Bulkhead Seats REALLY Released at Check-In?

[Nottingham Nick]

Originally posted by Juliet

Sorry Nick,

I was referring to the general overall view on this topic.....

My apologies.. I thought you were just replying to me. It's my ego you know..[:I][:I]

Nick

Originally posted by Nottingham Nick

Originally posted by Juliet

Sorry Nick,

I was referring to the general overall view on this topic.....

My apologies.. I thought you were just replying to me. It's my ego you know..[:I][:I]

Nick

No problem. Trying to be all things to all people, you know. Makes it a bit challenging to make myself clear. (even to me!)

[:w]

My Au status has never helped me bag an bulk head seat, neither has the fact the fact that I am 6'3", but funnilly enough being early waving £50 did help me secure an exit seat once.

Nick, re your comment about FC holder physical abilities. You could never account for changes such as broken legs etc which would make the system a little unreliable.

I think that this topic clearly shows how different people have different views on this about who should be given priority and at least gives me a better in-sight into why VS don't change their policy as whatever they do will always lead to someone being unhappy.

Paul

[Nottingham Nick]

Originally posted by p17blo

Nick, re your comment about FC holder physical abilities. You could never account for changes such as broken legs etc which would make the system a little unreliable.

Completely agree Paul, but the final arbiter has to be the check-in agent - as they are now.
With my suggestion, you would book your Y ticket, and register your desire to pay for an exit row seat.
This seat would be flagged for you before OLCI starts, but you wouldn't be given it until you showed up at check in, flashed the plastic, and showed that you were physically able / qualified to sit there.

Nick

And don't forget another reason exit rows are not released is because they are used in case of downgrade situations.

[RichardMannion]

I have never paid for an Exit Row seat, nor would I as its really no my preferred seat. I agree that they (bulkheads) should be used for passengers with special needs, but there lies half of the problem, I have stood at check in witnessing people reel off a whole raft of comedy reasons on why they need them, the bad back but they have a huge weighty suitcse and loads of hand luggge hanging off them.

In my experience, being a Gold Card holder has helped when travelling in Economy (or in PE to get the front rows).

To be fair though, I have turned up before to a rather full flight where I am told that all the PE exit rows have gone, and then pointed out my ticket SEQ is #1, and suddenly the exit row has appeared. For those that don't know, the SEQ number is the order in which you checked in for the flight. Next time you get your boarding card, tae a look and you will see what sequence you checked in. Handy to know for other airlines, when you are told that there are no aisle seats left and you are a very low SEQ number (simple maths on number of rows, and fcring in how much of the plane is available for pre-booking).

Its one of those things to be honest, where practically everyone wants a bulkhead or exit row seat as they are deemed (often in the media by so called travel experts) to be better. IMHO, they are not. If you are very tall then yes the exit row may offer some benefit. I have been allocated bulkhead seats before at check-in based upon status and I have given them up as there were much better seats available down the bac - tough one, a bulkhead/exit row seat where the arm rests don't move, or a seat down the bac where there will be no one sat next to me (due to lighter load) - Mmm, tough one.

Thanks,
Richard

Hi,

Let me try and offer another perspective on this.

A collegue of mine has just travelled to Amsterdam from Manchester with Thompson Air. When booking, he was offered extra legroom seats (exit row) for £40 each, which he accepted despite the flight only being about 1 hour. He and his wife arrived at the airport and checked in. They were given boarding cards and they questioned if they were extra legroom seats. They were not. They were told that they were not the only ones to claim those seats on this flight and that the flight was sold out. They would have to write to Thompson to request a refund. when they got to the plane they were moved into exit row seats!

On the return journey, the same thing happened. Arrived at checkin, no exit row seats were available. Expressed displeasure, told check-in staff of the problems going out. Appologies, seats were re-assigned and they were told that they now had exit row seats. When they got to the plane, they were not in the exit row.

As you can see pre-booking of these so called extra legroom seats appears to cause head aches for not only the airline, but ultimately the passengers as well. Maybe VS could handle this a lot better than Thompson, or maybe they have had the foresight to avoid this kind of situation.

I too often wish that I could pre-book exit row seats, as I often travel in Y, but I can also understand why it is thay VS prefer to assign them at check-in.

Neil.

Originally posted by Nottingham Nick
My view is that exit rows should be available in advance for FC members to buy. It would be quite easy for VS to make a note in your FC profile as to whether you are physically able to operate the doors

Totally agree on this; I would like to see the ability to select exit row seats added as a AU benefit (a la AA)

Originally posted by RichardMannion
flight where I am told that all the PE exit rows have gone, and then pointed out my ticket SEQ is #1, and suddenly the exit row has appeared. For those that don't know, the SEQ number is the order in which you checked in for the flight. Next time you get your boarding card, tae a look and you will see what sequence you checked in. Handy to know for other airlines, when you are told that there are no aisle seats left and you are a very low SEQ number (simple maths on number of rows, and fcring in how much of the plane is available for pre-booking).

Lol i don't really see what the sequence number has to do with anything.

Early sequence numbers are always OLCI or thru-checked pax from another destination. Sequence numbers do no correlate to seat availability.

More often than not by the time the early sequence numbers turn up for bag drop/boarding cards there are only a few seats left because they do what OLCI is intended for which is you not having to be at the airport really early, and all other seats have been allocated.

The same goes for thru check pax - most pax only leave a couple of hours transfer time and by the time they get to FCC all the better seats have gone.

That said, if he`d turned up at airport ultra early - the exit rows are first come first served.... Seems only right that someone using OLCI should have a chance of getting an exit row. Otherwise fewer people would use OLCI & there would be returns to longer delays @ checkin as everyone queued in hope of getting an exit row.

[RichardMannion]

Originally posted by Lipstick

[i]
Lol i don't really see what the sequence number has to do with anything.

Early sequence numbers are always OLCI or thru-checked pax from another destination. Sequence numbers do no correlate to seat availability.

More often than not by the time the early sequence numbers turn up for bag drop/boarding cards there are only a few seats left because they do what OLCI is intended for which is you not having to be at the airport really early, and all other seats have been allocated.

The same goes for thru check pax - most pax only leave a couple of hours transfer time and by the time they get to FCC all the better seats have gone.

With the advent of OLCI, you are more likely to get a higher SEQ number. And yes you are right, you may be the first to check-in at the airport but still not actually be a low SEQ #, due to thru-checked (for example someone checking in at HKG for onwards to SYD).

The SEQ number is there for a purpose though.

Thanks,
Richard

This reply is as Cabin crew and previously groundstaff, Bulkhead seats are left until check-in because priority is given to those with infants as there are special holders for skycots. however not all Bulkheads have theese holders so these could then be given to customers requireing special assistance.

On quiet flights sometimes Check-in will know in advance from the reservation system that only 1 x infant is booked so may release to other customers. but until a flight close check-in any one with an infant could be reprotected from another flight or airline if delays etc.. happen so usually these are now allocated at the departure gate..

(This I believe is similar to the low cost airlines not issueing seats it gets customers to the gate on time.) but seriously get to the gate when it opens and ask there.

We start checking in at 06:00 at Heathrow and in theory you could check in for the sydney flight then, if you are there that early buying an exit in economy is nearly always available if you meet the criteria and willing to pay. but In Premium economy there are no exits to purchase.

Finally Ask yourself theese two questions. Q1 do you really want to be sat next to a child screaming for 10+ hours?

Q2 - will you benefit from a bulkhead, yes nobody can recline their seat into you but nor can you put your feet out in front and stretch, Im 6"2' and dont like bulkheads as much as a premium seat which I put my feet under?