Is Qantas diluting the benefits of status?

[AnonymousCoward]

Depends on what you call peak time. Generally it is one of the last SYD-BNE flights Sunday night and then the later BNE-SYD flights on Friday night. I have tried various variants. Today was the first morning peak flight and I will be avoiding these, except when Sunday night is too expensive, in the future as I got up at 4:30am this morning and I am now extremely tired at work and still another 4-5 hours to go.

Generally I am allocated row 27, 28, 29 on the 767's with a sprinkling of row 30 and this morning it was 37D and there was a 45D one time. :shock: I try to avoid 737 as much as possible but generally I am allocated row 7, 8, 9.

Something is wrong IMHO. I've done heaps of SYD-MEL flights at peak time (7-8am on Monday morning, and 5-7pm on Friday evening), and I've never been given 45. You should be able to get somewhere around 20-30 on a peak time 767 (though it might not always be an aisle). 737s I don't have as much experience with as they are not so common SYD-MEL and also not so common SYD-BNE peak time.

Maybe ask a friendly cabin crew member how many plats, CLs and other VIPs are on the flight one day?

 

[Commuter]

Are you flying in peak times JohnK? If so, it's not uncommon for WP's to get allocated anywhere between rows 4 and 9(ish) on 737's or the first 4/5 rows on 767's.

That is my experience too. I've been a WP for a while and I seem to vary within the range you mentioned above.

I don't feel I am being particularly disadvantaged here (although I am not too happy with QF at the moment - not receiving even a word of apology from the ground staff about quite a major disrupt did not impress me).

 

[Commuter]

My only complaint is with the Qantas lounge dragons, who almost always reject my request for an upgrade using points. In three years of being WP I've only ever managed ONE points upgrade. And I fly between capital cities say once a week, including some non peak hour flights.

I think you've been unlucky. On a few occasions when I applied for ODU, I think I only got declined once when the business class was totally full.

 

[Ewok]

I'm happy with Status recognition at the moment, currently at the LHR Terminal 5 BA Lounge having just received a free upgrade to First MEL-LHR

 

[anat0l]

Had I been a WP for more years than I have been (let alone held any status for that matter), perhaps a dilution would be noticeable.

As it stands, I've only held any status with QF for a mere 2 years (and the first status I've ever "carried over" a membership year was WP!); so far, QF have done well by me.

Ever since becoming QF WP, I have had no troubles either being pre-allocated front row seats, or moving into a front row seat (at almost any time I decide to OLCI). I thought I was unlucky not having any op-ups under my belt - that recently changed dramatically! As for upgrades, I've never tried for an ODU (and a bit difficult when most of my flying is on Red e-Deals); had my first international upgrade recently which was successful (although I did not lodge that one - it was another (much more QF-favourable) WP).

What is more interesting is that I was getting access to better seats and preallocations compared to JohnK even when I was a SG (dare I say, also when I was a PS)....

 

[JohnK]

AFF is depressing me badly. All I read about is op-ups and front seat selections. Is anyone else getting the same raw deal as me? Can't be as it can only happen to me. :-|

Ever since becoming QF WP, I have had no troubles either being pre-allocated front row seats, or moving into a front row seat (at almost any time I decide to OLCI).

I think I have a guinea pig, I mean friend, to test my theory. As mal suggested on Wednesday night I need to do a trial of someone with the same status as me booking the same flights at the same time and over a few months do a comparison of pre-allcocated seats versus actual seats.

What is more interesting is that I was getting access to better seats and preallocations compared to JohnK even when I was a SG (dare I say, also when I was a PS)....

That is what I have been thinking recently. My pre-allocated seats resemble something that a Gold or Silver would get. I don't work in Qantas IT but I would love to have some inside information if anyone can do overrides to a profile for specific flights or periods of time.

 

[Evan]

AFF is depressing me badly. All I read about is op-ups and front seat selections. Is anyone else getting the same raw deal as me? Can't be as it can only happen to me. :-|

<..>

On domestic i dont usually get any good seat selection as a WP. I think 1 op-up on domestic in my life, and i have mostly been refused ealier flights if on non changable tickets (there loss since i drink there beer instead).

