FROM November 18, Virgin
Atlantic now charges
passengers for the privilege of
selecting their seats, limiting the
seats travel agents can pre-assign
their travellers.
Customers can choose a
specific seat 336 days before
their flight, for a fee. The cost to
assign a seat will be £25 (R440)
per person per sector or £50
(R880) per round trip on Virgin
Atlantic long-haul flights.
Agents will only be able to
assign seats in the GDS for
Upper Class and premium
economy as well as booking
classes Y and B in economy.
The fee doesn’t apply to Upper
Class and premium economy
as well as booking classes Y
and B in economy; Flying Club
Gold members; Delta SkyMiles
Diamond, Platinum or Gold
members, customers travelling on
all Little Red services, customers
travelling on a negotiated
corporate fare (this must be
present in the PNR); customers
travelling as part of a group
via Virgin’s in-house Groups
department; and customers
travelling on or before January 16
who chose their seat on or before
November 17.
All other passengers who want
to select their seats prior to
online check-in will have to use
the ‘Manage My Booking’ function
on Virgin Atlantic’s website.
Once check-in opens 24 hours
before their flight, customers can
choose their seat online free (this
doesn’t apply to extra leg-room
and exit-row seats).
Seating families
Virgin will identify a child
SSR present in the PNR and
will try to seat families together,
free of charge, before online
check-in opens 24 hours before
departure, the airline said in a
statement. “We’ll assign seats
on a first-come, first-served,
basis. If we can't seat all the
family together, we’ll make sure
each child under 12 years old
is seated with an adult from the
family group.”
Virgin implements new rules on pre-seating
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