No more Platinum shadow?

[Aggi]

I have a couple of flights on Saturday and called Qantas premium to block the seat next to me (i'm in 5C). The agent thought that this could only be done for P1's and called the P1 desk to confirm. I asked whether this is another "enhancement" I'm not aware of and the agent said that shadows have never been available for Platinums.

Can anyone else confirm if they have been told the same. Ironically the flights are a status run to maintain Platinum as I'm 120 status credits short but honestly I don't know why I bother.

 

[kermatu]

I have been told it is P1 only too and it requires a request every time about 3 days out to be placed. Very tedious., Even then it is very hit and miss - though to be fair I've had more hits than misses of late. I sometimes see on EF the 5B/5E seats or similar being blocked closer to departure, but that may be coincidence rather than a remaining shadow benefit.

 

[blackcat20]

My understanding was that the WP shadow was never an official benefit. Nice if you get one, but not guaranteed.

 

[Happy Trails]

I have been told it is P1 only too and it requires a request every time about 3 days out to be placed. Very tedious., Even then it is very hit and miss - though to be fair I've had more hits than misses of late. I sometimes see on EF the 5B/5E seats or similar being blocked closer to departure, but that may be coincidence rather than a remaining shadow benefit.

I gave up requesting them more than a year ago and haven't noticed any difference in the success rate.

 

[Willy]

I have a couple of flights on Saturday and called Qantas premium to block the seat next to me (i'm in 5C). The agent thought that this could only be done for P1's and called the P1 desk to confirm. I asked whether this is another "enhancement" I'm not aware of and the agent said that shadows have never been available for Platinums.

Can anyone else confirm if they have been told the same. Ironically the flights are a status run to maintain Platinum as I'm 120 status credits short but honestly I don't know why I bother.

Whilst shadows aren't an entitlement for WP or WP1's, they are still provided from time to time for WP's (not by ringing up though) and fairly often (subject to loading) for WP1's. Haven't heard of a WP being able to ring up and request a shadow though. I find that Row 5 appears to score shadows more often than Row 4, so on a Saturday you might get lucky and be shadowed by 5B anyway - gotta hope for a status' solo traveller in 5A to get even more hope.

 

[RichardMEL]

Never bother to request them. If it happens great, if not.. c'est la vie.

of course there are some that believe shadows are a Gold benefit...

 

[drron]

Gold!Pfft.I am 4/4 for shadows on QF this year.I am a PS-comped at that.

 

[medhead]

I have an excellent success rate in row 4 with shadows. Just happened to have a family flight last week. I was able to point out the Chairman's lounge member who is responsible for my success to SWMBO. Before I could say a word, SWMBO just said "Yes, I know. He is a very classy man."

 

[JohnK]

I don't think it was ever a Platinum benefit. Think the high expectation has originated on AFF.

I have never bothered to ask for vacant seat next to me. Has been offered a few times and although I do love a spare seat next to me it's not the end of the world.

Have also found greater likelihood of vacant seat next to you if in row 5 or row 6.

 

[bsb]

What a weird sense of entitlement. If you want the seat next to you empty, buy it.

 

[medhead]

What a weird sense of entitlement. If you want the seat next to you empty, buy it.

Qantas in their infinite wisdom do at times, randomly, seem to try to leave empty seats next to those with higher status, or perhaps more accurately those with higher value to qantas. I struggle to see how discussing such an unwritten and random service is a sense of entitlement.

While I would never ask for an empty seat, at the end of the day any customer is allowed to call Qantas to make a request for something. Just as Qantas can, and have in this case, say no.

 

[marki]

What a weird sense of entitlement. If you want the seat next to you empty, buy it.

Entitlement is free emptiness next to you

 

[Happy Trails]

What a weird sense of entitlement. If you want the seat next to you empty, buy it.

Entitlement maybe, but hardly weird.

 

[eminere]

of course there are some that believe shadows are a Gold benefit...

Ha! Just waiting for that someone to chime in now.

 

[njba]

I checked today and it's definitely true: not one P1 cast a shadow anywhere inside the terminal (or inside the perpetually full SYD MEL).

 

[footy99]

Were WPs ever able to request these?

I found it usually just happened unless the flight was full or there were higher status pax on board that got them. Nice little unadvertised bonus which, like the personal greetings, were common but not universal.

 

[Bundy Bear]

I always found the shadow was depended on the loading.

I have had good success at getting a shadow; when selecting exit row or row 5, I was lucky on Australia Day I got shadows both ways when seating in 4A,

 

[Deleted member]

I think a shadow is nice, but a wide seat is better.

 

[tuapekastar]

I don't really like the term and figure it is one 'invented' on this board or a similar one. I just consider myself lucky, by accident or design, if I have a vacant seat next to me.Gold now but was Plat for a number of years. One time me and GF selected 4A and C on a trans Tasman flight and the check in agent advised (unbidden) he would block B for us. That is the only time I have knowingly had a seat next to me deliberately kept vacant.

 

[TonyHancock]

Pfffffffft well that is just brilliant. One of the few benefits I seemed to receive over and above WP's was the P1 dedicated seatmate finding team. Now WP's are going to get that service too. Every last DYKWIA benefit is being slowly enhanced.