Virgin/Delta flights - worried about seat availability

mparter

My wife and I booked flights/hotel to Vegas for the end of September. We booked via Virgin Atlantic. The flights are;

Outbound: LHR -> LAX -> LAS
Inbound: LAS -> JFK -> LHR

All of the legs bar the first one are operated by Delta. We were aware of this up-front. We were able to choose upgraded seats for the Delta flights (Comfort+) but not the Virgin flight as it wasn't available.

However, when we go to Delta website to book our seats, it won't let us. The Comfort+ seats are all unavailable for selection. If we try to select one of the available regular seats (as a test), it won't let us as we've booked Comfort+ seats. I spoke to Delta via chat and they told me I won't be able to book seats until they've been ticketed. According to the Virgin Atlantic website, my tickets won't be issued until the end of August.

I'm hoping that Virgin have pre-allocated the Comfort+ seats for us and it's just I can't select them yet. Surely the Virgin website wouldn't have allowed me to book them if they were all taken? Guess I'm just looking for some re-assurance from someone that's done the Virgin/Delta booking to let us know not to worry. :beer:

cubegame

Have you paid the balance yet? I can't think of any other reason why the flights wouldn't be instantly ticketed.

HogMan

There have been some issues with the Delta site recently. For the flight we have booked in November we were also getting the seats unavailable for selection message. I have just checked on the Delta.com site and am no longer getting the message and it is allowing selection so it may be worth checking again?

richardw

If you have paid in full, then I’d be asking for ticketing ASAP.

mparter

cubegame wrote: »

Have you paid the balance yet? I can't think of any other reason why the flights wouldn't be instantly ticketed.

Yeah, we paid the full balance at the time of booking, so we don't owe anything further.

mparter

This is the message I see when I go onto the Delta site to select our seats.

HogMan

That is the same message that I was seeing.

It could be that Virgin Holidays have block booked seats with Delta and won't allocate them to individual passengers until the end of August which is why you are not able to select your seat at this time.

Have you tried speaking to Virgin Holidays?

mparter

HogMan wrote: »

That is the same message that I was seeing.

It could be that Virgin Holidays have block booked seats with Delta and won't allocate them to individual passengers until the end of August which is why you are not able to select your seat at this time.

Have you tried speaking to Virgin Holidays?

Spoke to Virgin, they just directed me to Delta. Spoke to Delta, they said I wouldn't be able to book seats until they have been ticketed. Will see if I can speak to Virgin again. Can't call at work but can chat but I can't seem to find the online chat thing I used the last time!

Westin

I recently had the same problem. I had two VS operated flights (LGW MCO and ATL LHR) and one DL operated (MCO ATL). The DL flight I could not reserve a Comfort+ seat and like the OP the seat plan was blocked out. VS gave me the separate DL PNR# but I still could not do this online on the Delta site. I called Delta and the agent kindly blocked a seat assignment for me. Some three weeks after booking I checked my reservations online on the Delta site and they must have ticketed the reservation on their system as I now have the ability to move seats within that cabin class.

OP, I would ask Virgin for the Delta PNR# then try again to call Delta to ask if they will make the seat assignments. Possibly you had a rogue/lazy DL agent before.

mparter

Westin wrote: »

I recently had the same problem. I had two VS operated flights (LGW MCO and ATL LHR) and one DL operated (MCO ATL). The DL flight I could not reserve a Comfort+ seat and like the OP the seat plan was blocked out. VS gave me the separate DL PNR# but I still could not do this online on the Delta site. I called Delta and the agent kindly blocked a seat assignment for me. Some three weeks after booking I checked my reservations online on the Delta site and they must have ticketed the reservation on their system as I now have the ability to move seats within that cabin class.

OP, I would ask Virgin for the Delta PNR# then try again to call Delta to ask if they will make the seat assignments. Possibly you had a rogue/lazy DL agent before.

Thanks. Is the PNR# the same as the confirmation number you see when you're on the Delta website?

Westin

mparter wrote: »

Thanks. Is the PNR# the same as the confirmation number you see when you're on the Delta website?

There will be a Virgin Atlantic (VS) reference (PNR) and also a Delta Airlines (DL) one. Look for something resembling six alphanumerical characters like "F8TR4Z"

On each airline website you need to use the relevant airline PNR to access the reservation and make the seat assignment requests. The system does not allow you to select seats on the Delta operated flight whilst on the Virgin Atlantic website - or vice versa, (you get the error message that you previously posted). All a little fiddly and not really customer friendly (IMO) as you have to have two booking PNR's and access two websites - but work arounds possible.