Select seat on Etihad flying as VA Platinum on VA ticket

[blingy90]

I'm in a similar situation to previous posters. Booked a SYD-AUH-europe return service, all VA ticket, only EY metal for the short legs. Could assign all my seats through velocity, however when I called EY to confirm using the EY PNR - they had no seat assignment at all.

The agent also said (as experienced by an earlier poster) that they could not assign a VA ticket to an exit row seat on the EY legs. Has anyone found a way around this? Cannot understand how they cannot do this! I will try again and hopefully get a different agent/answer....but not looking good

 

[Caversham04]

I'm in a similar situation to previous posters. Booked a SYD-AUH-europe return service, all VA ticket, only EY metal for the short legs. Could assign all my seats through velocity, however when I called EY to confirm using the EY PNR - they had no seat assignment at all.

The agent also said (as experienced by an earlier poster) that they could not assign a VA ticket to an exit row seat on the EY legs. Has anyone found a way around this? Cannot understand how they cannot do this! I will try again and hopefully get a different agent/answer....but not looking good

Can the Virgin Australia / VFF rep on this forum look into why this isn't possible - two partner airlines, both using Sabre (according to an earlier post); surely this can be solved?

I've booked a PE ticket through Virgin which ends up being economy for the AUH-LHR sector as Etihad don't do PE. I knew this when booking, but the Etihad website advertises that you can book Exit Row seats, so I was happy to drop down for this leg. As per another thread, I got the Etihad-specific PNR and tried to book, to no avail. I've got Platinum status with Virgin, but going from PE for SYD-AUH to whatever random economy seat Etihad happen to assign me doesn't exactly encourage me to book VA for this route next time.

 

[drakcir]

How did you go with this in the end?

 

[darraghk]

Etihad charge for some of their exit row seats, if you are willing to pay get to the airport early.
It is cough that VA can't assign seats, even worse from Melbourne where there is no choice of VA metal.

 

[day-heg]

Etihad charge for some of their exit row seats, if you are willing to pay get to the airport early.

IME as a VA platinum flying whY with EY, I've never failed to get an exit/bulkhead seat, and never had to pay for it. I think I've taken 8 flights. Helpful of course having status and checking in at the Business counter, but the seats don't seem to be pre-allocated prior to check in opening.

Even at AUH with a short layover I've managed it for the next leg - if you're travelling to/from Europe, they won't allocate an exit seat for the second leg when you check in.

 

[drakcir]

IME as a VA platinum flying whY with EY, I've never failed to get an exit/bulkhead seat, and never had to pay for it. I think I've taken 8 flights. Helpful of course having status and checking in at the Business counter, but the seats don't seem to be pre-allocated prior to check in opening.

Even at AUH with a short layover I've managed it for the next leg - if you're travelling to/from Europe, they won't allocate an exit seat for the second leg when you check in.

Oh I hope that is the case! I phoned EY today to request allocated seating (VA Platinum, booked via VA) to/from Europe and was told that the blocked seats aren't unlocked until 2hr before at the airport - I was able to choose the 'non blocked' seats, so I guess I will just have to make sure that I am "early" and hope to acquire better seats at check in.

 

[day-heg]

blocked seats aren't unlocked until 2hr before at the airport.

It's earlier than that in my experience. Suggest getting there 3hrs prior and then enjoy the lounge...