Qantas Neighbour Free Seat Reservations

[Vic]

Saw the headline. My first thought was anti-profit, retrograde thought bubble from some qantas manager. Surely they're going to make heaps more selling comfort seats...

Then if someone pays $30, and doesn't get the seats? imagine the "didn't get my refund" threads

Can't really get on board the pro qantas spin in this thread.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

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

Real-world scenario, which would you prefer on a 737:

- 6C with someone next to you
- 18C with nobody next to you

"preferred seats" don't mean much in the real world.

The best seat on the plane is the one with nobody next to you.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Real-world scenario, which would you prefer on a 737:

- 6C with someone next to you
- 18C with nobody next to you

"preferred seats" don't mean much in the real world.

The best seat on the plane is the one with nobody next to you.

4A for me unless I’m in J.
But in any case according to the trial info I wouldn’t be able to select 4B for $30.

Quite happy if it stays that way.
I completely agree with you btw as to where this is heading.
And it’s not a positive enhancement.

 

[justinbrett]

Real-world scenario, which would you prefer on a 737:

- 6C with someone next to you
- 18C with nobody next to you

"preferred seats" don't mean much in the real world.

The best seat on the plane is the one with nobody next to you.

Probably 6C to be honest. I've got things to do...

I hate sitting up the back - unless perhaps it was a 3+ hour flight. I can tolerate a neighbour for a short flight.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

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.

737 example: I can see couples selecting 9A and 9C, paying a nominal fee to increase the chances that the middle seat stays free, and thus 'splitting' the shadow fee.

Generally the first few rows of econ, exit rows etc are more popular and therefore less likely to have spare seats.
Plenty more spear seats in other rows.

I've got a post from probably 10 years ago on AFF about how Bronze members can get a better flight experience than Plat1 members in economy class for this exact reason.

 

[justinbrett]

737 example: I can see couples selecting 9A and 9C, paying a nominal fee to increase the chances that the middle seat stays free, and thus 'splitting' the shadow fee.

Generally the first few rows of econ, exit rows etc are more popular and therefore less likely to have spare seats.
Plenty more spear seats in other rows.

I've got a post from probably 10 years ago on AFF about how Bronze members can get a better flight experience than Plat1 members in economy class for this exact reason.

As I said I just can't see this as workable - in your example, if someone does select 9A & C, and pay for the spare seat - but someone else selects 9B - it's not like QF is going to move 9B to give them their shadow.

It sounds like you'll pay to get a seat vacant that you otherwise would have got anyway.

This works quite different to WP shadows that are seats not available to general fliers until T-80, and then if given a shadow will remain blocked. The article you posted says this all starts at T-48, well into the T-80 period.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Probably 6C to be honest. I've got things to do...

Is this you being quoted in the article?

Man Shaves 1.7 Seconds Off 2-Hour Flight by Standing Up as Soon as Plane Lands — The Shovel

A Sydney businessman has arrived at his destination almost two full seconds before his fellow passengers, after bolting up into the aisle the moment the fasten seatbelt sign went off.

www.theshovel.com.au

 

[justinbrett]

Is this you being quoted in the article?

Man Shaves 1.7 Seconds Off 2-Hour Flight by Standing Up as Soon as Plane Lands — The Shovel

A Sydney businessman has arrived at his destination almost two full seconds before his fellow passengers, after bolting up into the aisle the moment the fasten seatbelt sign went off.

www.theshovel.com.au

No, the point of sitting at the front is you don't have to stand up. You can remain comfortably seated until the door is opened.

 

[Fergo747]

I completely agree with you btw as to where this is heading.
And it’s not a positive enhancement.

Agreed and certainly not positive. Thought if you're travelling on the triangle route at peak times, I've found it quite difficult to maintain a shadow in r4/5 as people either a) select the middle at T-80 as they don't want to be seated in Siberia (i.e. further than row 8) or b) someone gets assigned to that seat by QF as a last minute pax.