International i have had a lot more luck but i think its always chance.
Then again i would much prefer the luck with op-ups etc on SIN-MEL than SYD-MEL.

 

[Commuter]

Just as a slight aside, I got 'spoken at' about the exit row by a cabin crew member while being seated in the exit row the other day. I was treated as if I had no idea what an exit row was, in a rather patronising tone - I have never encountered this before.

I was also unhappy with the way there was not a word of apology from the ground crew when a number of passengers including myself missed our connecting flight. This is the first time I was 'properly dissatisfied with how I was handled by QF, although I think it could have been because he was just wanting to go home as quickly as he could.

In addition, there was recently an occasion where an obese passenger was seated in the exit row. He was really obese - although he was able to fasten the seat belt without an extension belt around his pelvis, his belly was protruding so much that there was no way he could have fit through the over-wing exit on a 737 which is pretty narrow. His mobility was also no good, especially in a small space. While being 'theoretically acceptable' (as he did not require an extension seat belt), it was not very sensible IMHO. I have never had this sort of concern on QF flights before.

I never used to have a reason to get annoyed with Qantas in terms of the service level or politeness, but in the last month, there were quite a few issues. In a way, it does feel like 'something not-so-tangible' is being diluted. Perhaps it's about cutbacks etc leaving QF staff in less than good mood. I know there is quite a lot of disquiet within QF, and I can really sympathise with them.

But annoying WPs (or anyone else for that matter) is not a good way for their dissatisfaction to manifest itself - far from it, in fact - a few more unsatisfactory services and what I consider non-sensible decisions that may affect safety (such as seating unsuitable pax in the exit row) will soon be driving me away from QF, just as I am bucking the trend and upgrading my travel standards and budgets, having made the decision never to do a flight over 4 hours in whY or PE again as long as my finances permit (and thus would have got them extra revenue).

 

[wijomas]

Hmm,from the FAQ's for exit-row seating:

22. Are Chairmans Lounge members still able to be pre-seated in exit rows at no cost?
Chairmans Lounge members will continue to have the opportunity to access exit row seating at no charge.

23. Who has priority access to exit row seats – Chairmans Lounge members or passengers purchasing an exit row seat?
The allocation of Exit Row seats will be on a first come first serve basis, whether the passenger is purchasing the seat or whether a Chairmans Lounge member requests an exit row seat at no charge.


Nothing mentioned about Platinum members, though. :!::shock:

 

[Dave Noble]

Nothing mentioned about Platinum members, though.

That's because Platinum members have no special benefit in getting an exit seat

Dave

 

[obsgyn]

I have requested forward window on my flight request and have usually been allocated on the 737 planes row 5 when row 4 is not occupied. It seems that row 4 is given to non frequent flyers or people with a lower status than platinum. When I ask why, I am told it was the quirk of the computer system. I have managed sometimes to change my seat with ONCI but this is not always available due to idiosyncrasy of the computer system. I have usually been given row 23 on the 767 but this has recently changed. Why are Quantas not looking after their frequent fliers better.

 

[millesm]

On my last few trips to NZ a I've been lucky enough to have an empty seat next to me on the 737. Normally a few of us at the front of economy have this and all would appear to be platinum.

MEL-SYD I've had the over wing window seat without the window 3 trips in a row but can never remember the seat number (29A?) to change when I see I've been allocated it.

I've not sat in 23 or 24 for quite a while and fly weekly to SYD lately.

 

[lucky52]

I've been a Platinum FF for over 10 years and I've never noticed that I get allocated exit rows any more often than any other flyers.

Having said that, I also haven't noticed that my seat allocations are any worse than before. I have always routinely been allocated rows 5 or 6 and that doesn't seem to have changed.

 

[anat0l]

Why are Quantas not looking after their frequent fliers better.

Because some of them can't spell.

Apart from that, you just may be struck with the JohnK syndrome.

 

[EmilyHoward]

I am in Perth and regularly travel to Sydney. I haven't noticed any real change with seat allocation and generally seem to get good seats.

