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

[RooFlyer]

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 see what was available forward (I'd like to shoot off the plane ASAP). MMB said seat selection not available, state preference. My 14D still there.

Making a dummy booking, I see this seat map



I am able to select 2A, 3 C or any open seat there. Didn't complete booking, of course.

And Expert Flyer shows me this. I double checked, and its the same flight and date. My 14D shown as available!! [Edit - incorrect, see below]




I called QF Premium as a Plat. Sounds like Sth Africa, 'Platinum (or Premium) line'. Agent says she can't move me to any other seat, needs to put in a request as its "done by another team". I ask for 2A or 7C (wheelchair).

I'll ignore why EF's map is so different ... might be a timing issue (but my 14D selected a month ago!) ... but

1) Why might seating not be selectable at T-80 for a Plat?

2) Why wouldn't a member of the 'Platinum team' be able to change my seat, Sth Africa or not?

3) Why might the first 13 rows be completely blocked a month out?

They are still selling seats, so I assume the flight is still scheduled (else ACCC will have another case to add ...), but could there be an up-gauge in prospect? Its not particularly full ATM, but maybe another reason to be subbed out.

 

[yachty]

Isn't 14D shown as occupied in your ExpertFlyer screenshot?

 

[RooFlyer]

Isn't 14D shown as occupied in your ExpertFlyer screenshot?

Ah, yes… my bad. Fortunately my queries don’t hang on that

 

[Princess Fiona]

I have a 717 flight later this week. It’s not inside T80 yet but I’ll check when it is.
Currently this is my seat map on MMB

 

[kangarooflyer88]

I could be mistaken here but on smaller jets, particular Embrarer, B717s and Dash-8s isn't there always a concern of weight and balance? Consequently your seating assignment depending on what cargo is being hauled may be out of your control (even if you may have originally been able to request a specific seat via QF).

-RooFlyer88

 

[Princess Fiona]

I could be mistaken here but on smaller jets, particular Embrarer, B717s and Dash-8s isn't there always a concern of weight and balance? Consequently your seating assignment depending on what cargo is being hauled may be out of your control (even if you may have originally been able to request a specific seat via QF).

-RooFlyer88

Correct for Dashies as you can’t actually select a seat at time of booking.
Not so for 717 IME.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Correct for Dashies as you can’t actually select a seat at time of booking.
Not so for 717 IME.

Actually I should eat my words here, every aircraft can have a weight and balance concern. I say this having flown Canadian North from Ottawa to Iqaluit back in November 2017 on a 737-200 Combi where the front half is configured to hold regular cargo whereas the back half is configured to hold self-loading cargo (i.e. passengers). After the safety briefing, the pursuer had some passengers head to the back of the plane for takeoff.

Could it possibly be that sometime between when RooFlyer booked their ticket and now, Qantas received a large cargo shipment for that flight that impacted the weight and balance? Who knows!

 

[RooFlyer]

I could be mistaken here but on smaller jets, particular Embrarer, B717s and Dash-8s isn't there always a concern of weight and balance? Consequently your seating assignment depending on what cargo is being hauled may be out of your control (even if you may have originally been able to request a specific seat via QF).

-RooFlyer88

Plausible I guess, but flown plenty of B717s from and to HBA and have never struck this issue before - actually, either of them:

1) First 13 rows unassignable (to a WP) a month out (100% blocked)

2) WP can't select seat further forward at T-80, and 'Plat line' has to request.

 

[jase05]

Could it possibly be that sometime between when RooFlyer booked their ticket and now, Qantas received a large cargo shipment for that flight that impacted the weight and balance? Who knows!

Very unlikely from what I can see

 

[mannej]

Has your QFF number been recognized properly in the booking? Have you tried removing and adding your number back in to the booking?

 

[eric2011]

Perhaps they KWYA

 

[RooFlyer]

Has your QFF number been recognized properly in the booking? Have you tried removing and adding your number back in to the booking?

Good idea, however development this morning.

I went into the app to see if my requested seat had come through and my seat was ' - ' . I was able to go into MMB and select my seat area and the map of the front of the craft was this:



Is it trying to tell me something? Call the Plat Line early and I think I got Hobart. I could see from a dummy booking that 3D, and a bunch of other seats were available.


Agent first said that the problem might be that the booking is in my wife's name, so no Plat FF number Not married, so not the case. Laughter on the other end - "Someone's gone in and changed things". ??Thank you Sth Africa??? Anyway she puts 3D "On request". I query this again, asking why it has to be approved somewhere else. She clarified - its just terminology, she has assigned me 3D, but "as seating is not guaranteed, we say its on request". Ah - those 'bundles of rights' again.

Anyway, all good, 3D in the app. 14D wouldn't have been the end of the world - this thread is about the odd way the seating process had gone.

Last thing, I apologised for taking her time on a seat request, saying that I'd never come across this issue before. Her reply was "As a Platinum, if you've never come across this before, you've been very lucky!". Touch wood.

 

[TomVexille]

WP is the new PS

 

[tassie6]

Have had similar weird seating things on a 717 out of/into HBA, have actually ended up selecting on RJ website a couple of times, in conjunction with looking at EF and it then stuck/reflected in QF

 

[RooFlyer]

Have had similar weird seating things on a 717 out of/into HBA, have actually ended up selecting on RJ website a couple of times, in conjunction with looking at EF and it then stuck/reflected in QF

Thanks. Damn contortions we have to go through just to get a ruddy seat assigned!

 

[Guvner]

I had a similar issue last year MEL-LST. Tried to select a seat in the first 3 rows which EF showed as available. No dice. Just got the window or aisle option.
When I checked in they gave me 3F.
Turns out the 717 was swapped from a non J to a J aircraft.

 

[RooFlyer]

Flighty app tells me the particular aircraft has yet to be assigned. I shall keep watching!

 

[RooFlyer]

Something similar has happened, but a nice outcome at the MEL J lounge.

I selected 4D MEL-HBA on a B717. On checking in, I had been bumped back to 7C; no change in equipment. Mildly annoying to be bumped again, but no biggie.

On entry to the MEL J lounge, I asked as usual for a paper BP. I also asked if 4D might be available. Answer no; asked why I asked and I said that was my original choice, but not to worry. Only a couple of rows!

Interestingly, a few minutes later one of the two at the lounge entry came and found me, with a 4D BP. Explained that I had been moved by check-in for someone who was in a party of 4, but not seated together, and not even 'members'

So its not just P1 and CL who can bump a Plat - any random can do it! But MEL J lounge angels