Could someone answer this seating assignment question for me
 

Hello I hope this is a good place to ask this. Just googled virgin America forum and this place popped up. I’ve never flown before (medical, personal reasons) but I have to go see a relative. I bought my tickets but when I went to select my seating all the seats where grayed out except the seats that cost money. I assumed a seat is covered with the price of the ticket. Does this mean I have to pay for the seats? This is probably a very stupid question and I apology. I thank anyone who answers this. :)

All of the seats, not MCS or airport controlled, become available for assignment free of charge when the check in window opens at 24 hours ahead of the flight.

Felix

I don't understand. On VX, seat selection is free except for MCE, which has a $30 selection charge until it opens up.

I assume that you bought a Main Cabin ticket. Was every seat other than Main Cabin Express taken?

If you don't care where you sit you can just forget about it, and you will get a seat on check-in. It will probably be a crappy middle seat, though.

I bought 2 tickets a month ago, and no non-fee seat has been available to select.

Well, the check-in window opened, and only one regular cost seat is available to select.

???

Is this normal?

Normal if the flight is very full. Check back at T-12 and -6 hours, when upgrades are processed.

T-12

Seat selection unavailable.

Ticket is currently on sales for the flight via Alaska for $461 one way (EWR to LAX)

Edit: T-7 and 2 seats opened up together, the only two selectable on the plane

So with VX/AS economy tickets you are not allowed to pick you seat when you purchase your ticket and have to wait to do that at check in 24 hrs before you flight?

try logging in to the website (manage my booking) using the operating carrier. on Alaskaair, booking Virgin, most of the seat map does not appear. However, if you take the Virgin confirmation # to virginamerica.com you should be able to see everything open for selection/purchase.

If all of the free seats are reserved, yes, otherwise you have the option to reserve a more desirable seat for a fee. This is common practice in the US though VX does have a relatively fewer number of fee free seats per plane.

Alternatively you can select no seats and have them assigned at the gate which has better chances of getting seated together than selecting two middle seats 18 rows apart.

I'm flying VX for the first time in a few weeks, DCA-SFO, and am looking forward to it.

I don't mind paying extra to select a seat ahead of time, especially a good seat. When I went to select a seat, I noticed that not very many are available for purchase. Do certain seats not open up until later, or does this mean most of the seats are already spoken for?

If Main Cabin Select doesn't have any seats for purchase, does that mean it is already fully booked?

I'll bne traveling with my wife - if we just decide to let them assign us a seat on the day of travel, will we almost certainly be in separate rows in middle seats?

Thanks for your help!

I am in the same boat...don't want the auto upgrade since I prefer to sit next to my wife...I wonder how many elites purposely avoid the auto upgrade process for this or other reasons....

If there are not two seats available at check in you can decline seat assignment and have them assigned at the gate where you will most likely be seated together. If you select two separate seats the gate agent will not have you on the list for seat assignments and you will probably get what you picked. As far as I know auto upgrades only clear if there are 2 adjacent seats. If you are travelling solo the auto upgrade could put you in a middle though.

Just experienced the same situation as OP. Just purchased 4 seats for a Dec. 30 flight and every single aisle & window seat from Row 4 to Row 15 has a $30-35 fee. Note that all the seats from Row 16-26 are blocked so I gather if there were free seats at one time they are now fully allocated.

At least on UA I get an E+ seat when I pay a "premium seat fee." This feels more like Spirit/Norwegian where you get nickle&dimed for everything.

Good advice, and this would probably be my strategy if I was traveling alone. But does not work for families with young children - I don't want to be one of those people pleading with GAs or other passengers to switch seats.

I guess I should view this as a "family tax" similar to UA's "elite tax" to upgrade from BE fares. :mad: