Does the "Platinum Shadow" exist on Virgin?

[quark]

Hi

As DJ have graciously awarded me Platinum Status I thought I would return the love and have booked several flights. While I am reasonably confident, from what I have read, that a lot of the benefits I enjoy in QF, which make the ridiculous amount of time I spend flying more bearable, will be present in some similar form on DJ - I am a little concerned about this one. (And the lack of IFE, but then Qantas only works half the time anyway).

I rarely have to sit next to anyone on Qantas, even if the plane is chockas, particularly if I grab a front row economy aisle seat in the middle row of a 767 or 330 to Perth, and I suspect that I won't enjoy that consistency on DJ.

Can anyone assist? (I did try looking this topic up, but couldn't see anything. Of course that doesn't mean it is not there....:shock.

Q

 

[LiamR]

Hi

As DJ have graciously awarded me Platinum Status I thought I would return the love and have booked several flights. While I am reasonably confident, from what I have read, that a lot of the benefits I enjoy in QF, which make the ridiculous amount of time I spend flying more bearable, will be present in some similar form on DJ - I am a little concerned about this one. (And the lack of IFE, but then Qantas only works half the time anyway).

I rarely have to sit next to anyone on Qantas, even if the plane is chockas, particularly if I grab a front row economy aisle seat in the middle row of a 767 or 330 to Perth, and I suspect that I won't enjoy that consistency on DJ.

Can anyone assist? (I did try looking this topic up, but couldn't see anything. Of course that doesn't mean it is not there....:shock.

Q

In my experience, when you OLCI, you are never assigned a shadow. However, if you ask somebody at the airport, they'll usually block the middle seat for you.

IME, you tend to get a lot of couples travelling on Virgin, so you don't get as many empty middle seats as I'd like.

 

[777]

No formal "shadow" but i get an empty seat next to me more often than not. Not including fully booked flights though.

 

[Mal]

Flexi tickets seem to have a shadow if possible.

Although I had an interesting seating arrangement on Sun. Pre allocated 3b on a full but not overflowing plane. PE leg room seat was nice, but guy next to me cringed when I arrived. He was gold or plat. Out of the 3 of us, I was the only Flexi and c didn't appear to have status. Strange.

Could have moved to 5c on kiosk check-in.

 

[dfcatch]

Flexi tickets seem to have a shadow if possible.

Although I had an interesting seating arrangement on Sun. Pre allocated 3b on a full but not overflowing plane. PE leg room seat was nice, but guy next to me cringed when I arrived. He was gold or plat. Out of the 3 of us, I was the only Flexi and c didn't appear to have status. Strange.

Could have moved to 5c on kiosk check-in.

I got 3b on a fairly full MEL-BNE the other day - lounge lady was very apologetic that they didn't have an aisle seat anywhere near the front and double-checked whether 3b was acceptable.

Naturally I said it was fine

Had a great view through the perspex into the empty J cabin

PS. LOVED the row 3 legroom

 

[connieguy]

I got 3b on a fairly full MEL-BNE the other day - lounge lady was very apologetic that they didn't have an aisle seat anywhere near the front and double-checked whether 3b was acceptable.

Naturally I said it was fine

Had a great view through the perspex into the empty J cabin

PS. LOVED the row 3 legroom

Have never had a shadow with QF for 3 years as a WP. Never knew it existed until I read about it on the AFF forum.

 

[dfcatch]

Have never had a shadow with QF for 3 years as a WP. Never knew it existed until I read about it on the AFF forum.

Yes - I'm in the same bucket.... I've never seen nor experienced a WP shadow, domestic or Int.

The only time I have benefited is from another WP's shadow when I have been in C and he has been in A. (I know it wasn't me that had the B seat blocked).

That said - I'm all positive about DJ.

Perhaps when their seat selection is up and running that WP shadows may be a feature (hint hint)

 

[Oneworldplus2]

I have had a WP 'shadow' with QF on 'some' flights.
Fantastic on transcon flights (second best thing to an upgrade in my view...)

 

[JohnK]

Yes - I'm in the same bucket.... I've never seen nor experienced a WP shadow, domestic or Int.

I don't have Expert Flyer but evidence would seem to suggest that I have a Platinum 'shadow' on some flights.

And recently the middle seat has remained vacant in row 23 on domestic flights.

 

[bugayev]

I seem to have a shadow most of the time on QF, but not always. Don't know if it's just a regular seating choice (26J anyone?) or whether there is some Altea magic at play.

Hopefully Virgin will be able to work something out over time once the new program settles down!

 

[schlaffa]

I flew PER - SYD on the 330 the day after the new Velocity was launched. I thought I had a shadow. I was in the front row of Y, window seat with no one next to me. Thought that Plat was looking pretty good ... until the FA came up to me with a big smile on her face. She told me that I was the first Plat the crew have had and invited me to business, which I gladly accepted It was a full upgrade with business meals as well. Perfect for a 6am departure! The captain also wondered around the business cabin during the flight and chatted to the whopping 3 of us (1 other had been upgraded, so there was only one paying business pax). He mentioned how he saw me on the pax list and asked the cabin crew to bring me forward. Nice ...