OLCI - What's the point? Shocking seat selection

[Oneworldplus2]

BTW... I did notice SEVERAL cabin crew and 2 pilots in J on the way up.

I have also noticed this recently.
HBA-SYD, MEL-SYD, SYD-ADL, crew in J class, plural, as bossreggie mentioned.


OLCI, l've been pretty fortunate, and am usually up front but sometimes l change down the back just to try to get an empty seat next to me. Works on most flights, maybe l'm just lucky. Personal preference l guess. I still have to wait for my checked baggage when l arrive in SYD, so an extra 2 minutes to get off the plane doesn't bother me at all.

 

[Travel Guru]

I have also noticed this recently.
HBA-SYD, MEL-SYD, SYD-ADL, crew in J class, plural, as bossreggie mentioned.

I'm no expert in this area by any means and happy to be corrected, but I think you'll find it forms part of their overall award/package, that when travelling for work (deadheading etc), that they travel in J where possible.

TG

 

[Oneworldplus2]

I'm no expert in this area by any means and happy to be corrected, but I think you'll find it forms part of their overall award/package, that when travelling for work (deadheading etc), that they travel in J where possible.

TG

Probably. At least they get something in return. Generally l'm anti-union, but in this airline situation, l do feel that if it weren't for the unions, the F/A's would be getting shafted, that's for sure.
Then again, l've heard that the union for Iberia employees have Iberia pretty much all stiched up and the airline is actually getting shafted, so it does go both ways.

 

[ric_melb]

Even though I fly MEL/ADL I always find flights always full. Not only full, but I find that I am well back in the bus even though I get my aisle preference.
Seems Adelaide flights are very susceptible to bacward seating of frequent flyers.

 

[straitman]

BTW... I did notice SEVERAL cabin crew and 2 pilots in J on the way up.

If those pilots and cabin crew were dead heading prior to work would you not prefer they were fresh prior to their shift :?: :mrgreen:

 

[bossreggie]

If those pilots and cabin crew were dead heading prior to work would you not prefer they were fresh prior to their shift :?: :mrgreen:

Sure would straitman....When it comes to pilots......But Only if I'm not pushed back behind row 1!!

I find it quite comforting to take a peek behind me and see a pilot.... Hey if He/She's not panicking then we're probably looking OK!!

 

[kamchatsky]

Well bringing back to my original question on OLCI for my flight yesterday QF783 SYD-ADL, the flight was completely full, and even I did OLCI throughout the day, as well as using QuickCheck, and at BagDrop I checked, I could ONLY get 29A/B. Whilst I understand it is completely full, I still don't understand how OLCI only shows the last row for selection. They should have at least last 10 rows for me QF NB to select.

On another unrelated point, localised weather at SYD airport at about 3pm caused significant delays for all flights for the rest of the day. We board at 5:40pm and left at 6pm, but stuck at tarmac for at least 40 minutes before it took off at 6:40pm, and arrived at ADL at 8:10pm, about 1 hour late. The food offered was some tasteless vegetarian pasta. I actually preferred if they just gave me muffins :shock:.

 

[bossreggie]

On another unrelated point, localised weather at SYD airport at about 3pm caused significant delays for all flights for the rest of the day. We board at 5:40pm and left at 6pm, but stuck at tarmac for at least 40 minutes before it took off at 6:40pm, and arrived at ADL at 8:10pm, about 1 hour late. The food offered was some tasteless vegetarian pasta. I actually preferred if they just gave me muffins :shock:.

I was caught in the same cough!! I had to pretty much BEG for a drink in the 40 minutes I was sitting on the tarmac!! I did eventually manage to consume 1 or 2 (possibly 3) sparkling wines..... HOWEVER...... I really should not need to ask... I was in J!

 

[medhead]

Well bringing back to my original question on OLCI for my flight yesterday QF783 SYD-ADL, the flight was completely full, and even I did OLCI throughout the day, as well as using QuickCheck, and at BagDrop I checked, I could ONLY get 29A/B. Whilst I understand it is completely full, I still don't understand how OLCI only shows the last row for selection. They should have at least last 10 rows for me QF NB to select.

Sorry but that is completely unrealistic. 10 rows! I'm a QP member and PS, I've been doing a regular ADL-SYD in QF600 on Monday and I'm lucky to get an initial seat offer better than row 21. so for a start your 10 rows includes my aisle seat preference on the same fare, but i have higher status. Having 2 people in your group isn't going to help the situation either.

That's an example of a peak flight, my return flights SYD-ADL is QF785 on thursday night, pretty much non-peak flight and on these flights i've been getting exit rows as the initial offerring and have been able to move to rows <10 in the aisle and got 4F if moving out of the aisle.

My experience says that you might get decent seating on non-peak flights, but in peak time you are going to get rubbish seats.

 

[straitman]

As I said somewhere else on this forum recently. Personal experience as a Gold I was offered rows 11 and back at checkin. A little while later (about 1 hr) when some missing SC were posted and I became Platinum, rows 5 and back suddenly became available.

