Requesting Seats on Virgin Flights
Sep 21, 2013, 1:52 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 232
Requesting Seats on Virgin Flights
I have been running into some problems in regards to seat requests on Virgin Australia flights.
I have several bookings made through the Air NZ website that are operated by Virgin flights and I have tried calling Virgin to request premium seating, (As I am GE) even though Virgin picks up my status as Partner Platinum they will only give me row 7.
Does anyone know why Virgin does this or if there is away around it so I can pre request premium seating (rows 3 or 4)?
Thanks!
I have several bookings made through the Air NZ website that are operated by Virgin flights and I have tried calling Virgin to request premium seating, (As I am GE) even though Virgin picks up my status as Partner Platinum they will only give me row 7.
Does anyone know why Virgin does this or if there is away around it so I can pre request premium seating (rows 3 or 4)?
Thanks!
Sep 21, 2013, 2:04 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 232
Thanks for the help!
Sep 21, 2013, 3:42 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,340
I know on Virgin Atlantic there are seat alocations that are blocked and only open up at certain times, such as OLCI.
Sep 21, 2013, 5:26 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Melbourne
Programs: ►QFWP/LTG►VA WP►HyattExpl.►HiltonGold►ALL Silver
Posts: 21,993
Seems strange - generally VA permit their Golds access from Row 7 back, but Platinum can select from row 3 (front).
(I can't help from experience these days as I no longer credit anything to Airpoints - book as a VA Platinum.)
(I can't help from experience these days as I no longer credit anything to Airpoints - book as a VA Platinum.)
Jul 27, 2014, 6:44 pm
#6
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Auckland
Programs: NZ Elite Partner/Silver (in own right), PR Classic, QF Bronze, UA Member, VA Red
Posts: 1,551
I am a humble Koru member.
I wish to book NZ7939 AKL-MEL which is operated by Virgin.
The online booking engine says no seat selection is possible.
Is there anyway after booking that I can select a seat? Ring Virgin perhaps?
Thanks.
I wish to book NZ7939 AKL-MEL which is operated by Virgin.
The online booking engine says no seat selection is possible.
Is there anyway after booking that I can select a seat? Ring Virgin perhaps?
Thanks.
Jul 27, 2014, 7:15 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Usually Auckland, NZ
Programs: NZ Elite (*G), QF S (OWR), UA 0.14MM
Posts: 690
I have done this over the past year, just call AirNZ and ask to speak with the premium team (if the call wasn't automatically redirected), and they should be able to put a request in for you. After a day or 2, a seat number should be shown against your booking.
Having flown to BNE, MEL & OOL while being just a Koru member, always managed to get Row 6 aisle, and on 2 occations get Row 3 at check-in, just by asking nicely to the ticketing agent
Oct 10, 2015, 12:51 am
#8
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: New Zealand
Programs: NZ*S plus various hotel programs
Posts: 945
I have done this over the past year, just call AirNZ and ask to speak with the premium team (if the call wasn't automatically redirected), and they should be able to put a request in for you. After a day or 2, a seat number should be shown against your booking.
Having flown to BNE, MEL & OOL while being just a Koru member, always managed to get Row 6 aisle, and on 2 occations get Row 3 at check-in, just by asking nicely to the ticketing agent
Having flown to BNE, MEL & OOL while being just a Koru member, always managed to get Row 6 aisle, and on 2 occations get Row 3 at check-in, just by asking nicely to the ticketing agent
Oct 10, 2015, 8:37 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2008
Location: MSP
Programs: DL Plat, NZ Elite, QF Plat
Posts: 1,776
Just booked a flight AKL/MEL/HBA, with the MEL/HBA segment on VA. The Air NZ premium team were able to request seats, but seats in row 15 were allocated, so they suggested I call VA direct. When speaking to them, that is the furthest forward they could seat me. So I hope that at check-in we'll be able to get better seats.
Oct 11, 2015, 7:01 pm
#10
Join Date: Sep 2010
Programs: Air NZ Gold Elite
Posts: 135
I have flown the virgin business a few times this year.
When booked through the air nz website. No seat selection.
When booking an internal Australian flight, I can select a seat online.
Only problem has been that every flight took months to credit status points. Three enquiries each time also....
(Flip side is, that the Virgin Business offering between Queenstown and Australia is so much better than the Air NZ product).
When booked through the air nz website. No seat selection.
When booking an internal Australian flight, I can select a seat online.
Only problem has been that every flight took months to credit status points. Three enquiries each time also....
(Flip side is, that the Virgin Business offering between Queenstown and Australia is so much better than the Air NZ product).
Oct 15, 2015, 3:08 am
#11
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 93
I feel that if Air NZ and Virgin are going to sell seats for each other's flights then they need to suss out the interoperability.. having to call up to select a seat is very inefficient for passenger and call centre operator. I flew to from AKL to LAX via SYD with a friend a few years ago, to and from SYD was on Air NZ and to and from LAX on Virgin. Check-in for the first flight in Auckland (on Air NZ) was just a cluster .... because I had booked through Virgin's site and there were issues (friend's booking through his work was fine). And they were using some sort of DOS programme?
Then on the way back, more issues during check in at LAX..
Then on the way back, more issues during check in at LAX..
Oct 15, 2015, 3:37 am
#12
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,115
The NZ/VA partnership is only for Australian domestic and TT. It specifically excluded long haul such as the LAX flights which (as far as I'm aware) can't be booked on a single PNR with Air NZ and offer no alliance benefits.
As for the "DOS" system that's no different to what pretty much every airline in the works uses for flights.
As for the "DOS" system that's no different to what pretty much every airline in the works uses for flights.
Oct 15, 2015, 2:23 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,340
If I buy an ANZ ticket on SQ metal then I couldn't select seats, they said I could wait until 24 hours before the flight if I wanted. Erm, no.
Oct 15, 2015, 3:03 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: VA Silver, NZ Gold
Posts: 327
The NZ/VA partnership is only for Australian domestic and TT. It specifically excluded long haul such as the LAX flights which (as far as I'm aware) can't be booked on a single PNR with Air NZ and offer no alliance benefits.
As for the "DOS" system that's no different to what pretty much every airline in the works uses for flights.
As for the "DOS" system that's no different to what pretty much every airline in the works uses for flights.