Qantas Neighbour Free Seat Reservations

[sww199]

Was recently flying CBR-MEL on the 717 and received email offer to buy a Neighbour Free seat. Only problem was that my partner and I were sitting in 4A and 4C (there is no 4B on the 717) and so did not have any neighbours. We were both on the same booking. I didn't go through to buy it, so not sure if they were going to propose to keep 4D (across the aisle) free, or if it was just a glitch. Weird..

 

[DC3]

A free (neighbour) seat sounded worth looking into.

Alas, it’s just about a paid neighbour-free seat rather than a free seat without a neighbour. Oh well.

 

[milehighclub]

Was recently flying CBR-MEL on the 717 and received email offer to buy a Neighbour Free seat. Only problem was that my partner and I were sitting in 4A and 4C (there is no 4B on the 717) and so did not have any neighbours. We were both on the same booking. I didn't go through to buy it, so not sure if they were going to propose to keep 4D (across the aisle) free, or if it was just a glitch. Weird..

I believe if you were to accept, it would bring up the seat map and you'd need to book a new seat as it would show you where the block is.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Was recently flying CBR-MEL on the 717 and received email offer to buy a Neighbour Free seat. Only problem was that my partner and I were sitting in 4A and 4C (there is no 4B on the 717) and so did not have any neighbours. We were both on the same booking. I didn't go through to buy it, so not sure if they were going to propose to keep 4D (across the aisle) free, or if it was just a glitch. Weird..

I'd guess the offer would be opposite side of the aisle with an empty middle seat. And suspect it would be way down the back.

 

[fairhsa]

Firstly my paid for neighbour free seat was NOT written on my boarding pass. And i didn't even sit in it in rhe end. They put me at the back with two screaming toddlers behind me (one on Dad's lap) so neither of the seats was kick free, and it was utter torture. I gave up my good near front seat for this? I had to move to a non neighbour free seat just to survive the flight. What kind of lunacy is this policy? Charge people extra money to seat them in the worst seats on the plane? I don't get it.

 

[jb747]

I wonder if they actually promise that said neighbour free seat will be anywhere near your seat?

 

[DC3]

... They put me at the back with two screaming toddlers behind me (one on Dad's lap) so neither of the seats was kick free, and it was utter torture …

Ah, the joy of Y travel.

 

[Mr H]

Firstly my paid for neighbour free seat was NOT written on my boarding pass. And i didn't even sit in it in rhe end. They put me at the back with two screaming toddlers behind me (one on Dad's lap) so neither of the seats was kick free, and it was utter torture. I gave up my good near front seat for this? I had to move to a non neighbour free seat just to survive the flight. What kind of lunacy is this policy? Charge people extra money to seat them in the worst seats on the plane? I don't get it.

I'm not seeing the issue. You paid for a neighbour free seat and that's what you got. You did not pay for a seat in a child-free section, or for a seat near the front, or for anything else. Just a neighbour free seat.

In practical terms, a neighbour free seat required two adjacent open seats. They are likely to be near the back since people tend to fill seats from the front first.

We all have to deal with other passengers - that's just the deal with public transport.

 

[Daver6]

I'm not seeing the issue. You paid for a neighbour free seat and that's what you got. You did not pay for a seat in a child-free section, or for a seat near the front, or for anything else. Just a neighbour free seat.

In practical terms, a neighbour free seat required two adjacent open seats. They are likely to be near the back since people tend to fill seats from the front first.

We all have to deal with other passengers - that's just the deal with public transport.

You're actually shown where the seats are when opting in anyway. It shouldn't be a surprise that it's at the back of the bus.

 

[TheInsider]

Firstly my paid for neighbour free seat was NOT written on my boarding pass.

What do you expect to be written on the boarding pass?

 

[Ade]

What do you expect to be written on the boarding pass?

I'd have thought - something to the effect that this pax has paid for a neighbour free seat? I'm not sure how these things are managed - meaning, how would someone know that the pax had paid for the seat next to them to be unallocated, unoccupied etc ..

A bit far fetched question - what is stopping some rando to come and occupy the seat that the pax paid for, when there is no official documentation that states that the seat the rando wants to occupy is in fact not available?

 

[CaptJCool]

Well I probably think if they’ve accepted your money that they would at least make it transparent as to which seat is the “extra” space you’ve paid for

As for child-free sections of the plane, please do give QF all the good ideas

Thanks

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Having taken a couple of flights now as a World Platinum with Qantas, I have noticed that the shadow policy seems to have gone away. In particular, yesterday I was flying ADL > CBR on an QFLink E190, and when I got to the gate and scanned my boarding pass, the machine spat out a new seat assignment (4A) with a neighbour. The flight didn't seem packed, which makes me wonder whether it would have made a difference if I had purchased neighbour free seating.

