Emirates (EK) Exit Row: First-come, First-serve or for your mates

[legroom]

A slightly related question. Mrs and Miss Aus ATC are travelling on EK on Saturday. Quite a few months ago I preselected bulkhead row 23 DE for them. Any thoughts on them "sticking" for the flight, or might they be bumped by a WP or similar? In our favour, they will be checking in early as they have a connecting flight 14 hours prior (assuming they will get all the boarding passes from QF at initial check-in).

I doubt it will happens - being bumped.

1) It is not listed on the EK benefits table;

2) Even exit row seats are not allocated to status pax, only first-come, first-served at check-in;

3) With QF, bumping others only occurs (apparently) with P1 but this is rather controversial, also here.

If Miss Aus ATC is > 15 yrs old (? source) , why don't you aim for an early check in to ask for two exit row seats ?

 

[QPProletarian]

Hi,

This has happened to me again... I'm 3 days out from an EK codeshare and 2/3 of all the exit rows are allocated. How do I have a chance of getting one of the others if I can only request at the airport on check in? (Plus I am checking in on a connecting QF flight).

 

[legroom]

That would be tough with the QF connecting flight as I suspect QF agents would have no access to EK seating once they are with airport control.

EK lounge angels (in SYD), however, could help me get exit row seats for the next onward EK flight (QF codeshare) departing DXB.

Your (only) chance would be, I guess, to go to EK check-in desk to ask for it assuming you arrive quite early and have plenty of time for re-clearing Customs / Security and queuing up in line (assuming you have no EK status).

This has happened to me again... I'm 3 days out from an EK codeshare and 2/3 of all the exit rows are allocated. How do I have a chance of getting one of the others if I can only request at the airport on check in? (Plus I am checking in on a connecting QF flight).

 

[QPProletarian]

Doesn't matter anymore. The 6 Exit seats which were still visible on EF have all gone since my last post. I have bulkhead aisle down the back - Row 38 now. EK seating sucks.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

That would be tough with the QF connecting flight as I suspect QF agents would have no access to EK seating once they are with airport control.

EK lounge angels (in SYD), however, could help me get exit row seats for the next onward EK flight (QF codeshare) departing DXB.

Your (only) chance would be, I guess, to go to EK check-in desk to ask for it assuming you arrive quite early and have plenty of time for re-clearing Customs / Security and queuing up in line (assuming you have no EK status).

You can change some seating with airlines provided that there's an IATCI agreement in place - doesn't necessarily have to be a OW carrier eg QF can print boarding passes for SQ/AC/US. You can't allocate a seat until the pax has been checked in but you can certainly change them afterwards.

AA & BA seem to be less restrictive with what seats you can change to ie it's possible for someone to be moved to row 8 on an AA 737 or an exit row or row 28 on a BA744 despite having no significant OW status.

Other carriers such as CX/LA/AY may display all available seats however if you were to try & grab a premium seat it wouldn't allow you to.

 

[blu]

Hi AFFers,

Despite being 'allocated' on both EF and EK call centre screen, you could still request an exit row seat at the airport.
We are here 4 hrs before boarding so it helps. It means once under airport control, exit row seats would appear as 'allocated'. Joe the public punter could still have hope.

It worked for us a fortnight back. Arrived 3.5 hrs early at checkin. I was not going to ask, but MrsB did (luckily).