How to book a [non status] friend onto the next seat

[xd9000]

Hi All

I have booked a flight from MCY to MEL via SYD next Tuesday. Having status I selected my seat.
My son-in-law has also booked that same flight but he has no status and is way down the back.
Is there a way (preferably online) I can arrange for us to sit together?
I have his booking and FF numbers.
Thanks

 

[mannej]

Have you contacted the airline? You may have to via phone/facebook messenger to get the result you are after.

 

[Matt_01]

Hi All

I have booked a flight from MCY to MEL via SYD next Tuesday. Having status I selected my seat.
My son-in-law has also booked that same flight but he has no status and is way down the back.
Is there a way (preferably online) I can arrange for us to sit together?
I have his booking and FF numbers.
Thanks

Not online, call QF, get them to link your booking and then they can seat him next to you. Also when the booking are linked any changes made by QF will cover your son-in-law.

 

[Ansett]

Or get your TA to link the bookings otherwise its a phone call to QF and get them to do it and then select the seat

 

[AIRwin]

Qantas or Virgin?

 

[Matt_01]

Qantas or Virgin?

I was assuming QF as the OPs details suggest QF WP status. I think/guess know where you are coming from and your question has merit, in the past I have run into issues dealing with VA to get Mrs and MissM into Y+ seating when on a seperate PNR to myself but on the same flight.

 

[henrus]

I've had some success with Qantas in the past but limited. Normally I'd just book down the back so we're all together and then move further forward at T-72 if possible.

Virgin Plat with Y+ is always a no and I'd say that's fair enough. Never tried with Gold seating as I just wait until 72/48 hrs when all seats unlock.

Air NZ with their HVC (High Value Customer) seating has probably the best policy, that being if it wasn't possible to book the in the same booking as the person with status then they allow non-status customers to sit in HVC seating. Examples of this include one booking on work travel and the other is not or one person on a redemption booking and the other booking is not.

 

[AIRwin]

I was assuming QF as the OPs details suggest QF WP status.

Oh yes I missed that...

 

[xd9000]

Thanks All.
Yes QF.
Was trying to avoid the long wait to talk to someone. Looks like that's the only way.
Appreciate the responses.
xd

 

[luxury-lizard]

Why not just use FB Messenger - I've had excellent success with both QF and VA getting seat assignments changed etc. No waiting in a call queue.

 

[AIRwin]

Or select online now that seats should have opened up at 80 hours before the scheduled departure...

 

[mviy]

and then move further forward at T-72 if possible.

As @AIRwin says it’s T-80 not T-72 that seats tend to open up on QF. However, if you have a morning flight unless you wake up in the middle of the night in practice you may not look till closer to T-72.

As upgrades are processed further seats may open up so if you can’t get the seats you want take the best you can and look again as you get closer to check-in time.

 

[Matt_01]

Virgin Plat with Y+ is always a no and I'd say that's fair enough.

I find some of the VA rules a bit odd, if the three of us are travelling on the same fight with but on separate PNRs that are linked I have had some issues getting Mrs and MissM into Y+. If we are all travelling on the same PNR there is no issue in getting them seated in Y+. When travelling QF and on separate PNRs that are linked QF will book them into R4 or R1 without a problem however this needs to be done over the phone.

As a side note I have also linked work colleagues to my booking when travelling together. On more than one occasion I have been operationally upgraded and my colleagues were also upgraded.

 

[xd9000]

Tried Facebook messenger. But after waiting for about 3 hrs for a response gave up and called them. They had to get authorisation from higher up but all sorted now.
Not too impressed with messenger.