Aug 31, 2017, 10:10 am
Last edit by: dmodemd
Formal announcement from Alaska Airlines:
https://blog.alaskaair.com/alaska-ai...enefits-on-vx/
...details on how to get them are in the updated FAQ:
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/tr...nefit-schedule
1-877-FLY-VIRGIN now goes to Alaska reps. They need to coordinate with an AS team member who has VX systems access to do the work they need. Calling through your MVP priority call line will get you faster pick up.
Call ins are needed for AS booked flights on VX for:
- Making changes and getting change fee waived
- FC Upgrade purchases*
* FAQ says: "You can purchase available First Class upgrades in advance online", but it doesn't work yet for AS booked VX flights.
Online at VirginAmerica.com you can:
- Add yourself to MCS upgrade list (link should show in Manage function)
[WARNING: There is a report of this not actually working... recommend tweet to VX instead]
- Select preferred seating before clearing MCS
- Select MCS seat after clearing at your window (can also do with VX app)
Reports are that Twitter DMs to Virgin America are the fastest way to get assistance.
You may get referred to the VX phone line (which leads to Alaska Air) if your reservation has additional complications that may not be apparent to you.
Companions: If you have any companions on your reservation (regardless of status), you will need to call in your upgrade request when your clearance window opens.
https://blog.alaskaair.com/alaska-ai...enefits-on-vx/
...details on how to get them are in the updated FAQ:
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/tr...nefit-schedule
1-877-FLY-VIRGIN now goes to Alaska reps. They need to coordinate with an AS team member who has VX systems access to do the work they need. Calling through your MVP priority call line will get you faster pick up.
Call ins are needed for AS booked flights on VX for:
- Making changes and getting change fee waived
- FC Upgrade purchases*
* FAQ says: "You can purchase available First Class upgrades in advance online", but it doesn't work yet for AS booked VX flights.
Online at VirginAmerica.com you can:
- Add yourself to MCS upgrade list (link should show in Manage function)
[WARNING: There is a report of this not actually working... recommend tweet to VX instead]
- Select preferred seating before clearing MCS
- Select MCS seat after clearing at your window (can also do with VX app)
Reports are that Twitter DMs to Virgin America are the fastest way to get assistance.
You may get referred to the VX phone line (which leads to Alaska Air) if your reservation has additional complications that may not be apparent to you.
Companions: If you have any companions on your reservation (regardless of status), you will need to call in your upgrade request when your clearance window opens.
VX Preferred Seats and Main Cabin Select (MCS) Upgrades Now Available for AS Elites
Oct 6, 2017, 2:41 pm
#227
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
Yes, you do lose your seat assignment. MCS is not last seat availability prior to the gate. I suspect but not certain that you wouldn't get an auto upgrade if only middles are left and all windows/aisles are taken.
Oct 6, 2017, 6:13 pm
#228
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MM, MVPGold100k, Hilton Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 1,475
hmmm, I was able to check in just after the 24 hr mark but could not select any seats. (I am assigned 4D - main cabin) I used twitter to VX and they were able to add me to the MCS waitlist (?) So, no ability to select a seat, only able to request being added to the waitlist which presumably, will be useless as all the ones that CAN select will do so before I can do it - whenever that may be.. So far, not thrilled at all with the VX experience.
Oct 6, 2017, 11:30 pm
#229
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,371
if you're on the MCS UG list, and the VX seat map shows available seats, you **should** be able to select (or change to) any of those seats via the VX website -- and presumably the app -- after OLCI opens
Oct 6, 2017, 11:53 pm
#230
Moderator: Alaska Mileage Plan
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 12,317
Oct 7, 2017, 2:18 pm
#231
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MM, MVPGold100k, Hilton Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 1,475
well this is "interesting" I am sitting at the gate, 30 minutes prior to boarding (no GAs here) and now my BP says seat assigned at gate - main cabin. So, either I did get upgraded to MCS - or - I got moved to some other seat in the main cabin. crossing my fingers that it is the first option 
Sure wish the VX app gave more information (wait lists, upgrade list especially)!
I did clear, row 3, she moved me to 3D since I was originally in 4D. Turns out I had the whole row (D, E, & F) to myself! The middle seat on the (A,B,C) side was also open. One thing I did notice is that my bags dropped VERY quickly - with huge PRIORITY tags on them. I wonder if that will stop once the transition is complete.
Sure wish the VX app gave more information (wait lists, upgrade list especially)!I did clear, row 3, she moved me to 3D since I was originally in 4D. Turns out I had the whole row (D, E, & F) to myself! The middle seat on the (A,B,C) side was also open. One thing I did notice is that my bags dropped VERY quickly - with huge PRIORITY tags on them. I wonder if that will stop once the transition is complete.
Last edited by ctporter; Oct 8, 2017 at 8:23 am Reason: update
Oct 8, 2017, 5:29 pm
#232
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
Continuing from my previous MCS experience:
LAX-JFK: Went to gate prior to start of boarding, GA said I would clear but couldn't do it yet. Scrum around the podium so B group was boarding again before I had my new BP in hand.
JFK-SFO: Asked GA to confirm I was on the MCS list and said I was interested in paying for an F upgrade from MCS. GA said no problem but would have to wait for MCS to clear to process. Got F BP just before F boarding began. GA also checked my final SFO-PDX and, as I suspected since I was able to select a seat, I wasn't checked in for that segment. I couldn't do it myself because the website/app doesn't allow recheck-ins.
