Big development! Qantas seat selection!

[aus_flyer]

Qantas Advance Seat Selection
21 May 2009

From Wednesday 27 May 2009 Qantas' Chairman's Lounge, Platinum, Gold and Silver Frequent Flyer members will be able to select their seat at qantas.com immediately after booking.

In preparation for this new product roll out, changes to existing business rules for seat selection will be reflected in GDS systems from Tuesday 19 May 2009.

Travel Agents will continue to view seat maps in the same format however, different seat choices depending on the customer's eligibility and status may be observed.

Please note: there are no changes to existing handling processes for seat requests via QIC or Telesales and a detailed list of Frequently Asked Questions will be provided on this site shortly.

 

[Mwenenzi]

Source is QF agents web site. What is does not say if domestic & internationial

 

[Cyclogenesis]

I wonder how this will work with multiple statuses under one booking (say a PS booking for himself + 2 NB)

 

[simongr]

I would expect it to follow the same process as now so if a WP is on the same itin as a NB then the WP preferences/options kick in.

 

[anat0l]

This is interesting.

So now it really is a case of the earlier bookings get the best seats. Compare this to the system now where WPs are almost (not always!) guaranteed a good seat irrespective of when they buy the ticket.

Unless they combine the current allocation strategy with the seat selection, a la Air New Zealand, i.e. high status pax get to select the front rows of seats, low and non-status don't. Same would be here, i.e. front row seats would be out of reach for PS, some perhaps for SG and mostly accessible for WP, until OLCI when it may just all open up again.

This also changes the strategy and mechanics of OLCI.

I wonder how the non-status plebs will react to the fact that seat selection isn't available to them.... I see another media bashing coming soon.....

 

[futaris]

Interesting that don't mention seat selection for those with Oneworld Status or QANTAS Club.

 

[Dave Noble]

It doesn't indicate that domestic flights will be able to pre-assign, just that tier members will be able to do seat assignment on qantas site ( which cannot currently be done)

Dave

 

[simongr]

Interesting that don't mention seat selection for those with Oneworld Status or QANTAS Club.

The QF system can not automatically recognise OW status.

 

[Dave Noble]

The QF system can not automatically recognise OW status.

Yes it can. If someone enters (for example) an AA Gold number into their booking, it will recognise it as OW Ruby and enable access to pre-assign even if the normal pre-allocation limit has been reached plus allow access to the seats blocked for those with status

Dave

 

[serfty]

I made a domestic return booking online this morning for travel in a few weeks.

On the confirmation screen, at the top where "Seating Preferences" used to show for international flights appeared that text followed by 5C,5C - these flights are on 73H's.

On pulling the booking back up there is no sign of these - so I am presuming a temporary glitch from Amadeus pending the release of this facility.

I have a feeling the concept of "Theoretical Seats" has been extended to time of booking for domestic flights.

My guess is one will see something similar to a lightly loaded flight for OLCI.

 

[dajop]

I if a WP is on the same itin as a NB then the WP preferences/options kick in.

Does it work this way? Admittedly it's been a while since I've travelled domestically on QF, but whenever I travelled with someone my WP only seemed to be picked up when my surname was ahead alphabetically from my travel partner. Otherwise it seemed to pick up their travel preference/status.

This was most evident travlling with partner - who then was a PS with a window preference - we always ended up down the back with me in a centre seat (if 737) and my partner at the window, as opposed to forward aisle when I travelled solo. But as I said it's been a while, so I hope this has changed.

 

[simongr]

Yes it can. If someone enters (for example) an AA Gold number into their booking, it will recognise it as OW Ruby and enable access to pre-assign even if the normal pre-allocation limit has been reached plus allow access to the seats blocked for those with status

Dave

I am not sure that is an automate process. I received this email from QF in relation to domestic seating allocations:

Firstly I spoke to AA and they confirmed there was no seating preference in his profile with them.
Secondly I found our frequent flyer seating policy which states that we seat Qantas Chairman's Lounge, Platinum and Gold members first and then Oneworld Emerald next. This may be why he is further down the back.

From what I can ascertain even if he did have a preference in his AA profile our seating system would not be able to see it anyway.

Now this may be a little semantics in terms of QF's system being able to see status rather than preferences.

 

[serfty]

I am also thinking that this will relate to both international and domestic travel.

If it was to have been one or the other than that would have been specified.

 

[JohnK]

This is interesting.

So now it really is a case of the earlier bookings get the best seats. Compare this to the system now where WPs are almost (not always!) guaranteed a good seat irrespective of when they buy the ticket.

Unfortunately I do not see a big development I see further devaluation of Platinum status. And everybody is now jumping up and down with joy. NOT!!!!

Not being able to allocate seats was one of the great features of Qantas FF program and it has now been totally ruined. As a Platinum I used to be able to get great seat allocations even if I booked a couple of months in advance and now I will solely have to rely on being able to get exit rows pre-allocated otherwise sit in 74E just because the once a year Silver member and their entire clan booked their overseas flights earlier....

 

[simongr]

Unfortunately I do not see a big development I see further devaluation of Platinum status. And everybody is now jumping up and down with joy. NOT!!!!

Not being able to allocate seats was one of the great features of Qantas FF program and it has now been totally ruined. As a Platinum I used to be able to get great seat allocations even if I booked a couple of months in advance and now I will solely have to rely on being able to get exit rows pre-allocated otherwise sit in 74E just because the once a year Silver member and their entire clan booked their overseas flights earlier....

JohnK that's not how the system has been described as working. they are still intending to reward WP members.

 

[serfty]

Unfortunately I do not see a big development I see further devaluation of Platinum status. And everybody is now jumping up and down with joy. NOT!!!!

Not being able to allocate seats was one of the great features of Qantas FF program and it has now been totally ruined. As a Platinum I used to be able to get great seat allocations even if I booked a couple of months in advance and now I will solely have to rely on being able to get exit rows pre-allocated otherwise sit in 74E just because the once a year Silver member and their entire clan booked their overseas flights earlier....

John, see this post re "Theoretical Seats": The Australian Frequent Flyer Online Community - View Single Post - Qantas New Check In Seating Allocation

 

[MelUser]

I tend to agree.

I always thought is better as a discreet unpublished Gold/Plat benefit that I could telephone reservations and have them put me (and my travelling party) into a better seat.

It will end the way of AA where if you book at the last minute and are in a group you will be separated as everyone has pre-selected an ailse seat!

 

[NM]

I just received an emailed itinerary from AA for an upcoming award trip that includes a QF domestic flight. This itinerary includes seat numbers (2A and 2C) for the Qantas domestic flights. This itinerary was issued this morning by AA. Previous versions of the itinerary for this trip did not show seat allocations for the QF domestic flights.

These seat assignments are also showing under the booking reference on aa.com where they previous showed as "unassigned".

 

[JohnK]

John, see this post re "Theoretical Seats":

And I am classic proof how theoretical seats on domestic flights clearly do not work. It is heavily weighted on how much is spent on the airfare and not so much on status.

If we now implement the same theoretical seat model on international flights then I can see more Platinum benefits eroding. I am not convinced this is going to work but let's give it time and see what happens....

 

[serfty]

Yup, let's wait and see ... they certainly have been working for me as a WP (PG) and I buy the cheapest seats 95% of the time.