Platinum sitting in economy - Do the airlines pay extra attention to us?

[esseeeayeenn]

Young grasshopper,

yes, I have also delved over time into such things as experimenting with seat selection and watching expertflyer, etc. There does seem on some occassions to be an automatic seat blocking. But as I said in my other post, this is not something that Qantas has ever (to my knowledge) claimed or advertised as a benefit. And my personal research revealed that this "shadow" effect always disappeared near departure. If you were on a light pax load, you could enjoy, but otherwise the whole thing was meaningless. Often the seat in the shadow taken by someone who to any disgruntled flying veteran is particularly annoying - the status-less last minute show that spends the whole flight trying to work out how to deploy the tray

My point is that any concept of a shadow is actually more shadowy than the shadow itself. Talk about it just gets people expecting same, and then getting disappointed when it does not protect a beloved spare seat next to you.

If I had to state my exact and complete belief about QF shadows, I would suggest that somewhere deep in the QF coding team there are some bright sparks who rationally thought that the concept of soft-blocking spare seats next to high status pax was a good idea. (Of course it is!!) But then, being QF, this great innovation has been overridden by others who simply allow late pax and checkin staff to chuck whoever in whatever seat. These staff do not give a two-hoots about status - they just want to finish their shift having successfully boarded all pax that arrived late....

It is actually hard to be consistently inconsistent, but unlike shadows, that inconsistency even a QF-lover like myself finds hard to deny.

So you admit it exists but your point is that it doesn't necessarily "stick".
I have found it to stick more often than not. In both Y & J.
Although my most consistent success has been in J between SYD & NOU where I am often assigned 1A and enjoy an empty 1B.

 

[sjk]

Young grasshopper,

Oh please, spare us.

 

[juddles]

... my most consistent success has been in J between SYD & NOU where I am often assigned 1A and enjoy an empty 1B....

Grasshopper, if you base your overall beliefs of QF based on SYD-NOU flights, that is noble. Time will eventually be your friend....

 

[JessicaTam]

Grasshopper, if you base your overall beliefs of QF based on SYD-NOU flights, that is noble. Time will eventually be your friend....

Condescending, much?

 

[Rangalad]

Hit and miss is how I'd put it too.
The front of the Y plane usually fills up more than the back, so as a WP I often ended up with someone next to me, but wander down the back and find several rows where people are flaked out across 3 or 4 seats.
Similarly, headphones, J wines etc seems to depend on the crew. Some may give you a glass of J wine, some won't consider it, and on the odd occasion I had crew that insisted that Y wine shouldn't touch my lips.

Low expectations and enjoy the perks when they come - expect it and you'll generally be disappointed.

Gave up seat 4C as a DYKWIA was raising hell. Wandered down to row 28, three seats to myself and took a nap. Woken at top of descent and discreetly given a bottle of red from J.

 

[Max Samuels]

btw re partners. I have a QF Plat friend now living in the US and flying AA on a semi regular basis from a regional city - she reported a number of free upgrades as she was treated as OWE and she would receive free snacks in Y. AA, at least to her, is very good at recognising the status (and of course OWE can select Main Cabin Extra seats at no cost)

Totally agree. AA have given me more op upgrades than QF. And the perks of OWE are sooo much better MCE for example.

 

[RichardMEL]

I agree with Juddles (not about insect life though).

Yes, "shadows" exist more or less.. it is a function of the system and it does hold sometimes.

but, again, this is NOT a published benefit. This is what some people do not seem to grasp.

And as such I think there can often be expectations set that *may* not be realistic.

I remember one airline used to couch it in terms of "We'll try and keep the seat next to you free if we can" but after a time they dropped that (this is a long time ago in a galaxy far away - well across the pacific).. but it did set a level of expectation.

Because QF do this without any official promise or definition of it as a benefit it can and has lead to confusion (eg a Gold finding seats next to them vacant assuming it's a defined "Shadow") and/or an expectation that they should always be there for Plat or P1.

