80 hour rule seat selection

[nic0]

I mostly fly the same route for work, and depending on the aircraft i take advantage of the 80 hour rule a fair bit as i am tall AF and i don't want to be squished into a normal seat for a few hours. I sometimes go for exit row as well, but that's not always an option. Lately this doesn't seem to work anymore - the seats first 2 rows don't get unlocked at 80 hours and i have tried to work out what the go is. I had to change my my last flight a couple of days beforehand and wasn't able to pre-select an adequate seat. I ended up stuck in a normal middle seat at online check in (full air craft) and checked multiple times throughout the day for a better seat to no avail. I got very lucky in the morning of the flight as the first row was finally unlocked and i managed to change my middle seat in the back of the plane to an isle seat in row 1. The aircraft ended up being stuck on the tarmac for an additional 2 hours due to a technical issue so i was very happy about that. Maybe someone has some insight into this, is there possibly a different rule? Cheers

 

[mrsterryn]

You don't have status ?

 

[Lynda2475]

As a Platinum you should be able to pick an aisle seat near front of why at time of booking, at back middle seat shouldn't happen.

 

[nic0]

Not if every single isle seat is already blocked by someone else i guess? The same thing is happening on my next flight, see attached screenshot. This flight is still 6 days away.

 

[TheInsider]

Not if every single isle seat is already blocked by someone else i guess? The same thing is happening on my next flight, see attached screenshot. This flight is still 6 days away.

What flight and day? I can check the loads.

 

[Lynda2475]

I'm guessing a FIFO route where pretty much everyone on board has status, and perhaps book further in advance.

 

[TheInsider]

is there possibly a different rule? Cheers

No different rules. Nothing has changed in regard to the -80 thing.

 

[nic0]

What flight and day? I can check the loads.

Thanks, i have an expert flyer sub (for different purposes) Y0 B0 H0 K0 M0 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 G0 X0 E0

I'm guessing a FIFO route where pretty much everyone on board has status, and perhaps book further in advance.

You are guessing right, i usually fly on different days where i don't have this issue but that sometimes needs to change.

No different rules. Nothing has changed in regard to the -80 thing.

Very odd that it doesn't seem to work like that on these flights anymore though. Otherwise i would not have been able to get that row 1 seat. (all 3 left hand seats in row 1 were selectable, fully booked plane)

 

[RooFlyer]

@nic0 I had the same, or similar issue a while back. As a Plat, on booking a month out, all the first 13 rows on a B717 MEL-HBA were blocked out - the seat map was very similar to yours, above. I chose 14D.

At T-80, MMB would only give be option of window or aisle. A dummy booking showed plenty of seats available, forward.

A later call to the Plat line gave me 3D.

So, not FIFO, just an ordinary flight by a Plat with seating screwed up. Bizarre. My thread here (note that the first seat map I show is the dummy booking at T-80)

B717 seating query - Plat needs seat change to be requested.

Not a biggie, but haven't struck this before, and so hope someone might explain what is going on. MEL-HBA next Thursday, B717. When I booked, about a month ago, the closest row I could get top the front was 14. All seats in front of that row were blocked. Today at T-80, I went in to MMB to...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[nic0]

@nic0 I had the same, or similar issue a while back. As a Plat, on booking a month out, all the first 13 rows on a B717 MEL-HBA were blocked out - the seat map was very similar to yours, above. I chose 14D.

At T-80, MMB would only give be option of window or aisle. A dummy booking showed plenty of seats available, forward.

A later call to the Plat line gave me 3D.

So, not FIFO, just an ordinary flight by a Plat with seating screwed up. Bizarre. My thread here (note that the first seat map I show is the dummy booking at T-80)

B717 seating query - Plat needs seat change to be requested.

Not a biggie, but haven't struck this before, and so hope someone might explain what is going on. MEL-HBA next Thursday, B717. When I booked, about a month ago, the closest row I could get top the front was 14. All seats in front of that row were blocked. Today at T-80, I went in to MMB to...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Mmh, very interesting indeed. This flight is just an ordinary flight but always has a ton of FIFO people on it. I looked up the seat map on expert flyer (attached). Will try 80hr rule, otherwise phone call to the Plat Line see if they can help.