Seating preference when flying...

[abstraction]

I'll often ask for a swap to an aisle seat with a spare seat or two beside it in preference for the others.

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

Does this poll also say something about the number of WP on this forum?

Its interesting that WP's seem to prefer "up the front" rather than extra legroom. Is it perhaps "I only fly in the pointy end" syndrome.

 

[TonyHancock]

Its interesting that WP's seem to prefer "up the front" rather than extra legroom. Is it perhaps "I only fly in the pointy end" syndrome.

Getting off the plane quickly for me. I suspect a lot of WP's do enough flying to want to minimise the time spent on the aircraft and at the airport after the plane has landed. I'm very sad I time myself from landing to getting to my ground transportation!! My PB on QF10 into MEL is 19 mins!!

Being near the front of Y on international flights is particularly important when you want to avoid long immigration queues.

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

Getting off the plane quickly for me. I suspect a lot of WP's do enough flying to want to minimise the time spent on the aircraft and at the airport after the plane has landed. I'm very sad I time myself from landing to getting to my ground transportation!! My PB on QF10 into MEL is 19 mins!!

Being near the front of Y on international flights is particularly important when you want to avoid long immigration queues.

Hi TonyHancock,

I thought WP's etc got "Fast Track" and did not fly down the back !

 

[Awesom Andy]

I'm very sad I time myself from landing to getting to my ground transportation!! My PB on QF10 into MEL is 19 mins!!

Being near the front of Y on international flights is particularly important when you want to avoid long immigration queues.

Join the club (although I don't include taxi time)
My all-time record is 10 mins from gate-to-"gate" (transfer to land transport), going into SIN. For the Australian international terminal record, it's 15mins at SYD - surprising, but true.

 

[TonyHancock]

Hi TonyHancock,

I thought WP's etc got "Fast Track" and did not fly down the back !

WP's do get express cards when returning to Australia and flying in Y or Y+...although it can be a bit hit and miss!! Unfortunately when flying Y and Y+ overseas WP's don't get this benefit.

I have been lucky this year I have only had to make three MEL-LHR trips and one MEL-LAX trip in Y or Y+. :-| You'll find a lot more WP's here who earn their status with a lot more BIS Y miles that I do, and they are spending some serious amounts of time traveling in Y.

I have been lucky enough to be able to use JASA's, thanks to the tips and advice on AFF, to get me to the pointy end of the plane.

 

[pshepvic]

Unfortunately when flying Y and Y+ overseas WP's don't get this benefit.

Really? I haven't flown Y int since I've been WP, but I've been given departure express cards even when I was only SG and flying Y or Y+.

These days I always ask for a couple of extras just in case I need them in the future. I've only been declined this request once but that was at domestic transfer and she only had 3 left. I find the F lounge staff are happy to give them out too if you need some, but that's too late for the flight that day as you're already through immigration!

 

[pshepvic]

For the Australian international terminal record, it's 15mins at SYD - surprising, but true.

With or without checked luggage?

My best with checked luggage (don't think I've ever done international without) was in Osaka:

From arrival at gate, onto the shuttle train, through immigration, collect bags, through customs, bought ticket for train (after staring at board for 2 minutes to work out what I was doing), down escalator to platform, and onto train: 15min.

 

[TonyHancock]

Really? I haven't flown Y int since I've been WP, but I've been given departure express cards even when I was only SG and flying Y or Y+.!

Whoops my post wasn't very clear.

I was suggesting that when arriving into the US or UK traveling in Y it was important for me to get off the aircraft quickly to avoid the queues at immigration. (In Y and Y+ there is no express card for arrival when landing in the US or UK) that is why I prefer to sit near the front.

I have never had a problem in receiving express cards for departure but they have no bearing on my seating preference.

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

Whoops my post wasn't very clear.

I was suggesting that when arriving into the US or UK traveling in Y it was important for me to get off the aircraft quickly to avoid the queues at immigration. (In Y and Y+ there is no express card for arrival when landing in the US or UK) that is why I prefer to sit near the front.

