Preselecting Seating leaving Open Seat between you. Is it gaming?

[MEL_Traveller]

When is the right to fight?

When I choose 2 aisles on 2 separate bookings for myself and wife and daughter and some helpful person thinks we really need to sit next to each other. Lounge reception looks at me and shrugs shoulders.

"Who did it?". "Don't know".
"Why would they do it without asking my permission?". "Don't know".
"Can you please put us back in the 2 aisles?". "Can't do that as someone has been allocated that seat".
"What just like it I allocated that seat weeks ago? Thanks for nothing".

No point sending email to get standard response "Sorry we didn't meet your expectations this time".

Or what about the time check-in moved me from 4D to 28-something when j had daughter with me. That's the best seat you can give me? Lounge managed to improve back up front somewhere but the damage was already done.

When should I fight?

Seat changes for operational (which really only should mean ‘safety) reasons should not require consent. The issue is bigger than the needs of the individual passenger.

Changes for commercial reasons (to keep a status member happy) are bad form in my books. But it’s equally bad form for the status member to accept a seat change in those circumstances.

Qantas has a record of moving members in one travel party around, and in some cases i get it. Couples choosing A and C seats, hoping to score a free seat in the middle are trying to maximise the system. There is no such thing as a free seat on a plane. Likewise i guess maybe QF considers two aisles similarly? lots of people want aisle seats.

 

[Pushka]

Seat changes for operational (which really only should mean ‘safety) reasons should not require consent. The issue is bigger than the needs of the individual passenger.

Changes for commercial reasons (to keep a status member happy) are bad form in my books. But it’s equally bad form for the status member to accept a seat change in those circumstances.

Qantas has a record of moving members in one travel party around, and in some cases i get it. Couples choosing A and C seats, hoping to score a free seat in the middle are trying to maximise the system. There is no such thing as a free seat on a plane. Likewise i guess maybe QF considers two aisles similarly? lots of people want aisle seats.

I can understand the switching of seats when aisle and window are selected. But if we’ve done that in the past we’ve been on separate PNR’s so there’s no connection between us. So all that happens then is that a single pax might get put in the middle seat. The last time we were asked if we wanted to sit together (in J, Qatar, so single seats on the window) the Agent didn’t even seem to realise that these were solo seats so we weren’t going to be seated with a random.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I can understand the switching of seats when aisle and window are selected. But if we’ve done that in the past we’ve been on separate PNR’s so there’s no connection between us. So all that happens then is that a single pax might get put in the middle seat.

I think the A+C seats thingy is inherently unfair. Most of us like to arrange things in advance to make our trips as comfortable as possible, partly to reduce the stresses associated with airline travel these days. For the person already faced with lengthy check-in queues, baggage and hand baggage weight restrictions, hanging around at the gate during any delays... the thought of also being stuck in a middle seat for 24 hours is no fun. Sure they might find out once on board that the A+C were 'chancing it' and willing to swap, but that doesn't relieve the stress in the days/weeks prior to getting on board.

Passengers wanting an A+C combo can easily purchase a comfort seat at heavily reduced prices.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

But how is a couple (esp on separate PNR’s) picking an aisle and window seat any different to 2 randoms doing exactly the same thing? I like window. He likes aisle. If we are organised to select our seats in advance then so be it. Why should one of us end up in the middle seat to accommodate some random? Makes no sense to me.

There are pairs of seats available to accommodate that (granted, more usually at the rear of the cabin), but there's also a difference between those trying to game the system, and those who might genuinely want A+C. (As long as A+C aren't talking over the poor person in B!)

Nine times out of ten the A+Cers freely admit they will 'offer to move' if someone in B turns up. And their choice of A+C is purely to try and score a free seat. That's potentially the unfair bit for someone facing 24 hours of travel.

 

[Pushka]

(As long as A+C aren't talking over the poor person in B!)

oh yes. Agree on that. That is poor form. We usually ignore each other and get engrossed in our own thing. We are both WP anyway and as we never select rows 4-6 our shadow seems to stick when travelling alone. So double WP might even ‘shock’ someone who dares sit between us (that’s a joke btw )

Ttheir choice of A+C is purely to try and score a free seat. That's potentially the unfair bit for someone facing 24 hours of travel.

But this is the bit I don’t agree with. Why, because I am part of a couple, should I have to sit in the middle to allow a complete stranger to have the window? Fairness to whom? Obviously not to me (or equally to my partner - whichever one of us is supposed to have the middle seat).

 

[Toad]

Sounds like the freight was in the aircraft bay. Passengers are placed towards the back to even the weight distribution.

QF Answer: "We have to use the front row seats for freight".

Sorry I should of elaborated they told me that the seats were going to be used for freight and yes freight is in cargo section or maybe passengers are now referred to as freight also

 

[GoldCanyon340]

... or maybe passengers are now referred to as freight also

SLF

 

[burmans]

I was referring to the 'gamers' who actually want to fly together and sit together, but select the A+C seats purely because they want to discourage someone in the middle seat. So they force someone to choose the middle seat who only then finds out on board that 'oh, you can have the window or aisle'.

Struggling to see the problem with them getting a better seat than they selected. A and C seats are equally open to all, if you are late and get a B seat, you firstly have missed out because you were slow (that's the system, all systems are there to be taken advantage of) nor are they "inconvenienced " if the inconvenience is to move to a better seat (and they can always say no). I do get this "appears" selfish but in the first instance if they want a window/aisle seat that much they should seat select earlier and in the second if anything they are advantaged.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

nor are they "inconvenienced " if the inconvenience is to move to a better seat (and they can always say no).