LAX-JFK: Went to gate prior to start of boarding, GA said I would clear but couldn't do it yet. Scrum around the podium so B group was boarding again before I had my new BP in hand.
JFK-SFO: Asked GA to confirm I was on the MCS list and said I was interested in paying for an F upgrade from MCS. GA said no problem but would have to wait for MCS to clear to process. Got F BP just before F boarding began. GA also checked my final SFO-PDX and, as I suspected since I was able to select a seat, I wasn't checked in for that segment. I couldn't do it myself because the website/app doesn't allow recheck-ins.
Oct 8, 2017, 8:23 pm
#233
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS 75K, BW Plat, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 10,724
Continuing from my previous MCS experience:
LAX-JFK: Went to gate prior to start of boarding, GA said I would clear but couldn't do it yet. Scrum around the podium so B group was boarding again before I had my new BP in hand.
JFK-SFO: Asked GA to confirm I was on the MCS list and said I was interested in paying for an F upgrade from MCS. GA said no problem but would have to wait for MCS to clear to process. Got F BP just before F boarding began. GA also checked my final SFO-PDX and, as I suspected since I was able to select a seat, I wasn't checked in for that segment. I couldn't do it myself because the website/app doesn't allow recheck-ins.
LAX-JFK: Went to gate prior to start of boarding, GA said I would clear but couldn't do it yet. Scrum around the podium so B group was boarding again before I had my new BP in hand.
JFK-SFO: Asked GA to confirm I was on the MCS list and said I was interested in paying for an F upgrade from MCS. GA said no problem but would have to wait for MCS to clear to process. Got F BP just before F boarding began. GA also checked my final SFO-PDX and, as I suspected since I was able to select a seat, I wasn't checked in for that segment. I couldn't do it myself because the website/app doesn't allow recheck-ins.
Oct 9, 2017, 4:46 pm
#235
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS 75K, BW Plat, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 10,724
I think I'm gonna try the "call at T-24" route instead of adding myself to the upgrade list because I'm flying with my wife (who is also an MVP and on a separate res)....I'm gonna try to get MCS seats together by just calling when the upgrade window opens since my fear is that if we add ourselves to the list, we could end up with two middle seats so not only are we in middle seats, but we're separated.
Oct 9, 2017, 5:39 pm
#236
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
Don't wait though! My brother sat on it I think and all that was left was a middle at about T-6 or -7.
More data points. This mileage run I waited as close as I could to check in and sure enough three segments all opened at the respective T-24 windows. Actually they opened a few minutes earlier:
PDX-SFO opened at T-25, SFO-FLL opened at T-24:30, FLL-LAX opened at 24:10. A little bit of concern before FLL opened because the app seatmap started showing prices for preferred seats and I thought my status had fallen off again. VX Twitter checked and it was still there. After a couple minutes, it went back to normal.
This is time I checked in the return leg first and the outbound leg remained unchecked in. The opposite of last time when I checked in the outbound leg and the return leg autochecked in. Offered F on SFO-FLL for $190 as upgrade from MCS, declined.
More data points. This mileage run I waited as close as I could to check in and sure enough three segments all opened at the respective T-24 windows. Actually they opened a few minutes earlier:
PDX-SFO opened at T-25, SFO-FLL opened at T-24:30, FLL-LAX opened at 24:10. A little bit of concern before FLL opened because the app seatmap started showing prices for preferred seats and I thought my status had fallen off again. VX Twitter checked and it was still there. After a couple minutes, it went back to normal.
This is time I checked in the return leg first and the outbound leg remained unchecked in. The opposite of last time when I checked in the outbound leg and the return leg autochecked in. Offered F on SFO-FLL for $190 as upgrade from MCS, declined.
Oct 9, 2017, 7:27 pm
#237
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Denver
Programs: AS, AA, UA, Hilton, Marriott, Caesars DE
Posts: 2,070
Issue is, your wife only can technically be upgraded at T-12 where as you will be able to at T-24. Why not just put yourself on the list and if there are non-middle seats available at T-24 take that and most likely if you wife gets upgraded at T-12 then the middle seats will be open anyways.
Oct 9, 2017, 8:30 pm
#238
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS 75K, BW Plat, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 10,724
Issue is, your wife only can technically be upgraded at T-12 where as you will be able to at T-24. Why not just put yourself on the list and if there are non-middle seats available at T-24 take that and most likely if you wife gets upgraded at T-12 then the middle seats will be open anyways.
Oct 10, 2017, 10:32 am
#239
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,909
My wife, MVP, and myself, 75K, were upgraded to MCS on outbound SFO-BOS last week. Had to split the PNR. Fast forward to today's return BOS-SFO. Had not been upgraded yet at t-10. I tweeted VX and they had to add us both to the list again. I thought they added us both directions originally. I immediately cleared and my wife cleared a few minutes later. I checked the seats and only row 10 middles left. Decided to wait as there was still 1 FC seat available. Sure enough, about an hour later 10D must have bought up to the FC seat as it disappeared and 10D opened up. Snagged 10D and E for us. So it worked out.
Last edited by Baze; Oct 11, 2017 at 2:03 pm
Oct 10, 2017, 12:34 pm
#240
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Denver
Programs: AS, AA, UA, Hilton, Marriott, Caesars DE
Posts: 2,070
So I noticed that you can select MCS seats for purchase on the AS sight, 1) how new is this or did I miss it and 2) I assume now that AS reps should be able to do all the upgrading and processing on their end without having to consult VX