Involuntary seat change

[mannej]

I can never figure out why it's so vital for a family to be seated together. What happens to this sacred and special family if its members are separated on a plane for ninety minutes? Do they spontaneously combust?

Let's be honest, not everyone is comfortable with flying for whatever the reason is. By sitting together may help ease any fears that flying can bring one.

The simple fact of sitting or not sitting together is may what make a flight pleasant for some and it's fair enough. You would think if you were on the one booking, you'd be sitting together.

 

[amaroo]

There is a whole thread around sitting with partners / family recently. For the record I would be annoyed if I was placed in a different part of the plane to Mrs Harvyk even if it was only a short flight, and I can assure you that I would certainly be making some noise if Jr Harvyk's where not seated near me (5,3,3 and 1, so all very young)

Things change....have two kids aged 12 & 10 and they are starting to lobby saying we don't mind sitting down the back.

On the bright side - the cost of the tickets will be cheaper

 

[Boogs]

I got a call last week from QF Asking if they could move me so a family could sit together. The lady was really polite and told me my new seat number (only 4 rows back on a 768) oh and I'll block the seat next to you! so I said sure no worries.

One and only time my WP shadow has stayed in place on PER-BNE.

 

[Mr_Orange]

I can never figure out why it's so vital for a family to be seated together. What happens to this sacred and special family if its members are separated on a plane for ninety minutes? Do they spontaneously combust?

Hopefully you're not trolling.....

Mrs_Orange is petrified of flying and would hate to be not sitting next to me. I think you need to understand that we are all different and the fear of flying that some have is hard to understand for those of us that see flying as the same as taking a walk in a park.

As far as children are concerned, depending on their age, other pax may want them to be seated with the their parents in order to either comfort them or keep them under control. I'm sure we've all experienced seat kickers, light flickers, tray table obsessives, etc, etc. If these misbehaving kids were isolated from their parents and the seat belt signs were on, who would control them?

 

[QPProletarian]

I got a call last week from QF Asking if they could move me so a family could sit together. The lady was really polite and told me my new seat number (only 4 rows back on a 768) oh and I'll block the seat next to you! so I said sure no worries.

One and only time my WP shadow has stayed in place on PER-BNE.

This is the thing, I've never been contacted, asked or thanked or comp'd. It's always been just a rude shock at the baggage check-in or gate. I do realise that they're not guaranteed, but nevertheless is still disappointing.

 

[Boogs]

This is the thing, I've never been contacted, asked or thanked or comp'd. It's always been just a rude shock at the baggage check-in or gate. I do realise that they're not guaranteed, but nevertheless is still disappointing.

I agree poor form on not letting you know!

 

[RooFlyer]

I can never figure out why it's so vital for a family to be seated together. What happens to this sacred and special family if its members are separated on a plane for ninety minutes? Do they spontaneously combust?

Flights we are talking about include intl, therefore up to 13 hours. As others have said, it's a pretty good idea to have ones kids under control, rather than possibly running amok and bothering other pax. Also, I'd prefer to know if the other pax are possibly bothering them.

Also, a family together in whY can climb over each other with impunity. Split up, each then has to bug strangers to get to aisle, or have the strangers bug them.

On the other hand, maybe I can decamp the 10 yo twins to the seats either side of badgerboi next time we fly to LA. It would certainly make OUR journey easier. They can get pretty hyper, but won't actually combust. Not quite.

 

[rotor]

This sometimes happens to me where I am booked on codeshares that prevent me from checking-in online. I select the seat weeks (sometimes months) in advance, only for someone else to take it since they're able to check-in and I'm not.

In fact, it's more often than not that I'm unable to check-in online. The story being that the codeshare prevents it - totally defeats the purpose of a codeshare I'd say.

 

[zachary.august]

On the matter of getting bumped by a CL.

When you enter the CL they take your boarding pass plusthey already have your preferred seat and seat number in their system meaning that they will bump someone else out of their seat to give it to you.To all of you who are outraged that you were bumped I am afraid it's just how it works.

 

[RooFlyer]

On the matter of getting bumped by a CL.

When you enter the CL they take your boarding pass plusthey already have your preferred seat and seat number in their system meaning that they will bump someone else out of their seat to give it to you.To all of you who are outraged that you were bumped I am afraid it's just how it works.

Yeah, that's what we've figured. I accept the hierarchy ( 'cause Im reasonably up the totem), but as said above, would prefer to be bumped by a P1 who has earned their status. Not some Public Servant knob status freeloader who couldn't organise themselves in advance.

 

[legroom]

On the matter of getting bumped by a CL.

When you enter the CL they take your boarding pass plusthey already have your preferred seat and seat number in their system meaning that they will bump someone else out of their seat to give it to you.To all of you who are outraged that you were bumped I am afraid it's just how it works.

Wow !

What a status !

5B / 5J all the time without a care in the world (refurb 747)

Row 12, Sir, aisle or window or both ? (A380)

P1 or WP, please move your behind ... now

 

[zachary.august]

Yeah, that's what we've figured. I accept the hierarchy ( 'cause Im reasonably up the totem), but as said above, would prefer to be bumped by a P1 who has earned their status. Not some Public Servant knob status freeloader who couldn't organise themselves in advance.