 

[openseat]

I'm not sure if something has changed but my last 4 flights have preselected middle seats! One flight I was unable to check-in until 1 hour before at the airport and my choice was 10B or 26D in the 737. This hasn't happened until the last week. The agent in the QP suggested it's because loads have suddenly increased across the board. BTW I'm PlAAt.

 

[kamchatsky]

Just to complete the story, yesterday I flew QF764 ADL-SYD. I OLCIed the day before and was allocated 18E/F. Later OLCI and QuickCheck did not allocate any seats further in front. The flight was about 60% full (it was Monday afternoon flight) and 18D was empty. This time, they did serve muffins and drinks, as it was not considered a dinner flight. At least the flight leave and arrive on time, and surprisingly my luggage was one of the first to come out of the belt.

So yes, I guess it depends on whether the flights are peak flight or not, it determines the availablity of seats for selection. However, I am still surprised that I only have last row available for selection. I cannot imagine that every passenger in front of row 29 at Friday night flight was a QF S/G/P, that's all, especially given that I OLCIed very early.

 

[JohnK]

So yes, I guess it depends on whether the flights are peak flight or not, it determines the availablity of seats for selection. However, I am still surprised that I only have last row available for selection. I cannot imagine that every passenger in front of row 29 at Friday night flight was a QF S/G/P, that's all, especially given that I OLCIed very early.

It really is irrelevant how early you use OLCI. Everyone on the plane gets a theoretical seat allocation at ~T-24 hours.

When a Bronze member uses OLCI they will be able to select from vacant seats in their zone. This may not be many seats at all.

When a Platinum uses OLCI they can select from any seat on the flight if the person pre-allocated that seat has not already checked-in.

As mentioned before using OLCI early is a great idea as it gives you a much better chance of improving your chances of a better seat. Used OLCI for last Friday nights flight and went from 26F-->24F and the day after moved to 23D. Keep checking back often and more than likely you will be able to get a better seat.

 

[medhead]

However, I am still surprised that I only have last row available for selection. I cannot imagine that every passenger in front of row 29 at Friday night flight was a QF S/G/P, that's all, especially given that I OLCIed very early.

But your seat preference is aisle? So it is only every 1 in 3 pax in front of you that need to be of higher status. Certainly you should have had a few single seat options available in rows lower than 29?

 

[N860CR]

Admittedly, I am flying on a Red-e-Deal ticket. Maybe that's how QF treats their "el-cheapo passengers" these days?

With all due respect... would you find it more appropriate to put a full-fare paying WP/SG there?

 

[kamchatsky]

With all due respect... would you find it more appropriate to put a full-fare paying WP/SG there?

No, not at all. But I also don't believe that every pax between row 1 - 28 are WP/SG OR full-fare paying either, given that I OLCIed very early.

 

[JohnK]

No, not at all. But I also don't believe that every pax between row 1 - 28 are WP/SG OR full-fare paying either, given that I OLCIed very early.

Why are you ignorng my earlier post? It really is irrelevant how early you use OLCI. Everyone on the plane gets a theoretical seat allocation at ~T-24 hours.

When a Platinum uses OLCI they can select from any seat on the flight pre-allocated to someone with lower status if the person pre-allocated that seat has not already checked-in. The same goes for Gold and Silver status.

When a Bronze member uses OLCI they will be able to select from vacant seats in their zone. This may not be many seats at all.

 

[kamchatsky]

Why are you ignorng my earlier post? It really is irrelevant how early you use OLCI. Everyone on the plane gets a theoretical seat allocation at ~T-24 hours.

When a Platinum uses OLCI they can select from any seat on the flight pre-allocated to someone with lower status if the person pre-allocated that seat has not already checked-in. The same goes for Gold and Silver status.

When a Bronze member uses OLCI they will be able to select from vacant seats in their zone. This may not be many seats at all.

JohnK, I am not ignoring your comments at all. In fact, based on your comments, does it mean for my flight, QF Bronze only has row 29 to select? I was never pre-allocated any seats. My first seat provided by QF (as you mentioned in comment) was 29A/B, and that's it. If that is the case, then obviously QF only opens up row 29 for QF NBs? What about the people who are NOT even QF NBs? Where should they sit then?

 

[kamchatsky]

But your seat preference is aisle? So it is only every 1 in 3 pax in front of you that need to be of higher status. Certainly you should have had a few single seat options available in rows lower than 29?

Actually we have no preferences but there are two of us flying together and we do not want to sit separately. That was the problem because all other seats available are single seats and are all middle seats (so cannot even get 2 aisle seats in the same row if we wanted).

 

[straitman]

JohnK, I am not ignoring your comments at all. In fact, based on your comments, does it mean for my flight, QF Bronze only has row 29 to select? I was never pre-allocated any seats. My first seat provided by QF (as you mentioned in comment) was 29A/B, and that's it. If that is the case, then obviously QF only opens up row 29 for QF NBs? What about the people who are NOT even QF NBs? Where should they sit then?

edison,

It is possible that QF opened up only a few rows to people without status and as sequences 11 & 12 that you had missed out on the best of the remaining seats. You were flying at a particularly busy time on a Friday evening.