That's all my point is.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Grasshopper, if you base your overall beliefs of QF based on SYD-NOU flights, that is noble. Time will eventually be your friend....

You make a very good point.
As anyone can see from my openflights map I have only ever flown between SYD and NOU and have absolutely no other basis for my beliefs.
I am, however, getting a bit sick of the bus from Perth to Sydney and back which I have to endure to take those flights.

 

[ambrosia]

Just stepped off QF79 in Y tonight. While the personalized greeting can feel a little awkward, I did appreciate the proactive distribution of J amenity kits to WPs.

Recently on QF118, HKG-SYD overnight, WP, no shadow, I was greeted then offered an eye mask, produced out of the CM’s pocket.

Kind gesture probably, but I was thinking 2 things ; could it have been left behind in J by someone on the last flight perhaps? And also, which frequent flyer on an overnight in Y, and needs a mask to sleep, doesn’t bring their own?

I politely declined.

 

[RichardMEL]

yes that seems.. not quite right to me either. just give an amenity kit I reckon (sealed)

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Recently on QF118, HKG-SYD overnight, WP, no shadow, I was greeted then offered an eye mask, produced out of the CM’s pocket.

Kind gesture probably, but I was thinking 2 things ; could it have been left behind in J by someone on the last flight perhaps? And also, which frequent flyer on an overnight in Y, and needs a mask to sleep, doesn’t bring their own?

I politely declined.

Once he opened the topic I would have said "No thanks but champagne would be lovely!".

 

[kitkatff]

Got recognised once this year, apart from upgrades, on a SYD-MEL in 4C the CM said hi and shook my hand and that of the pax in 4D (also P1 from what I could see).

When flying EK I usually get the cabin staff come and say hi. I don't get any extra food or amenity kit, but nice gesture.

 

[pchammond]

I've been on hundreds of Domestic Y flights. Only once the CSM went out of their way to greet me. Unfortunately they went and greeted the wrong person...the guy in the seat in front of me who was very confused! I ignored it because I was dead tired and chose to sleep instead of pointing out that it was me.

I've never received any op ups or nicer food/drink or any benefits of being a WP.

 

[AIRwin]

Unfortunately they went and greeted the wrong person...the guy in the seat in front of me who was very confused!

They didn't know who you are... But did they realise their mistake?

 

[pchammond]

They didn't know who you are... But did they realise their mistake?

The CSM could see the confused look of the guy and apologised and said that I must have changed seats. I never changed seats.

 

[onemore]

Having been at platinum level for the last 6 years, might even have been longer, (no way was I going to say last 10 years because of the forum police whom would have a victory in saying "but platinum level has not been around that long, so I didn't). On the one occasion that I neglected, well really forgot, to do a seat allocation on an international flight in Y, I was allocated the 2 second seat in the middle row of 4 seats, I cursed myself for that mistake, I did present my boarding pass to one of the crew who sent me packing down to the rear of the aircraft in a 2 seater by myself.
On the platinum thing I am one of the frequent flyers who took advantage of the DSC'S when they were around which caused loss of revenue because of the over crowded lounges, and from another thread people piling their plates with food and stuffing their coats with biscuits, however I never have been guilty of that, which begs the question on why did they discontinue the DSC'S, had to have been a beancounter ruling, every cent counts in the rule book of the bean counter.

As far as the shadow thing goes, when checking in, yes I am one of those people that get to check in before it even opens, no rushing for me. At the check-in counter I always double check my seat allocation, (yes forum police I remember I forgot once, guilty as charged), and very politely, bordering on grovelling ask is there someone seated next to me, if the flight is not full they always get on the phone to some person who I would like to know very well and ask for a block to be put on the seat next to me.

On certain routes that I frequently travel there is more often than not a crew member that remembers me, so I usually get some refreshment from the front end, no problems.

By the way I do share my credit card around different airlines, off to Bangkok from Manila via KL for a status run, on my way to LTG, then give the ROO the flick.

