santamon12

I'm a Gold flyer with Virgin America - big fan of the airline - and very happy to have ditched UA (former 1k for several years).

My question is - I've noticed since the summer season has started (approx. mid May), I've noticed it's been harder for me to get upgrades to MCS and First.

Is this true for other people? Is it just because it's holiday time? I'm curious about others' experiences.

Thanks in advance!

ptownca

I think it has been the summer leisure travler myself. I am finding the upgrades harder as well. Not good for us, good for VX and we do want them to succeed.

unavaca

I'm a VX Silver and didn't get an upgrade to MCS at the 12 hour window. It looks like my flight went out with one seat open in MCS. Are the MCS upgrades capacity controlled or is it expected that everyone with status should get a seat if it's open?

I noticed a Gold sitting in MCE, so I know I wouldn't have gotten the seat. Even so -- should all MCS be filled?

SocalApproach

You probably didnt get the upgrade because MCS was indeed full however maybe that person missed the flight. You have to let the agent at the gate know you would like to be placed on the standby list for MCS and when they close doors 10 min prior they can just reprint your boarding pass if someone didnt show up for their MCS seat. Sometimes you can just tell them you will board early with priority but just have them come move you before they close the aircraft door.

Unfortunately the agent will not know if MCS is available until they are handing paperwork to the crew which is usually 10 min prior to departure. Its up to you if you want to wait up at the boarding area. They will NOT auto move SLV and GLD guest if a MCS seat opens up unless that guest has requested to be placed on the standby list. The agents do not know if you are flying with someone else and do not want to separate. I have also seen SLV and GLD guest reject MCS if there is nothing left but a middle seat and they were comfortable in their window or aisle seat in MCE. Would be a shame if they auto moved you without your permission to a middle MCS seat, and you dont like middle seats and now your old seat has already been given away! Alternativly you can show your boarding pass to the In flight team member and they should let you move no problem. Finally if a SLV guest request standby for the MCS and the GLD guest doesn't it will go to the SLV guest as the GLD guest never requested it.

SoCalZman

I never knew about this "stand by" list for MCS upgrades. Good to know!

austin_res

I flew my first Virgin America flight on July 6, SFO-AUS. I heard about the 6-hour rule for upgrading to First, so I checked in exactly 6 hours before my flight. Sure enough, an upgrade to First was available so I purchased it. Great seat, the best domestic First seat I have sat in.

transpac-canuck

Related question: when booking a Main Cabin seat, you can elect to be auto upgraded if there's a Select seat available. I almost always book an aisle MCE seat, and I assume that any MCS seat that's available at the window will be a middle seat. So I always unselect auto upgrade because I'd hate to be in the middle.

Everyone else have this experience? What's been the reality? Middle seats?

ptownca

I've done it once and it was not bad on a SEA>SFO flight. I'm not fussed about VX food, but the extra room was nice and the MCE tray in row 3 is a nice desk to work from

lamy99

This very thing came up for me today, for my flight tomorrow from SFO to Boston. I called my gold VA number and they told me that I could move my seat from 3E (middle) to 10A. All that I needed to do was to let them uncheck me in, and then I would have to check back in myself and choose 10A during that process. I asked the guy to stay on the phone with me while I did this, in fear of completely losing a MCS seat and it worked out fine.