Qantas Neighbour Free Seat Reservations

[jb747]

At least the reserved seat is ticketed. Nothing worse than a novice traveller moving to sit in your shadow after departure.

And they still will, and the cabin crew are not paid enough to care (if they are even QF employees, which is increasingly unlikely).

 

[downgraded]

Do you really think that QF should refuse to sell the seat for $360 to a latecomer because you paid $30? Of course the “neighbour seat“ cannot be guaranteed until check in. A “comfort seat” is guaranteed because full price is paid for it.

It's a matter of degrees. Bump red edeal sales for higher priced fully flex, points redemptions for paid J - oh, they allegedly already do that! But actually yes, if their systems and processes have decided to sell the neighbour seat, I do think they should honour it.

 

[downgraded]

. A “comfort seat” is guaranteed because full price is paid for it.

Couldn't agree more. The issue here is that most pax wouldn't know comfort seats are an option and that airlines have never made the process for booking one a mainstream option - ie tick a box whilst doing an online booking. Given the reduced overhead of just allocating space rather than actually having to deal with an extra body and provide service, it's a wonder airlines, Qantas included, haven't embraced this over priced revenue raiser more emphatically.

 

[astrosly]

You’re paying not to have someone beside you, not to have two seats. I have no problem if QF sells it to both parties.

This. You are not buying the seat next to you - that is a comfort seat - you are simply paying to have your seat allocated next to a vacant seat. This is why it is called "neighbour free reservation".

The concern I have with allowing people to pay for being seated next to any vacant seats up to 1 hour before departure means there will be some last minute seat re-allocations that may be to the detriment of any status holders. You could be moved to be next to a vacant seat anywhere in the cabin, or someone moved for you.

 

[astrosly]

At least the reserved seat is ticketed. Nothing worse than a novice traveller moving to sit in your shadow after departure.

The seat is not ticketed. It is vacant. You simply have a note on your boarding pass that your seat reservation is next to it.

 

[Ade]

novice traveller moving to sit in your shadow after departure.

I have two different experiences in this regard.

Experience 1 : QF 81 SYD-SIN seat 24K bulkhead aisle, shadow on window. After take off, a lady sitting in 24G taps me on my shoulder and asks if anyone is sitting in the window seat. I hesitated and said no (I mean, I can't say, the flight has already took off). She then asked if she can sit there because she'd like to see the view outside the window. She told me that she was leaving AU for good, going back home to Italy. I couldn't say no ... so she sat in the window and immediately dropped down the shades .. I was thinking "you wanted the window BECAUSE you said that you'd like to see outside the window" !!! She kept the shades down all the way until SIN, when the crew asked the shades to be open for landing.

Experience 2 : CBR-SYD. I think I was in the bulkhead once again, the window was empty. After take off a young girl asked if she can sit in the window. I couldn't say no. So she settles herself in, the FA promptly walks over and asks her to move to her original seat as on the BP. No explanation provided.

The commonality here, in addition to people trying to move around the cabin after take off, is that I'm not able to say no ... surely something for me to work on ...

So, dear AFF'ers, how do I say no when someone asks I they can sit in my "shadow" ? Any suggestions pls?

 

[downgraded]

I have two different experiences in this regard.

Experience 1 : QF 81 SYD-SIN seat 24K bulkhead aisle, shadow on window. After take off, a lady sitting in 24G taps me on my shoulder and asks if anyone is sitting in the window seat. I hesitated and said no (I mean, I can't say, the flight has already took off). She then asked if she can sit there because she'd like to see the view outside the window. She told me that she was leaving AU for good, going back home to Italy. I couldn't say no ... so she sat in the window and immediately dropped down the shades .. I was thinking "you wanted the window BECAUSE you said that you'd like to see outside the window" !!! She kept the shades down all the way until SIN, when the crew asked the shades to be open for landing.

Experience 2 : CBR-SYD. I think I was in the bulkhead once again, the window was empty. After take off a young girl asked if she can sit in the window. I couldn't say no. So she settles herself in, the FA promptly walks over and asks her to move to her original seat as on the BP. No explanation provided.

The commonality here, in addition to people trying to move around the cabin after take off, is that I'm not able to say no ... surely something for me to work on ...

