Preferred Seating terms and conditions
These terms and conditions contain important terms that you should be aware of. In particular, clause 2 states when you are and are not able to request a refund.
1. Purchasing Preferred Seat selection
1.1 These Preferred Seat selection terms and conditions apply to your purchase of Preferred Seat selection and are in addition to Virgin Australia’s Conditions of Carriage, the Fare Rules and Privacy Policy, which you accept at the time you purchase a fare.
1.2 Preferred Seat selection allows guests flying on eligible fares to select an Economy seat in a Preferred seating zone on a flight (“Preferred Seat”). Preferred Seat selection is available when flying on an Economy Choice or Flex fare on flights operated by Virgin Australia and Virgin Australia International and selected Alliance Airlines and Link Airways operated Virgin Australia flights. Preferred Seat selection is not available on flights operated by our codeshare and other third-party airline partners.
1.3 Virgin Australia may change its published fees at any time. The applicable Preferred Seat selection fee will be the fee published at the time you purchase Preferred Seat selection. Fees are per person, one way and per sector. Fees are in the applicable booking currency, being the country of origin specified in your booking or purchase.
1.4 Velocity Platinum members and up to 8 additional companions travelling on the same booking may reserve a Preferred Seat for free on domestic and short-haul international flights operated by Virgin Australia if available at the time of the request. Preferred Seats will not be automatically assigned to Platinum members.
1.5 Gold Velocity members travelling on a Choice and Flex fare, and up to 8 additional companions travelling on the same booking may reserve a Preferred Seat for free on domestic and short-haul international flights operated by Virgin Australia if available at the time of the request. Preferred Seats will not be automatically assigned to Gsold members.
1.6 Preferred Seats are subject to availability and may be sold out at the time of booking or at any time prior to your travel date.
1.7 You may be able to change the Preferred Seat that you have selected up to 30 minutes before your scheduled flight departure, subject to availability of other Preferred Seats. You can request a change to your selected Preferred Seat at the airport or by calling the Guest Contact Centre.
1.8 Velocity members will not earn Velocity Points or Status Credits on the amount paid for Preferred Seats.
1.9 Preferred Seats may or may not be able to recline.
1.10 We will endeavour to accommodate your Preferred Seat selection. However, we cannot guarantee you will be seated in the seat you have selected. We may change your Preferred Seat at any time, even after you have boarded the aircraft for any reason, including for safety or operational reasons. If this happens, you may be entitled to request a refund of any fees paid for Preferred Seat selection, see clause 2.
1.11 If you choose to change your booking from a direct flight to multiple connecting flights, you will need to pay an additional Preferred Seat selection fee for each additional sector (if applicable). This additional fee will be payable at the time of the change.
1.12 Preferred Seat selection fees are non-transferrable (to other passengers) and cannot be used towards any other service or product.
1.13 These Preferred Seat selection terms and conditions are in addition to and do not vary the fare rules that apply to your fare.
1.14 To the extent of any inconsistency between these Preferred Seat terms and conditions and the Conditions of Carriage, the Conditions of Carriage shall prevail.
2. Refunds and your rights
2.1 This section 2 outlines when you may request a refund of the Preferred Seat selection fee you have paid. There may be additional circumstances where you are entitled to a refund of the fee under the Australian Consumer Law. For more information about your rights under the Australian Consumer Law, please see our Consumer Guarantees page.
2.2 If you pay a fee to select a Preferred Seat, you are entitled to request a refund of the fee you have paid if we do not provide you with a Preferred Seat that you purchased, in the following circumstances:
(a) you were rebooked to another flight:
(i) by Virgin Australia for reasons within its control; or
(ii) because you missed your connecting flight after an inbound flight on Virgin Australia or its codeshare partners and you were not provided with a comparable Preferred Seat on the other flight;
(b) Virgin Australia cancelled your flight and you were unable to be reaccommodated on another flight;
(c) we changed the aircraft operating your flight and there were no comparable Preferred Seats available on the alternative aircraft;
(d) we reaccommodated you and you are moved to a new Preferred Seat that is not like-for-like (“like-for-like" being another seat which is the same seat type (window, middle or aisle) within the Preferred Seating area in the two rows in front of or behind your original selected Preferred Seat);
(e) we changed your Preferred Seat either before or after boarding and you were not provided with another like-for-like Preferred Seat (“like-for-like" being another seat which is the same seat type (window, middle or aisle) within the Preferred Seating area in the two rows in front of or behind your original selected Preferred Seat);
(f) if you request a flight change in the Manage Your Booking section on Virgin Australia’s website and you do not re-select a Preferred Seat in your updated booking, or
(g) you purchase an upgrade to another class of travel, including UpgradeMe Bid and UpgradeMe Points.
2.3 To the extent permitted by law, fees paid for Preferred Seat selection will not be refunded if the following occurs:
(a) if you choose to cancel your flight;
(b) if Virgin Australia reaccommodates you on another flight which you accept, and cannot provide your Preferred Seat, but can provide a like-for-like seat (“like-for-like" being another seat which is the same seat type (window, middle or aisle) within the Preferred Seating area in the two rows in front of or behind your original selected Preferred Seat); and
(c) we offer you a complimentary upgrade to a higher class of travel and you accept that offer.
2.4 Refunds can be requested through the General Enquiries form on the Virgin Australia website or through the Manage Your Booking section on our website when you update your booking. The Preferred Seat selection fee will be refunded to the original form of payment.
3. General
3.1 You have certain rights under the Australian Consumer Law. These include Consumer Guarantees that the services we provide to you will be carried out by us with due care and skill, will be fit for purpose and will be supplied within a reasonable time. You may have rights to seek a remedy from us where we fail to provide services to you in accordance with the Australian Consumer Law. Nothing in these terms and conditions affects those rights or any other statutory rights you may have under applicable laws (including the Australian Consumer Law) that cannot be excluded.
3.2 Virgin Australia may modify and change these Preferred Seat selection terms and conditions from time to time. The terms and conditions which apply to your purchase of a Preferred Seat are those in effect at the date of purchase, as published on our website.
3.3 The failure by Virgin Australia to exercise its rights will not be construed as a waiver or relinquishment of the future performance of any of its rights, and the guest’s obligations with respect to such future performance shall continue in full force and effect.