Virgin to start charging passengers to select seats
Virgin Atlantic will start charging economy passengers to pre-select their seats from next year in a move that is bound to be unpopular with families.
The airline said the charges, from £50 for a round-trip long-haul flight, would be introduced from May 1, although a note on Virgin’s website suggests fees will be introduced from April 1 on flights from Gatwick to Las Vegas and charges won’t apply to other US routes until June 1.
Also, passengers flying between the UK and Tokyo will remain exempt from the charge.
A spokeswoman said all passengers will still be able to reserve a seat free of charge when online check-in opens 24 hours before departure, but if they want to select a specific seat any earlier they will have to pay.
She said the charge was being introduced as the airline has found it impossible to guarantee every seat chosen in advance due to last-minute changes in the type of aircraft operating a route.
"If fewer passengers choose seats in advance we would be able to re-seat most passengers in very similar seats to their original choices," she said. "So from 1 May 2014 we will be introducing a charge to choose your economy seat in advance. "
Seat selection can be made on most routes 336 days in advance to passengers prepared to pay the fee; those who wait until check-in opens will be able to choose from the seats that are left, which might mean parents travelling with young children risk being separated on a long-haul flight.
The charge will be £25 per person per flight on Virgin’s long-haul services and £8 per person, per flight on Little Red domestic flights.
A note on Virgin’s website says frequent flyers won’t be able to pay for seat selection using Miles or Miles Plus money, but the airline hopes to be able to offer this facility shortly.
Rival British Airways already charges a £25 per flight (£50 return) if passengers want to select their seats on long-haul flights.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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