So, dear AFF'ers, how do I say no when someone asks I they can sit in my "shadow" ? Any suggestions pls?

Don't wash for a week before flying? They probably won't ask.

 

[tdimdad]

I have two different experiences in this regard.

Experience 1 : QF 81 SYD-SIN seat 24K bulkhead aisle, shadow on window. After take off, a lady sitting in 24G taps me on my shoulder and asks if anyone is sitting in the window seat. I hesitated and said no (I mean, I can't say, the flight has already took off). She then asked if she can sit there because she'd like to see the view outside the window. She told me that she was leaving AU for good, going back home to Italy. I couldn't say no ... so she sat in the window and immediately dropped down the shades .. I was thinking "you wanted the window BECAUSE you said that you'd like to see outside the window" !!! She kept the shades down all the way until SIN, when the crew asked the shades to be open for landing.

Experience 2 : CBR-SYD. I think I was in the bulkhead once again, the window was empty. After take off a young girl asked if she can sit in the window. I couldn't say no. So she settles herself in, the FA promptly walks over and asks her to move to her original seat as on the BP. No explanation provided.

The commonality here, in addition to people trying to move around the cabin after take off, is that I'm not able to say no ... surely something for me to work on ...

So, dear AFF'ers, how do I say no when someone asks I they can sit in my "shadow" ? Any suggestions pls?

While I have no suggestions directly to the question, your first example prompted me to think how I would act if I had bought a comfort seat and someone with that explanation came over to kindly ask for the seat. On a good day, I probably would have given it to them and enjoyed just the extra SC's still gained from it (and some good karma, perhaps).

I have said 'no' earlier when I had paid for Finnair economy comfort section (the first few rows with a bit more leg room). A family wanted to reorganise their seats and asked if I'd be happy to move from my window seat to the middle block isle seat. Being already tired and a bit cranky from the earlier part of the trip, I simply said that I had purposefully selected this seat in advance and wanted to keep it, please. But it can be tricky to say no in a graceful and courteous way.

 

[dairyfloss]

Fiji Airways are joining the party, too: Fiji Airways’ latest upgrades give you room to move, even in economy

 

[RooFlyer]

I have two different experiences in this regard.

Experience 1 : QF 81 SYD-SIN seat 24K bulkhead aisle, shadow on window. After take off, a lady sitting in 24G taps me on my shoulder and asks if anyone is sitting in the window seat. I hesitated and said no (I mean, I can't say, the flight has already took off). She then asked if she can sit there because she'd like to see the view outside the window. She told me that she was leaving AU for good, going back home to Italy. I couldn't say no ... so she sat in the window and immediately dropped down the shades .. I was thinking "you wanted the window BECAUSE you said that you'd like to see outside the window" !!! She kept the shades down all the way until SIN, when the crew asked the shades to be open for landing.

Experience 2 : CBR-SYD. I think I was in the bulkhead once again, the window was empty. After take off a young girl asked if she can sit in the window. I couldn't say no. So she settles herself in, the FA promptly walks over and asks her to move to her original seat as on the BP. No explanation provided.

The commonality here, in addition to people trying to move around the cabin after take off, is that I'm not able to say no ... surely something for me to work on ...

So, dear AFF'ers, how do I say no when someone asks I they can sit in my "shadow" ? Any suggestions pls?

Tell them they need to ask the FAs. If the FAs enforce the rule of sitting in your allocated seat, you’ll be safe.

 

[LondonAussie]

Experience 2 : CBR-SYD. I think I was in the bulkhead once again, the window was empty. After take off a young girl asked if she can sit in the window. I couldn't say no. So she settles herself in, the FA promptly walks over and asks her to move to her original seat as on the BP. No explanation provided.

If the young girl was an unaccompanied minor, I think there's a rule about where they can sit and who they can sit next to, and perhaps why the FA was paying close attention to her and promptly spotted her move.

 

[Milefest]

I have two different experiences in this regard.