I have never had a problem in receiving express cards for departure but they have no bearing on my seating preference.

I'm just green :mrgreen: with envy that I have no status - just points !

 

[ozmille]

I thought WP's etc got "Fast Track" and did not fly down the back !

Some of us do

 

[JohnK]

As a WP Y flyer it's:

• 737 4A/C/D/F
• 767 23A/B/J/K
• 330 23A/B/D/G/J/K
• 747 Front Aisle
• 388 80A/K, 71D, 50A/C, 51H/K

I'd say there would be quite a few people with the same preferences.

Juat about sums most of my preferences although sometimes 23DG, 24DG, 25DG on the right 767 can also be good especially if middle seat is blocked.

 

[pshepvic]

Whoops my post wasn't very clear.

I was suggesting that when arriving into the US or UK traveling in Y it was important for me to get off the aircraft quickly to avoid the queues at immigration. (In Y and Y+ there is no express card for arrival when landing in the US or UK) that is why I prefer to sit near the front.

I have never had a problem in receiving express cards for departure but they have no bearing on my seating preference.

Ah sorry, I see what you mean. Yep no express entry cards to the US even if in First Class either I don't think? I've had them for Heathrow when I flew in Y+ on BA, mind you that benefit over QF isn't enough to make me fly Y+ on BA ever again...

 

[samiam]

Its interesting that WP's seem to prefer "up the front" rather than extra legroom.

I could rephrase that:

WP's seem to prefer it up the front, rather than down the back.

 

[JohnK]

I have never had a problem in receiving express cards for departure but they have no bearing on my seating preference.

I was given both departure and arrivals express cards at SYD F check-in yesterday without asking.

Juat about sums most of my preferences although sometimes 23DG, 24DG, 25DG on the right 767 can also be good especially if middle seat is blocked.

Add 52DEFG on A380 as seats with plenty of legroom. Not as good as 80A/K but much better area to sit than down the back.

 

[dfcatch]

I was given both departure and arrivals express cards at SYD F check-in yesterday without asking.


Add 52DEFG on A380 as seats with plenty of legroom. Not as good as 80A/K but much better area to sit than down the back.

Any babies nearby?

 

[JohnK]

Any babies nearby?

Not at row 52. In fact 52FG were vacant through out the flight.

Did have 2 babies down the back near row 80 but they were mainly OK most flight.

Whole aircraft was eerily empty again. Not many people sitting 4 in a row in 4 seaters or 3 in a row in 3 seaters. One couple amazed me all night. They had 80AB and no one in 80C. So they sat in 80AB all through flight. :shock:

 

[serfty]

Any babies nearby?

No bubs perhaps but certainly unused bassinets ...

 

[dfcatch]

No bubs perhaps but certainly unused bassinets ...

It's such a dilemma .......

Although the more I think about it, the more I think that inbound to LAX (with connection)I would opt for bulkhead.....

And 80A/K for inbound to Oz.

Smartgate and express cards make up for the extra 10 mins on the plane.

...... OTOH 80A was just so darn comfortable and such a good sleep!

 

[Jersey]

While waiting to return to Perth from London Heath row in October 2005 I got into a conversation with a British Airways employee and the seating / comfort came up,he told me that Qantas & BA had added extra rows of seats to their Boeing 747 thus reducing the leg room for the economy passengers,The flight was a code share BA/Qantas and as it was a late evening departure as soon as the aircraft was at height the person in front of me,as per her right put her seat back to max and I traveled all the way with the seat on my knees until landing at Singapore . It seems to me that Qantas and BA have compromised passenger comfort for extra revenue enen with the health aspect of Deep Vain thrombosies and that some people are over 175/185 cm in height ,I have been lucky enough to fly Thai and Singapore Airlines and bot seem to have a bit more room, and offer better pricing deals. As for the best seat,I prefer the bulk head.