Qantas Neighbour Free Seat Reservations

[exceladdict]

At the end of the day, I can't see too many status pax be willing to cough up to sit right at the back of the bus.

Not willing to pay but I certainly change seat right up to boarding to try to get empty next to me when flying y. Recently, selecting a back row resulted in me having it all to myself on a very long 789 journey. Well worth it

 

[jpp42]

Not willing to pay but I certainly change seat right up to boarding to try to get empty next to me when flying y

Absolutely - there are a few useful strategies, for example on a busy flight with 3-4-3 or 2-4-2 seating, I will try to select an aisle seat in the middle section (D or G) in a row with two seats already taken (DE or FG), leaving an undesirable singleton (E or F) in the middle. This has been quite useful to me in the past, I often have the only open economy seat on the plane next to me (especially on A330's with 2-4-2).

 

[Mattg]

I was offered this for $30 on tomorrow's SYD-CBR Dash 8 flight. Tempting, but I would have to give up my seat towards the front of the plane for one of the last few rows. Nah.

Interesting to see that the service is offered via Plusgrade, which also does the Bid Now upgrades.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Offered

I was offered this for $30 on tomorrow's SYD-CBR Dash 8 flight. Tempting, but I would have to give up my seat towards the front of the plane for one of the last few rows. Nah.

Interesting to see that the service is offered via Plusgrade, which also does the Bid Now upgrades.

Offered (via email x2 ) neighbour free also for MEL-BNE on Monday at $65, like you @Mattg chose to keep row 4

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Not so bad, if it was a guaranteed "neighour" free seat if you pay/when you pay for it.
But, its not guaranteed is it, or is it?
Has anyone succeeded in this, I mean, like paying the fee, and then on the flight, they put someone into "that" seat.
I have bought a "comfort seat booking" with QF in the past, and have had it as empty next to me for my QF flights, but haven't done so with this new system.

 

[justin23]

I was offered this for $30 on tomorrow's SYD-CBR Dash 8 flight. Tempting, but I would have to give up my seat towards the front of the plane for one of the last few rows. Nah.

Interesting to see that the service is offered via Plusgrade, which also does the Bid Now upgrades.

I mean the $30 isn't an issue. As a Gold I'm not always getting an up front row on these dash 8 flights either. In fact I complained to Qantas on a full flight the person i was sitting next to was half in my seat..... Now i'm a solid guy also, so have empathy for this person, they needed the 2 seats and Qantas for whatever reason decided to not give them 2 seats. I could not fit in my seat, i managed to raise the aisle armrest, the cabin crew got a bit narky with me sayign the armrest had to be down for take off. i got up but the armrest down and said how? anyway i flew home with half a seat. Qantas did very little and blamed the fact they had no idea that this person needed 2 seats..... well thast not my fault is it, No compo at all, not even a measly 1000 points!

Normally i have no issues so i get isolated issues happen, but i'm more inclined to fork out $30 if this is offered to me on thos Dash 8 flights while they last. Hoping the A220s replace them as well betwen SYD and CBR.

 

[justinbrett]

I was offered this for $30 on tomorrow's SYD-CBR Dash 8 flight. Tempting, but I would have to give up my seat towards the front of the plane for one of the last few rows. Nah.

Interesting to see that the service is offered via Plusgrade, which also does the Bid Now upgrades.

I'm not sure ex-CBR, but having flown NTL-BNE more times than I care to remember, I think I had a blocked seat next to me around 90% of the time. Usually the first 4-5 rows had blocked seats; not shadows - hard blocked at T-24 for W&B.

I'm actually surprised they're offering this on Dash 8s, but also would be interested to see if they allocate the neighbour free at the front or the back. It would make sense to me they'd use the front, especially because you can't pre-select seats on Dash 8s so they don't need to displace elites (which is why I assume they use the back for 737s).

 

[Mattg]

I'm not sure ex-CBR, but having flown NTL-BNE more times than I care to remember, I think I had a blocked seat next to me around 90% of the time. Usually the first 4-5 rows had blocked seats; not shadows - hard blocked at T-24 for W&B.

I'm actually surprised they're offering this on Dash 8s, but also would be interested to see if they allocate the neighbour free at the front or the back. It would make sense to me they'd use the front, especially because you can't pre-select seats on Dash 8s so they don't need to displace elites (which is why I assume they use the back for 737s).

All the Neighbour Free options on my SYD-CBR flight tomorrow are in the last four rows.

Yes, my experience has also been that rows 1-5 have a blocked seat beside them anyway on Dash 8 flights (unless the flight is full). If you get 1B, 2A, 3B, 3D, 4A, 4C, 5B or 5D (usually pre-allocated to high-status members), you generally get the seat next to you empty.

I'm in 5D tomorrow so will try my luck and save the $30 charge to sit in row 17.

 

[justinbrett]

All the Neighbour Free options on my SYD-CBR flight tomorrow are in the last four rows.

Yes, my experience has also been that rows 1-5 have a blocked seat beside them anyway on Dash 8 flights (unless the flight is full). If you get 1B, 2A, 3B, 3D, 4A, 4C, 5B or 5D (usually pre-allocated to high-status members), you generally get the seat next to you empty.

I'm in 5D tomorrow so will try my luck and save the $30 charge to sit in row 17.

Does it actually show you which seats are reserved for neighbour free seats?

That's good that QF isn't screwing over the elites to implement the neighbour free seats. I would have thought in this instance they could get away with it without anyone really noticing.

 

[Mattg]

Does it actually show you which seats are reserved for neighbour free seats?

Yes.

 

[pauly7]

Does anyone know how this charge appears on your credit card statement? eg Qantas Reservations etc?

 

[Muppet501st]

be interesting to see if they have to move pax around to balance the weight ?

Yes.

View attachment 337571

 

[aikman]

That's good that QF isn't screwing over the elites to implement the neighbour free seats.

I am WP and have been offered a neighbour free seat next to my existing seat reservation.

 

[exceladdict]

I am WP and have been offered a neighbour free seat next to my existing seat reservation.
View attachment 337643

What are they asking for the neighbour free seat?

 

[aikman]

What are they asking for the neighbour free seat?

$30 ADL-MEL

 

[dairyfloss]

$30 ADL-MEL

Apologies if I've missed this upthread, but do they provide an option to pay in points, as well, in which case how much is that?

 

[aikman]

Apologies if I've missed this upthread, but do they provide an option to pay in points, as well, in which case how much is that?

Cash only by the looks of it.

 

[justinbrett]

Is it confirmed they don't double sell the free seat (on a 737) to two solo travellers? The wording suggests they don't, but then it makes it pretty easy to score one for free.

 

[CaptJCool]

Is it confirmed they don't double sell the free seat (on a 737) to two solo travellers? The wording suggests they don't, but then it makes it pretty easy to score one for free.

So we ask the crash test dummy?

Did QF sell you the empty seat too ?

Would be a bit rich if they did because I’d like to stretch out over that space in row 4 … wink wink freebie

 

[Mattg]

Is it confirmed they don't double sell the free seat (on a 737) to two solo travellers? The wording suggests they don't, but then it makes it pretty easy to score one for free.

I don't think there's anything stopping Qantas doing this?

The FAQs say "Neighbour Free refers to the seat space only and cannot be used for infant seating or to place items such as carry-on baggage, or musical instruments."

That indicates to me that you're not actually buying exclusive use of the second seat, which would be the case when buying a comfort seat.