The inconvenience might disappear once they board the aircraft and get offered the better seat... but for the days leading up to the flight they're left thinking they have to endure a middle seat for 24 hours on the way to Europe. And that's on top of all the other stresses involved with travel these days. I'm not sure I could think of anything much more miserable than the thought of being in a middle seat and it would probably make me dread the journey rather than be excited.

 

[rikkitikkitavi]

Some actually like it if there's a 3-4-3 seating plan, if you don't want to be disturbed a window seat means you need to cross over two people to get out, a middle seat means no one should climb over you and you now only have to get by one person to get past.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Some actually like it if there's a 3-4-3 seating plan, if you don't want to be disturbed a window seat means you need to cross over two people to get out, a middle seat means no one should climb over you and you now only have to get by one person to get past.

You're suggesting a solo traveller would actively select a middle seat bewteen two strangers as their preferred seating choice? I'd need to see the data on that! (I'd argue the aisle in the 4 block in the middle would be preferred, with only one potential person to climb over you, and you get the benefit of the aisle.)

 

[burmans]

The inconvenience might disappear once they board the aircraft and get offered the better seat... but for the days leading up to the flight they're left thinking they have to endure a middle seat for 24 hours on the way to Europe. And that's on top of all the other stresses involved with travel these days. I'm not sure I could think of anything much more miserable than the thought of being in a middle seat and it would probably make me dread the journey rather than be excited.

Sure but the reason they are in a middle seat is the fact they haven't seat selected, this isn't only something couples can do. I'm failing to see how getting a middle seat is worse because I'm a single, it's bad whether you are a single or one of a couple.

 

[Toad]

Struggling to see the problem with them getting a better seat than they selected. A and C seats are equally open to all, if you are late and get a B seat, you firstly have missed out because you were slow (that's the system, all systems are there to be taken advantage of) nor are they "inconvenienced " if the inconvenience is to move to a better seat (and they can always say no). I do get this "appears" selfish but in the first instance if they want a window/aisle seat that much they should seat select earlier and in the second if anything they are advantaged.

Interesting about seat changes. I fly JQ alot due to no QF flights to fit schedule. I purchase the bundle with seat allocated and have the same allocated seat given every time and then the option to change if I want to. I have never had a seat changed by JQ EVER after my own selection. Makes me wonder about QF????

 

[Hvr]

I have never had a seat change allocation change by JQ EVER.

Sounds like requests by people for seats already allocated are handled after SCs have been allocated.

I've had a few JQ flights and agree with you re allocated seats.

 

[JohnK]

I have never had a seat changed by JQ EVER after my own selection. Makes me wonder about QF????

I only fly JQ occasionally and have already had seats changed at check-in. Once with wife and daughter selected and paid for 2 aisles but in their wisdom they moved us. When I asked why they said to give wife and daughter an empty middle seat but when they moved her back to original allocated seat they said she won't have spare middle seat and sure enough she didn't.

Wonderful logic used by JQ.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm failing to see how getting a middle seat is worse because I'm a single, it's bad whether you are a single or one of a couple.

If you are a solo traveller in the middle seat you are pretty much confined to a 17 by 31 inch box for the entire flight, mindful that you have two strangers on either side, and you'll disturb the person on the aisle if you want to escape your box to stretch your legs, or retrieve something from your cabin bag overhead, or go to the WC. If you are travelling with someone, none of those things apply. You don't have to worry about disturbing the person on the aisle. You can encroach your legs sideways into their space to stretch every now and then. You have much more freedom to get up and about. You can store things like your pillow or blanket in the overhead, knowing you can get up at any time to retrieve them. Not as easy if you have a stranger there.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

When you buy a seat on QF that's all you are buying - A seat not a particular seat. That's unless you are prepared to pay the extra for seat selection. Single travellers don't pay extra and have no special rights above that despite your obvious belief they should have.

Frankly most people on a flight are strangers, sure I get that sitting next to someone you know may make it easier but if you are paying the same price I don't agree that singles have any special rights.

That was never my point. The issue is the 'gamers', with as little as silver membership, taking the A+C seats - for free - in the hope to actively discourage someone from sitting in the middle seat so they can score themselves a free seat and extra space.

Those gamers have no intention of actually sitting in A+C if the flight is full, they claim they will offer a person seating in the B seat the choice of the window or aisle.

The issue for the gamers is that they don't really know how full the flight is. And the poor person left with nothing but B has to wait till they board the plane before they realise their flight isn't going to be as miserable as they thought it was going to be for the previous 80 hours (when check-in opened). It's an awful feeling to be left thinking how uncomfortable a flight of 24 hours can be. I'm sure most have been in that situation at one time or another.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

...and there is a chance the family will be randomly allocated seats in the cabin.

There's a chance adult members could be split up. But young children travelling will always be seated with one adult.

 

[Toad]

I only fly JQ occasionally and have already had seats changed at check-in. Once with wife and daughter selected and paid for 2 aisles but in their wisdom they moved us. When I asked why they said to give wife and daughter an empty middle seat but when they moved her back to original allocated seat they said she won't have spare middle seat and sure enough she didn't.

Wonderful logic used by JQ.

So two aisle seats. So does mean wife and daughter not sitting together. Does that mean JQ made an effort to sit them together with an extra benefit of more space with no one in the middle seat.

 

[JohnK]

So two aisle seats. So does mean wife and daughter not sitting together. Does that mean JQ made an effort to sit them together with an extra benefit of more space with no one in the middle seat.

No. I had paid and pre-allocated 2 aisle seats opposite each other. They then moved my wife and daughter to a different aisle seat to give her a vacant middle seat as she was with an infant but then moved me to that middle seat as they want families to sit together. This logic makes no sense to me. When I asked for original seats back they said wife and daughter can't have vacant seat and sure enough they left the middle seat we vacated as vacant for someone else with no infant.

Amateur hour. You can't make up this stuff.

Warning: Jetstar seat selection fees