Cheers everyone,

 

[Cessna 180]

I have noticed this gradually declining. I have been P, I think since 2013, just scraping in each year. (nearly all domestic) so cannot really comment on international. The only international flying I have done, save for a few NZ trips with work in 16/17, I have been lucky enough to get points upgrade or redeem a Classic flight reward.

Early on when I started commuting, around 2011, I would say there was more often a shadow than of late.
Sometimes there was a drink from J, or the J headphones, newspapers and the like.

Until recently, during the service I would mostly get a "Hello Mr 180, would you like something to eat" etc.

My commuting the last few months sadly has been east coast shuttles, and on one evening BNE - MEL dinner service when they came back to collect the rubbish there was no offering of a second mini bottle of wine. People seemed to ask for one and that was then sent for, from the back with a signal to another cabin attendant.

As far as seating goes, the flights I am on of late have been absolutely chockas. As I generally only book within 24 hours of travel, row 4 is mostly gone so I just take what I can get, generally towards the back in the hope there will be a spare seat there....

Another flight SYD-OOL was almost empty, so the attendants gave everybody something. Pointing out that generally drinks were $6, but he would "shout you".

I would say that for me in nearly ten years of travelling, that the golden age was around the time Virgin had a bit of a crack and the capacity war heated up. However, this was obviously unsustainable and they gave up and service has been declining since and will continue to do so.

I guess in summary: if the flights are full and there is no competition, red, silver, gold or WP, it really does not matter. Qantas have it sown up domestically and they have the right amount of services to fill most seats so they do not have to offer anything.

 

[onemore]

I have noticed this gradually declining. I have been P, I think since 2013, just scraping in each year. (nearly all domestic) so cannot really comment on international. The only international flying I have done, save for a few NZ trips with work in 16/17, I have been lucky enough to get points upgrade or redeem a Classic flight reward.

Early on when I started commuting, around 2011, I would say there was more often a shadow than of late.
Sometimes there was a drink from J, or the J headphones, newspapers and the like.

Until recently, during the service I would mostly get a "Hello Mr 180, would you like something to eat" etc.

My commuting the last few months sadly has been east coast shuttles, and on one evening BNE - MEL dinner service when they came back to collect the rubbish there was no offering of a second mini bottle of wine. People seemed to ask for one and that was then sent for, from the back with a signal to another cabin attendant.

As far as seating goes, the flights I am on of late have been absolutely chockas. As I generally only book within 24 hours of travel, row 4 is mostly gone so I just take what I can get, generally towards the back in the hope there will be a spare seat there....

Another flight SYD-OOL was almost empty, so the attendants gave everybody something. Pointing out that generally drinks were $6, but he would "shout you".

I would say that for me in nearly ten years of travelling, that the golden age was around the time Virgin had a bit of a crack and the capacity war heated up. However, this was obviously unsustainable and they gave up and service has been declining since and will continue to do so.

I guess in summary: if the flights are full and there is no competition, red, silver, gold or WP, it really does not matter. Qantas have it sown up domestically and they have the right amount of services to fill most seats so they do not have to offer anything.

Which is what I was contemplating on a recent international trip, i.e. what does platinum get you, be content with Gold is my thought on the subject.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Which is what I was contemplating on a recent international trip, i.e. what does platinum get you, be content with Gold is my thought on the subject.

International travel is where Platinum can get you a lot, in my opinion.
Access to first class lounges and priority through airport security are two which spring to mind.
The latter can make a huge difference in Europe where there can be a whole segregated fast track or "Green Path" section of an airport such as MAD.
Useful because it often isn't worth paying for "business" flights within Europe as they are merely Y seats with a tray over the empty middle seat.

 

[Aeolus]

Just stepped off QF79 in Y tonight. While the personalized greeting can feel a little awkward, I did appreciate the proactive distribution of J amenity kits to WPs.

Never experienced the proactive distribution of J amenity kits before but sometimes if a WP further up front requested for one, they could bring a few out to distribute down the aisle. It’ll be nice if they proactively distribute these or at least ask if the WP pax is interested in one.