Was recently flying CBR-MEL on the 717 and received email offer to buy a Neighbour Free seat. Only problem was that my partner and I were sitting in 4A and 4C (there is no 4B on the 717) and so did not have any neighbours. We were both on the same booking. I didn't go through to buy it, so not sure if they were going to propose to keep 4D (across the aisle) free, or if it was just a glitch. Weird..

I would imagine that if you requested neighbour free seating for yourself, your partner would not be too impressed. Then again, I reckon enough blokes would be happy to part with a couple of bucks for that comfort!

 

[Ade]

The flight didn't seem packed,

he machine spat out a new seat assignment (4A) with a neighbour

I would think that this had something to do with load/weight distribution in the cabin?

 

[TheInsider]

I'd have thought - something to the effect that this pax has paid for a neighbour free seat? I'm not sure how these things are managed - meaning, how would someone know that the pax had paid for the seat next to them to be unallocated, unoccupied etc ..

A bit far fetched question - what is stopping some rando to come and occupy the seat that the pax paid for, when there is no official documentation that states that the seat the rando wants to occupy is in fact not available?

Maybe worded it wrong.

But the BP (paper) should have SBLK in small letters down the bottom.

Electronic BP would look like this:

Post automatically merged: Nov 18, 2023

Having taken a couple of flights now as a World Platinum with Qantas, I have noticed that the shadow policy seems to have gone away.

The shadow algorithm has not gone anywhere. It's not a policy BTW.

 

[TheInsider]

when there is no official documentation that states that the seat the rando wants to occupy is in fact not available?

There is official documentation that states this, maybe not to the cabin crew directly, but ground staff know. It's an SSR code that would also be displayed on the passengers BP and also the seat is 'H' blocked off in the system.
The only way to override it, would be to actually unblock the seat and then others would be sat there. But in the case of the other poster, they decided to move to another seat because they didn't like the children behind them.

Also, with the NFS, the passengers don't 'get put down the back', the passenger has to actually select the seat, it's not a random allocation. The passengers would've known about the seat and seat number when they paid for it, it's not a bidding or a waitlist process, it's a live transaction.

 

[downgraded]

There is official documentation that states this, maybe not to the cabin crew directly, but ground staff know. It's an SSR code that would also be displayed on the passengers BP and also the seat is 'H' blocked off in the system.
The only way to override it, would be to actually unblock the seat and then others would be sat there. But in the case of the other poster, they decided to move to another seat because they didn't like the children behind them.

Also, with the NFS, the passengers don't 'get put down the back', the passenger has to actually select the seat, it's not a random allocation. The passengers would've known about the seat and seat number when they paid for it, it's not a bidding or a waitlist process, it's a live transaction.

I don't disagree but it just goes to reinforce that it is a cough product. I've selected a seat, I get offered to be "neighbour free". I don't expect to move. I'd actually like the product that asked me to choose a neighbour free seat at booking time and for it to guaranteed. Why do QF (and apparently all airlines) make "comfort" seats so hard to book? Why aren't they a standard online offering?

 

[Mr H]

I'd actually like the product that asked me to choose a neighbour free seat at booking time and for it to guaranteed. Why do QF (and apparently all airlines) make "comfort" seats so hard to book? Why aren't they a standard online offering?

To do that you’d have to charge for two revenue tix. The airline would obviously rather sell seats for rev fares than the buttons they charge for neighbour free seats. The idea with a neighbour free seats is that there was going to be an empty seat anyway and you pay so that you will be sat next to that empty seat.

 

[Beano]

I'd have thought - something to the effect that this pax has paid for a neighbour free seat? I'm not sure how these things are managed - meaning, how would someone know that the pax had paid for the seat next to them to be unallocated, unoccupied etc ..

A bit far fetched question - what is stopping some rando to come and occupy the seat that the pax paid for, when there is no official documentation that states that the seat the rando wants to occupy is in fact not available?

Good point. I've been on a flight where I have a spare seat beside me (not paid for) and the FA asked if someone could sit there. I was near the front and the pax was catching a connecting flight so wanted off early. The plane was late. I couldn't refuse. It was near the end of the flight anyway.

 

[TheInsider]

I don't disagree but it just goes to reinforce that it is a cough product. I've selected a seat, I get offered to be "neighbour free". I don't expect to move.

You're not expected to move. They decided to move due to children being behind them, unless there is something else I've missed.