Having initially worked in the Public Service and now having retired and gone into the private sector (and maintaining my own CL status) I find that comment to be so insensitive to the men and women of the public service. We all went into the public service to serve our nation and it's people and for much less pay than we all would have gotten in the private sector with our qualifications. I was not a status freeloader nor are the people who worked in our departments.

 

[BadgerBoi]

Believe it or not, a family's needs do not automatically trump anyone else's needs, and for them to displace someone who has gone to the trouble of booking early and carefully selecting their seat only to be booted out so that some 14 year old lump of a surly teenage boy can sit next to his over-entitled mummy and daddy - that just doesn't cut it. And that's often what these families are, they're not always a three year old seated away from his mother. Or, of course, a middle aged couple who plug into the IFE for the duration of the flight and don't say a word, but still can't bear to be separated.

 

[JohnK]

IFlights we are talking about include intl, therefore up to 13 hours. As others have said, it's a pretty good idea to have ones kids under control, rather than possibly running amok and bothering other pax. Also, I'd prefer to know if the other pax are possibly bothering them.

Here is a sensible thought that may help these precious families who have not bothered to allocate seats together for whatever reason.

Ask to be seated somewhere down the back and not forward bulkhead seats. This way you will more than likely be seated together and you may end up making some people happier. e.g those that were down the back are now in more forward seats.

Why do people get pleasure out of spoiling some innocent strangers flight by asking them to move out of the preferred seat they have had allocated for months to sit down the back somewhere?

 

[RooFlyer]

Believe it or not, a family's needs do not automatically trump anyone else's needs, and for them to displace someone who has gone to the trouble of booking early and carefully selecting their seat only to be booted out so that some 14 year old lump of a surly teenage boy can sit next to his over-entitled mummy and daddy - that just doesn't cut it. And that's often what these families are, they're not always a three year old seated away from his mother. Or, of course, a middle aged couple who plug into the IFE for the duration of the flight and don't say a word, but still can't bear to be separated.

Who's aid anything about a family not selecting seats early? This wasn't part of your post to which I quoted and replied. Move the goal posts by all means, but you merely made a facetious comment about a family not needing to be seated together in a flight. It was provocative and got the reply I assume you we're seeking.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Things change....have two kids aged 12 & 10 and they are starting to lobby saying we don't mind sitting down the back.

On the bright side - the cost of the tickets will be cheaper

Seriously? It never did for me - even through the horror teenage years they were quite happy to put up with Mum and Dad if it meant flying up the front

 

[zachary.august]

Here is a sensible thought that may help these precious families who have not bothered to allocate seats together for whatever reason.

Ask to be seated somewhere down the back and not forward bulkhead seats. This way you will more than likely be seated together and you may end up making some people happier. e.g those that were down the back are now in more forward seats.

Why do people get pleasure out of spoiling some innocent strangers flight by asking them to move out of the preferred seat they have had allocated for months to sit down the back somewhere?

Why is it such an issue to be moved for a family? I have been moved for a family and I'm happy for that. At the end of a day a seat is a seat. Most people do not have the same obsessive compulsion to check Expertflyer or the Qantas website every day for seat assignments. Why is it wrong for a parent to want to be able to supervise their child on a flight?

 

[legroom]

I am curious now.

Is there any other industry (movie, theatre, restaurant etc...) or even other airlines where your seating will be moved to accommodate another able-bodied pax simply and purely because of their status - not because of operational reasons like CPAP machines ... ?

How would you feel if the restaurant owner asks you to move from the windows because Sir Richard Branson is at the door ? *

Would you be happy to step away from your AFL Grand Final seats because Eddie McGuire wants to sit there with his mates ?

I apologise if it is off the topic of aircraft seats but philosophically, I sense that there is something odd here where status trumps pre-allocated pax.

I understand there are different seating availability depending on you status (P1 > WP > SG...) but in that case, no one is ejecting anyone else.

The preferred availability is a just reward for the status - without trampling on another.

Shouldn't QFi block 'plum' seats until T-80 for CL to avoid this last-minute scrambling - like it does for QFd (row 1 in J and row 4 in Y) ?


*: Bill Clinton was refused entry to a Paris restaurant because it was full some years ago (after his retirement).

 

[RooFlyer]

Having initially worked in the Public Service and now having retired and gone into the private sector (and maintaining my own CL status) I find that comment to be so insensitive to the men and women of the public service. We all went into the public service to serve our nation and it's people and for much less pay than we all would have gotten in the private sector with our qualifications. I was not a status freeloader nor are the people who worked in our departments.

Apologies for any offence, but I don't think it could be reasonably construed as a comment upon " the men and women of the public service" - maybe those who get CL privileges only by virtue of their position ( not their flying) perhaps !!! May I enquire how one "maintains ones own CL status" ? I assume this means you qualify for invitation under your own capital?

 

[BadgerBoi]

Here is a sensible thought that may help these precious families who have not bothered to allocate seats together for whatever reason.

Ask to be seated somewhere down the back and not forward bulkhead seats. This way you will more than likely be seated together and you may end up making some people happier. e.g those that were down the back are now in more forward seats.

Why do people get pleasure out of spoiling some innocent strangers flight by asking them to move out of the preferred seat they have had allocated for months to sit down the back somewhere?

But why should they move down the back of the plane? If you're going to displace someone you might as well go the whole hog - don't offer them the better seat, send the poor sucker down the back near the toilet, or if that seat isn't available at least offer them the middle seat between the two obese guys with the deoderant allergy