flights, there are still 3 x 346 not scheduled on anything

As you can tell, I'm rather keen to not go on a non-UCS 343, not only for the seats but also the lack of V:Port

To make things worse, the seatmap for my flight is showing all but 18 seats in Y full with bodies in them, so it shows that there is already massive demand for the flight.

Any previous experience would be welcomed! I just don't want to miss it changing and then possibly losing my seats and missing out on reselecting decent new ones.

Well having done IAD a few times each and every time for me has been an equipment change to a 346, but I've been lucky there! Not sure on MIA as I've never done it. I flew on one of the UCS 343's the other day (VS23 to LAX) and they are ok but if not in UC then there is no real difference and they still have oddessy not V:Port [:(]

Its usually all down to demand, why swap to a 346 is a 343 will take the load, of course sometimes its down to maintainence and equipment positioning on the day too.

Thanks for your reply

I'm kind of hoping that it does indeed get upgraded. I just wonder whether revenue management do this in advance as they see demand moving or whether it's a close to the flight thing.

No question over demand. They are still just over 2 months away from the flight and Y has very good loads already (as I said, only 18 seats showing available free on the seat map - though I understand some are held back), W has literally 7 seats empty on the seat selection, and J is pretty empty with only 9 seats taken on the 343 non-UCS

Availability shows as: J7 D7 Z7 W7 S7 K3 Y7 B7 L7 M7 Q0 X0 N0 -does that look promising?

I'm hoping my chances are good based on the good demand shown already (I wouldn't expect less on a route like MIA in the winter)

The aircraft type will also vary dueto other things like maintenance (unscheduled) as well as trying to balance the loads against the aircraft type. VA will be recieving another 340-600 in November so you never know....