 

[rezzadogs]

3 flights in the last 2 days. All Red e.
SYD/MEL in 34A. This is the furthest back in a 767 in I don't know how many years, but was an exit row in an Int config.
MEL/HBA in 8A, but 8B blocked. 8C was Gold
HBA/SYD in 5F with the whole row to myself.

The only thing I've noticed recently is that when I do travel with Mrs Rezzadogs (WP Bonus) that they have swapped who is allocated the window. We both have forward window as our preference. It was her for the last few years, but in this calendar year it has been me

 

[moa999]

Sometimes it happens.

After shifting my fully-flex ticket for the 4th time to a 5.15pm BNE-SYD,
auto-allocated 23A in the mini-cabin with no-one in 23B!
Not a spare seat in J, don't know if it was people upgrading or not.

Have recently been getting as far back as 27/28 on the 767s.

Also had a flight on the ex-Int config plane (with missing 23F) where row 24 was greyed out in OLCI, yet 24DE and 24F did not have a passenger.

 

[JohnK]

Apart from that, you just may be struck with the JohnK syndrome.

It would appear that my experiences are fairly consistent with what is happening to other Platinums. Mark my words when I say "Qantas has made recent changes to seat allocations" and it would appear to have impacted on seats pre-allocated to Platinums. And I don't care that I can get pre-allocated 23D or 4C on the 9:30pm flight to Outbacksville what concerns me is getting 35D on the 7:45pm BNE-SYD flight while there are people without status sitting further forward.

In my opinion Platinums have just lost 2 key privileges of status being allocation of seats on domestic and international flights and requesting exit rows on international flights. We can all laugh about it and dismiss it as a good move by Qantas and it does not matter where you sit. It does matter where we sit otherwise we would not bother pre-allocating the best seat possible....

 

[Fishhead]

For me it was the last straw for my relationship with Qantas. I work for a non-profit organisaiton and do lots of international flights and my Platinum status was a way of bagging a half decent seat that I could open a laptop on during long flights to Asia and beyond. I've had two flights to the US this year, two to Indonesia and have Bangkok, Jakarta and Vietnam coming up in the next few months. I have a letter on my desk to Qantas telling them I'm not flying with them in preference to others any more and will be building a profil with another airline (any ideas?)

Qantas treatment of Platinum flyers is very patchy. Check-in staff are useless. Lounge staff at Australian airports are very good (elsewhere they couldn't care less). On board it is highly variable ranging form a decent glass of wine from Business or a good head phone set to a newspaper to a 'welcome aboard' to nothing at all.

 

[anat0l]

For me it was the last straw for my relationship with Qantas. I work for a non-profit organisaiton and do lots of international flights and my Platinum status was a way of bagging a half decent seat that I could open a laptop on during long flights to Asia and beyond. I've had two flights to the US this year, two to Indonesia and have Bangkok, Jakarta and Vietnam coming up in the next few months. I have a letter on my desk to Qantas telling them I'm not flying with them in preference to others any more and will be building a profil with another airline (any ideas?)

Singapore Airlines? Cathay Pacific? Malaysia Airlines?

The former-most seems to recognise status fairly well and will even grovel at their elites, if you don't mind interacting with robots.


Also, I find it surprising that you say half-decent seat. I think most people here aren't worried about their WP status getting them a half-decent seat as compared to a decent seat.

I think you must have had a lot more kerfuffles with Qantas than what you describe (perhaps you are being nice) in order for you to lose patience with them to that degree.

Qantas treatment of Platinum flyers is very patchy. Check-in staff are useless. Lounge staff at Australian airports are very good (elsewhere they couldn't care less). On board it is highly variable ranging form a decent glass of wine from Business or a good head phone set to a newspaper to a 'welcome aboard' to nothing at all.

Not sure what classes you're referring to, although expecting a glass of wine/champas from J or F when travelling Y is a bit presumptuous; the fact that it periodically happens isn't a valid argument.

I have to admit only being acknowledged only 3 times as a WP on board, but in all cases the loads were quite light, so I believe that had something to do with it (not that that should be translated as "light loads = WP welcome aboard").


This looks like it's one of those threads which spur a whole set of new members into AFF....