Experience 1 : QF 81 SYD-SIN seat 24K bulkhead aisle, shadow on window. After take off, a lady sitting in 24G taps me on my shoulder and asks if anyone is sitting in the window seat. I hesitated and said no (I mean, I can't say, the flight has already took off). She then asked if she can sit there because she'd like to see the view outside the window. She told me that she was leaving AU for good, going back home to Italy. I couldn't say no ... so she sat in the window and immediately dropped down the shades .. I was thinking "you wanted the window BECAUSE you said that you'd like to see outside the window" !!! She kept the shades down all the way until SIN, when the crew asked the shades to be open for landing.

Experience 2 : CBR-SYD. I think I was in the bulkhead once again, the window was empty. After take off a young girl asked if she can sit in the window. I couldn't say no. So she settles herself in, the FA promptly walks over and asks her to move to her original seat as on the BP. No explanation provided.

The commonality here, in addition to people trying to move around the cabin after take off, is that I'm not able to say no ... surely something for me to work on ...

So, dear AFF'ers, how do I say no when someone asks I they can sit in my "shadow" ? Any suggestions pls?

I've had similar experiences. I think it's good the "reserved" seat is on the ticket because at least if someone sits there you have some recourse to say you paid for it and potentially escalate to the crew.

With shadow seats, you're not formally entitled to that seat.

 

[Mattg]

I've had similar experiences. I think it's good the "reserved" seat is on the ticket because at least if someone sits there you have some recourse to say you paid for it and potentially escalate to the crew.

With shadow seats, you're not formally entitled to that seat.

I once had a guy on a JQ flight claim the middle seat because he said that his wife had originally booked it, but that she had to cancel her trip at the last minute. He seemed to think he was still entitled to the seat and spread his stuff all over it.

 

[Ade]

If the young girl was an unaccompanied minor, I think there's a rule about where they can sit and who they can sit next to, and perhaps why the FA was paying close attention to her and promptly spotted her move.

Sorry, I should have been more clear ... the young girl that I mentioned was actually a (guessing) 25 yo lady ... she was keenly waiting for the seat belt sign to go off and she immediately sprinted to the window seat next to me ... #ShadowTakenAway

 

[Hvr]

I once had a guy on a JQ flight claim the middle seat because he said that his wife had originally booked it, but that she had to cancel her trip at the last minute. He seemed to think he was still entitled to the seat and spread his stuff all over it.

Noting it was JQ and refunds are virtually non-existent then he probably has a good argument since he did pay for the seat.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

In case anyone missed it, this is a stealth program devaluation.

Fundamentally anyone will be able to pay an additional fee ($30++) for a spare seat next to them.
Not guaranteed until boarding.

In reality, it will play out as Gold/Plat++ members less likely to have a spare seat next to them.

Status holders spend more, much more frequently than non-status holders, and are the largest buyers of higher-class fares.
Anyone with status knows that an unpublished benefit of having status is you're more likely to have nobody next to you in the economy cabin.

Put into perspective - this is a scenario that will happen to you or me or the next Plat member someday:
- Platinum member pays $600 for one-way SYD-OOL on a full Y ticket. No spare seat.
- On the same flight, a bronze member pays $150 one-way SYD-OOL and an extra $30 for the spare seat.

No more shadows for elites coming soon to a flight near you... essentially this is a devaluation of program benefits.

Qantas' empty-seat deal slammed: 'No real value'

Australia's flagship airline is offering passengers the choice of extra space. But the deal may not be as good as it sounds.

au.finance.yahoo.com

 

[AIRwin]

Yesterday
All my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they're here to stay
Oh, I believe in yesterday

Suddenly
I'm not half the man I used to be
There's NO shadow hanging over me
Oh, yesterday came suddenly

 

[justinbrett]

It is a trial after all - and I doubt this will be adopted after it's complete - it seems too unreliable, and probably only offered when there's quite a lot of spare seats - in which case, you won't need it. When it's an almost full flight I doubt it will be offered and thus more likely the current processes will be in force.

There's quite often exit row seats still available, even on trans-con, up until check in - so if people aren't paying for those, I don't think many will pay for this either.

Of course, nothing stopping WP from paying, and if they do, would be the last to lose their shadow.

 

[Princess Fiona]

IIRC the article that Matt posted said the trial excluded “preferred seats” so that would knock out the front of the bus anyway ?

 

[NM]

Not guaranteed until boarding.

I can imagine the difficulties people will have getting a refund if denied at the boarding gate after having paid the fee weeks earlier.