 

[SeatBackForward]

What it does is to put this top tie FF's lower in the pecking order of this unpublished benefit, that's all.

If the flight is fully sold, even the shadow would not have happened. It's just QF etching out yet another penny

 

[SYD]

In the other thread, it’s suggested that the person requesting the spare seat could be spirited away to somewhere else in the plane with spares.

 

[PuravidaTC]

When I seen this my first thoughts were that its Qantas just getting payment for what would have been zero.. my thinking is they would just place a traveler who has paid for a shadow on the same row as a Plat or P1? Everyone wins?

If I'm not flying J, I personally prefer to be last couple of rows and the few I've flown I've had often the whole row - which is obviously not needed on the flights of a few hours.

 

[MrJetset]

Anyone who values being up the front on a single aisle 738 for boarding and disembarkation wouldn't take this offer. Who would want to have an entirely random seat selection for an empty seat that may well end up in the last row?

It would be a different proposition if it was guaranteeing the seat to the one you had specifically allocated.

QF will only offer it when it doesn't think the flight will have a full load and shuffle pax around who pay for it.

A shadow was never a published benefit, after all. If you want one, you can pay for the extra seat.

 

[justinbrett]

Anyone who values being up the front on a single aisle 738 for boarding and disembarkation wouldn't take this offer. Who would want to have an entirely random seat selection for an empty seat that may well end up in the last row?

It would be a different proposition if it was guaranteeing the seat to the one you had specifically allocated.

QF will only offer it when it doesn't think the flight will have a full load and shuffle pax around who pay for it.

A shadow was never a published benefit, after all. If you want one, you can pay for the extra seat.

Exactly. I didn't know this was part of it. A big fat no from me - I'd rather be up the front and have a neighbour.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Perhaps I am missing something here, but if I'm not mistaken if you are seated in J, you have no neighbours? At least that has been my experience on my last few QF J flights on the A330

-RooFlyer88

 

[SYD]

Perhaps I am missing something here, but if I'm not mistaken if you are seated in J, you have no neighbours? At least that has been my experience on my last few QF J flights on the A330

-RooFlyer88

Report back after your $38 return fare to PER on JQ!

 

[AIRwin]

Report back after your $38 return fare to PER on JQ!

$36?

 

[ferntree]

Why am I not surprised?

For me and my travel patterns this has been the last and only poistive that Qantas has over Virgin.

Which made this inevitable, I suppose.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

So I guess we could call this announcement by Qantas, Groundhog Day since we didn't see our shadow?

Report back after your $38 return fare to PER on JQ!

I haven't spent that much on my JQ return flight to PER from SYD. It was $36 for the Starter fare. Perfect for a weekend trip to PER and a great way to sample the various QF lounges along the way as a Gold. It will also be interesting to see how seating works since I haven't paid for anything extra here.

Why am I not surprised?

For me and my travel patterns this has been the last and only poistive that Qantas has over Virgin.

Which made this inevitable, I suppose.

Having flown both Virgin and Qantas I'd say they both have their merits. In terms of onboard service Virgin blows Qantas out of the water. But in terms of hard product, I think QF is a cut above Virgin, especially in J. Certainly the domestic business and first lounges for Qantas are better than that of Virgin.

-RooFlyer88

 

[ferntree]

Having flown both Virgin and Qantas I'd say they both have their merits. In terms of onboard service Virgin blows Qantas out of the water. But in terms of hard product, I think QF is a cut above Virgin, especially in J. Certainly the domestic business and first lounges for Qantas are better than that of Virgin.

-RooFlyer88

I wouldn't disagree - but my assessment of what matters most to me puts the better business lounges way way behind J fares on Virgin being 50% (or often less) than those on Qantas, for example. I fly probably 70% J, 30% Y.

Likewise the flexibility of the Virgin travelbank and J cancellation/change without penalty.

Obviously others with different travel patterns such as mostly flying Y will have a different perception.

There's no "one size fits all."