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We had a reservation for the car park on Friday morning. We left the house at what we thought was a reasonable time. Having traveled so much for work, we are accustomed to sliding into the gate just as the plane takes off. That's what happened on this trip with one caveat.
No longer working, we pay little attention to school calendars. It was our life guide when it came to doing just about anything; trips and travel, scheduling family gatherings, tuturing students and general activities around the house. The flight left at 7:45 a.m. and we didn't leave the house until 6:00. Ouch! We arrived to the car park and the line was forever long. The woman came out and said we are overbooked and overwhelmed. Do you have a reservation? I told her we had made it two weeks in advance, and she said not to worry. I left the car at the entrance and gave her the keys. Now, where was the shuttle? It did come and the driver, without mentioning, knew the flight times at that early hour and off he went.
We got to the gate and our slide into the gate came to a brief but abrupt halt. The girl at the counter asked if we had seats and I told her we didn't. She had the you know what, to ask me why we didn't buy seats. I told her we never do and that we purchased tickets that came with a seat. She said next time they wouldn't let us board. In terms of price, she gave us two premium seats that were not yet purchased. We like to fly aisle to aisle and that's what she gave us. Vivaaerobus has boarding groups, no classes, so it doesn't matter who is first or not. Afterward, we went to the gate without waiting and they called our group. We had the last row and entered the plane from the back and into our seats. First on and first off. No cost. The situation had me fuming a bit, but I got out my phone and this is what I found translated into English:
No, you are not required to pay for a seat if you fly with VivaAerobus, but if you don't, you will be randomly assigned one at check-in.
Seat(s): Viva will randomly assign seats to all passengers on any Fare or Combo they purchase. However, passengers may choose their preferred seat for an additional cost, depending on the available zones or sections within the cabin. These may be:
Priority/VIP Priority: Refers to the first 3 (three) or 6 (six) rows of the passenger cabin (clearly identified on the aircraft and on the seat map), where passengers will also receive priority boarding service at no additional cost.
Preferred Seats: Refers to the seating area between the VIP Priority and More Space (Space +) sections.
More Space (Space +): Refers to seats located near emergency exits on the aircraft, which offer greater space and comfort for passengers.
Regular Seats: Refers to the rest of the Seats, that is, those that are not described in points 1, 2 and 3 above.
Not paying for a seat doesn't mean you will miss your flight they will simply assign you one at random. In the past, we have been put on standby but always get on the plane. We haven't purchased seats on our international travels either. At this stage in our lives if we get bumped, we look for the benefits package and, if needed, stay another night. What a rip-off!
