Exit row for QFF NB? Common?

[Febs]

Hi guys,

Just a quick one. My girlfriend recently (~1 month ago) signed up to QFF for a trip to FRA. She rang up 3 weeks ago to try to request a decent seat (either exit row or row 34), but was told she couldn't (I assume due to being NB. I've never had a problem requesting row 34 as SG).

At check-in she again requested an exit row or row 34, but was told nothing was available (as the flight was "very full") and was given 41J. The check-in agent said she'd put a request in for an exit row.

On the way home I got a text message - "Yay, window seat exit row!!" (46K).

Now I know that 46A and K aren't highly regarded, as the exit door impedes legroom (according to Seatguru), but I would've thought it'd still be taken well in advance? On all my recent trips, I've never been able to get an exit row (though always managed to get 34)! She said the legroom was fine and it was quite comfortable.

Is this fairly common? Or was she just really lucky? Just curious.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[Febs]

Actually, she was in 58K, but the same applies. She said (as I always assumed) that the exit door is fine, because you get to put your feet up on it. Always wondered why SeatGuru rated it a "red" seat.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[bigjobs]

Actually, she was in 58K, but the same applies. She said (as I always assumed) that the exit door is fine, because you get to put your feet up on it. Always wondered why SeatGuru rated it a "red" seat.

Cheers,
- Febs.

those exit row seats are rated red cause of the door that intrudes into the leg room and cause the seat is narrower. i reckon they are ok seats if you are a short person.

 

[Altair]

those exit row seats are rated red cause of the door that intrudes into the leg room and cause the seat is narrower. i reckon they are ok seats if you are a short person.

Yes the escape slide does impinge on available legroom, seats are narrower due to use of armrest tray tables, no seat pockets and need to store items in overhead bins. Additionally I have felt a little colder there, but ok as I find it generally too hot in aircraft, but the noise seems slightly louder, well before noise cancelling headphones.

 

[Evan]

Those exit row seats A & K are the last to be allocated to a passanger by QF staff unless they are requested. So if nobody requested seats and the whole plane had 2 empty seats they should in thory be those 2 seats.

Atleast that is what i was told by QF staff, for me i would never sit in them (to big & tall), and i dont really like the ones beside them much either where all the people gather to have a break.

Evan

 

[NM]

Going back to the original question as to why there may still be exit row seats available at check-in time, some of these may events may have prevailed:

• The seat had been pre-allocated by a high-status FF member who had waitlisted for an upgrade to business class. The upgrade was provided and hence the exit-row seat became available at check-in time.
• Not all high-status FF members realise they can request an exit row seat be pre-allocated to them. And not all phone agents offer the option. So some seats may not be pre-allocated prior to check-in.
• Exit row seats are not auto-allocated. They can only be requested by Platinum FF members, so if no Platinum FF member has specifically requested the seat, it will remain available until check-in time.
• Often high-status FF members tend to travelling for business purposes and they can have their plans altered at the last minute. Changing to a different flight/day or cancelling their trip may result in an exit row seat being made available in the last few days before travel and hence it remains available at check-in time.

This is why it pays to ask. If you want an exit row, always ask at check-in.

 

[Febs]

Going back to the original question as to why there may still be exit row seats available at check-in time, some of these may events may have prevailed:
<snip>

Thanks NM, no doubt it was one of the 4.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[Mal]

There is another issue with the Window Exit rows.

While the escape slide does affect the legroom, it's not that easy to put you foot up onto. Most that I've seen are sloping, so you slide straight off.

Been a while since I've been in an exit row on a 747 though, so the slides might be a little different.

TBH, I'm not a huge fan of exit rows. I'm trying them again on my next trip O/S with Qantas, but think I'll be disappointed.

Why? Inflexible arm rests. Narrower seats. Plenty of legroom but milling of restless pax around you. Not to mention if you don't wear white socks the possibility of pax tripping over your legs while you're sleeping!

Oh, and NM's correct. Plenty of reasons why exit rows are available on check-in for an international flight. There is another - The pax allocated to the exit row seat was deemed unsuitable for the exit row and re-accomodated in another part of the cabin.

 

[Febs]

Fair enough Mal.

I've yet to try an exit row on a long-haul flight, but I think I'd be willing to put up with the annoyances, as legroom is all-important to me.

Oh, and thanks again for the QC passes. Unfortunately she didn't get to use one in SIN on the way over (she had about 20min to spend in the airport), and then at LHR, she went to the T4 Lounge and was told the pass would get her into the T1 lounge (which is where her flight to FRA departed from). Unfortunately, that information was wrong, as ONLY the T4 lounges (near gates 1 and 10) are "Qantas Clubs". By that stage (and given it was an hour transit between T1/T4 due to queues), it wasn't worth heading back.

Not to worry, she'll put them to good use at LHR and SIN on the way back.


Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[NM]

Oh, and NM's correct. Plenty of reasons why exit rows are available on check-in for an international flight. There is another - The pax allocated to the exit row seat was deemed unsuitable for the exit row and re-accomodated in another part of the cabin.

While that is a true and valid reason for the exit row being available at check-in, it is a very unlikely situation on a QF flight. The only people who can pre-allocate an exit row seat are Platinum FF members. Most such high status members will be aware of the exit row physical capability requirements before making such a request. So it would most likely only be someone who has incurred a recent injury and is now sporting a plaster cast, arm in a sling, crutches etc that is likely to be in that situation. But it is a valid reason and I expect it does happen from time to time. Thanks for adding it to the list.

 

[serfty]

... TBH, I'm not a huge fan of exit rows. I'm trying them again on my next trip O/S with Qantas, but think I'll be disappointed. ...

I'm not a huge fan of them either, my issue is not so much inflexible arm rests resulting in narrower seats or white socks. It's the very real chance of being seated next to a COS* and spending the flight leaning to the one side.

Having posted that, I do have QF29/QF128 exit row preallocations in April; will be travelling with Mrs serfty and at least one side will be ok. (Of course the upgrade requests went in at T-90 days )

(*COS = "Customer of Size", AKA Big cough) :shock: