Big development! Qantas seat selection!

[Moody]

I don't want to spoil people's right to have a rant, but as a long-time Qantas customer my experience has been that they looked after me as a QC member with almost perpetual Silver Status, and they looked after me just that little bit better after my recent qualification to Gold.

The domestic seating system works well, though I find checking at T-24 almost pointless because it has already allocated the best seat available to me. If I have the time and inclination I might check occasionally up to T-3 as sometimes better seats can open up if the Platinums are also playing games, but the main game is to pre-print the baording pass in case I arrive at the airport in an awful hurry.

International has been equally consistent and the only glitch a few months ago (when an aircraft substitution bumped me to the back) ended up in a fairytail ending when I was mini-op-upped to Premium Economy.

But if Qantas feel it is an extra benefit to give some more "choice" to passengers in seat selection, then let's see how it pans out rather than throw all the toys around the room before it happens.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

I don't know how you define "savvy high-status QF fliers that don't send a lot of actual profit QF's way" but in a business all customers are important especially ones that use your services more often. In this global financial crisis that is likely to last until at least 2014 possibly a lot longer your high status frequent flyers, savvy or not, need to be looked after as they are the ones that keep the airline going.

Actually customers that make you profits are important. Not every customer. Sometimes you have to "fire" useless customers that don't make you money. Enforcing the "minimum 4 segments on QF" rule is one such way of getting rid of some undesirable customers.

Personally I do not think there is anything wrong with the current system. Why is QF changing it and who is it likely to benefit the most? Low status frequent flyers who do not travel very often....

Given you have to be *at least* PS just to get a look in, that's probably not a "once in a blue moon" flier - unless you fly SYD-LAX in J (for 360 SCs) you're not going to make PS (And someone who flies SYD-LAX in J at $10-14k probably makes QF plenty more money than some of the WPs here).

But to be perfectly honest - I prefer the current system too. I just don't think it's going to be that much worse for people, unless perhaps they have status, and they are booking >24 hours but <48-72 hours out.

 

[serfty]

What IS the current system and how does it differ to what's explained above?

see here:

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...fury-economy-passengers-14036.html#post182339

I do not believe this system is going to change that much; I would expect this change to be an extension or enhancement of this "Theoretical Seats" based component of Altea.

 

[dede]

Thanks,
this all happened before I started browsing these forums.

 

[Kendall Roy]

Just checked my booking for a DOM leg. No seat option just yet it appears.

 

[Commuter]

Just checked my booking for a DOM leg. No seat option just yet it appears.

Not for me for international or domestic legs (I checked quite a few of them) either.

 

[KateMayo]

There's now a "select seats" button appeared in one of my bookings (domestic).

 

[Kendall Roy]

Yup it's now LIVE!

 

[dede]

Just checked a flight I have on the A380 to LHR in November and I'm able to choose seats.
MEL-SYD Nowhere forward of 38A
SYD-LHR 55A
LHR-SYD 55K
SYD-MEL 45A on an A330 which appears to be an exit row!

Lovely stuff!

When ending the selection I got a note saying : The requested seats cannot be guaranteed. Perhaps because of the Exit Row?

Also I just checked another booking (next week) and I've already allocated my seat on AA on a codeshare flight. This doesn't show up on the Qantas seat selection and won't let me proceed any further without selecting a seat. This means I can't select seats for later legs with QF. The seat I have with AA is alrady better than the seats available to me on Qantas. I guess I could change the seat on AA and then reselect on QF but then I might lose the original seat. I wonder what would happen if I did choose a seat through QF? Mayeb I'll get two seats! LOL!

 

[docjames]

Well its no good for me.

Nothing forward of row 19 (on a 738!). usual allocation previously has been rows 7-15.

Sux to be silver.

 

[Sequel]

Just made a booking for Friday. At top of itinerary (below name) pre-allocated 26A and 29F and thought both flights must be on 767's, but no, my forward window preference pre-allocated me the 3rd last and last rows on a 737!!

Viewed booking, option to select seat, 4C available both directions, but nothing else in row 4, and on the return flight there is no other seat available until row 8. Selected 4C for both flights, and then get the message (as others have)

"At least one of your specific seat requests could not be processed. (4631)"

I wont pass judgement yet, but it is not looking good.

 

[serfty]

I can select exit seats when available with no disclaimer prompting.

Had a domestic reservation made late last week which had 5C/5C on 73H flights.

I could change the 5C to a 4C or 4D on one, 4D is available on the other but any attempt fails with the error Sequal mentioned.

I now have 4C and nufin! (Verified with www.checkmytrip.com)

Note the latter flight is quite "Sold" ( J2 D2 I0 B9 H9 K9 M0 L0 VC SC NC QC OC XC E0 )

 

[Sequel]

When ending the selection I got a note saying : The requested seats cannot be guaranteed. Perhaps because of the Exit Row?

I have tried row 4 on a 738 (extra leg room but not exit), exit row and random row (8 and 22) and get same error each time, obviously not quite ready to go live yet!

 

[Kendall Roy]

:evil:A couple of early observations from a QC Silver.

* MEL/SYD run in October - unable to select anything forward of Row 38. Exit rows not an option (B767).
* CNS/BNE run in October - unable to select anything forward of Row 17. Exit rows not an option (B737).

Looks like I'll achieve better results using OLCI T-24 hours.:evil:

 

[serfty]

As posted I was able to move from 5C to 4C on a 73H. An attempt with a subsequent flight on the same booking failed and resulted in me losing my original 5C seating for that booking.

 

[Sequel]

Viewed booking, ... , 4C available both directions.... Selected 4C for both flights,...

Just checked again, 4C is no longer available out bound but 4D has become available, 4C is still only available seat inbound. Tried to select and get same error message.

 

[oz_mark]

Well its no good for me.

Nothing forward of row 19 (on a 738!). usual allocation previously has been rows 7-15.

Sux to be silver.

Just had a look at my upcoming flights (which are on 767's). Nothing forward of row 30 is available to me on any of the flights. This as a Gold.

 

[Kendall Roy]

Just had a look at my upcoming flights (which are on 767's). Nothing forward of row 30 is available to me on any of the flights. This as a Gold.

May as well close the thing down for non-WP members.

99% better results are more than likely to be acheived under the old OLCI / allocation system! :evil:

 

[serfty]

As posted I was able to move from 5C to 4C on a 73H. An attempt with a subsequent flight on the same booking failed and resulted in me losing my original 5C seating for that booking.

OK, tried again - this time 4D was unavailable but 4C was now free - I was able to grab it.

I did note that with 737's none of the front row A/B/E/F seats was available to me but quite a few C/D aisle seats were selectable.

As I was already allocated in 4C/D for most of my international 737 flights I did not try to move.

Note that one of these was a Jetconnect 733 (recent change :shock with only 2 rows of J. E/F showed row 3 (WHY) empty but I was only able to choose from C or D.

It seems quite OK for this WP/PG .... so far.

 

[Sequel]

OK, tried again - this time 4D was unavailable but 4C was now free - I was able to grab it.

Are you saying you were able to select it and not get the error message i.e. you kept the seat? Was it DOM or INT?