Altea - Sometimes it works, sometimes it...

[moa999]

Did the SYD-MEL return today on 737s (rare enough on that route but I suppose still low business pax) and had some very contraditctory experiences in terms of rewarding FFs with blocked seats where possible.

SYD-MEL 737-800
How it is meant to work.
OLCId at T-12 or so. Seq <30
Allocated 6A (Window Pref). Selected 4D (only available aisle/ window seat in Row 4)
On boarding Rows 4-16 only had pax in A,C,D,F. Remainder of plane looked very full.
ie. Altea had effectively blocked the middle seats for the pax at the front of the plane (presumably Plat and Gold FFs)

MEL-SYD 737-400
Didn't work so well.
OLCI at T-20 or so. Seq <15
Allocated 5A (Window Pref). Selected 4A in case sub for 800.
On Boarding 4B,6B,10B and 4-8E had pax, then probably only half the rest of the middle seats taken up.
More interestingly the Pax in 4B (using boarding pass as a bookmark) was a QP Silv, had done OLCI with Seq No <15, yet had been allowed to choose 4B on a lightly filled flight.

 

[equus]

MEL-SYD 737-400
Didn't work so well.
....
On Boarding 4B,6B,10B and 4-8E had pax, then probably only half the rest of the middle seats taken up.
More interestingly the Pax in 4B (using boarding pass as a bookmark) was a QP Silv, had done OLCI with Seq No <15, yet had been allowed to choose 4B on a lightly filled flight.

Not necessarily so. Remember Altea is supposed to factor a whole lot of value propositions in. Passenger in 4B may have been QPS, but you have no way of knowing the fare basis (may have been fully flex Y) or even any company associations which Altea may have taken into account to decide that particular passenger was well worth the privelege of accommodating in a forward row. I believe the CIP tag has all but disappeared nowdays, but that used to apply across all tiers, and for all sorts of reasons, most of which are now probably accommodated internally in Altea in some way.

 

[medhead]

MEL-SYD 737-400
Didn't work so well.
OLCI at T-20 or so. Seq <15
Allocated 5A (Window Pref). Selected 4A in case sub for 800.
On Boarding 4B,6B,10B and 4-8E had pax, then probably only half the rest of the middle seats taken up.
More interestingly the Pax in 4B (using boarding pass as a bookmark) was a QP Silv, had done OLCI with Seq No <15, yet had been allowed to choose 4B on a lightly filled flight.

the other thing is the sequence number. they may have moved into 4B before you moved into 4A and after whoever, was originally in 4A moved elsewhere. 4A might have been blocked due to lower status, but 4B open due to no one being in 4A.

As a QPS, I often get an initial allocation in row 12 to 18 (737) but with the option to move into rows 4 to 8 at some stage during the OLCI time window, on about 2/3 of my flights.

 

[anat0l]

I found often as a PS or an SG that I could often select middle seats in some of the front most rows. SG especially, and these were all Red e-Deals.

I don't rely on middle blocking much at all. Only on flights which are quite lightly loaded can I safely find my middle seat is empty; probably not due to blocking either.

 

[drewbles]

the other thing is the sequence number. they may have moved into 4B before you moved into 4A and after whoever, was originally in 4A moved elsewhere. 4A might have been blocked due to lower status, but 4B open due to no one being in 4A.

As a QPS, I often get an initial allocation in row 12 to 18 (737) but with the option to move into rows 4 to 8 at some stage during the OLCI time window, on about 2/3 of my flights.

And once checked in, moving seat does not change your SEQ. When I was PS, I'd also be allocated a back row (12-18ish) and then keep checking and keep moving forward. Every time, my SEQ would remain the same. It's entirely possible they were down further towards the back, and moved forward as they found availability.

 

[NM]

SEQ number indicates the order of original check-in. Mr 4B may have originally be allocated 65E when he checked in at T-21. Then while sitting in the QP he may have moved himself or asked at the service desk for a seat further forward and been offered and accepted 4B. This would generate a new boarding pass but would still show the original SEQ number.

 

[serfty]

Was 5B taken on that flight?

Also, when you moved to 4A, was 4B showing as available to you for selection or not?

 

[JohnK]

Yes occasionally some strange results do occur.

On Sunday night I was on a 737-400 SYD-BNE and was pre-allocated 6D with seq #13. I could have selected 4F but left it at 6D. Got to the airport about 45 minutes before the flight (21:05 departure) and used QuickCheck to try to get closer to front and every single seat down to row 16 was blocked/taken.

The flight had a very loght load. Passengers were scattered all over the place and I did not notice any rows with all 3 seats occupied. In front of me only 5D taken, I had a spare middle seat, row 7DEF was vacant and so on.

 

[moa999]

Was 5B taken on that flight?

Also, when you moved to 4A, was 4B showing as available to you for selection or not?

5B not taken. I could have taken either 4A or 4B from memory.

Understand the Seq number not changing making that more difficult to judge.

 

[serfty]

With initial allocation, 5B may have been blocked for you and/or the pax allocated 5C.