Qantas New Check In Seating Allocation

[JohnK]

Plenty of time for "Bendigo" to go awol.

ISTR There were some posts recently about how to get this onto your profile ...

It may be handy for some people but I would rather have row 4 on 737 or row 23 on 767 than any exit row on these domestic configured aircraft. Now exit row on the 747 and A330 are a different story....

 

[serfty]

Actually, 43AB/J/K on one of the old ZX's (No row 25) are great exit row seats. (Hate the lack of directional air vents though ...)

 

[NM]

Unless there is an aircraft substitution, very possible given my luck, 23D is about as good as I am goint to get unless I get an op-up.

How about 24F

 

[tuapekastar]

Do you mean Bronze or even non-QFF members, or Oneworld equivalent, have been pre-allocated exit row seats on domestic flights? I do not understand how anyone, with exception of CL, can be pre-allocated an exit row using OLCI or QuickCheck!

Perhaps the flight is so full of passengers with low status that they ran out of middle seats and then had to allocate the last remaining seats. It is not as if the passengers sitting in exit rows for a lot of my flights should be there in the first place anyway.


How do you update your QFF profile to highlight a preference for exit row seats? I can understand this happening for 1 flight and even then it would not be pre-allocated at OLCI or QuickCheck but you would have to ask at check-in if exit row is available.

There appears to be a glitch in the system and passengers are being pre-allcoated exit rows.

I've no idea what the circumstances were that led to it but when I OLCI'ed on the Friday for my MEL-BNE flight for the FT AGM last week, it had me in 14D on a 738, an exit row. AFAIK I did, and have done, nothing out of the ordinary to have this occur (I'm QP NB by the way, and my seating preference in my profile is IIRC aisle forward.)

Even odder, it would not let me print my BP (that bit's not odd) at the time (offered another piece of paper confirming I was checked in, and advising me to exchange it for a BP at 'Bag Drop'), presumably so I could pass the 'fit for exit row' test, but when I OLCI-ed on Friday night for the return flight it not only issued that BP (non-exit row), but also one for the outbound exit seat. Go figure!

So I turned up at the airport on Saturday with two home printed BPs, one of which was for an exit row seat.

Given it appeared unusual, I double checked this at the MEL J lounge desk on the day, and the chap there furrowed his brow and couldn't offer an explanation as to why this happened, but confirmed that I was in the exit seat I had been allocated.

The flight was chockers...apparently the flight before was cancelled and merged into this one. serfty's BP 'beeped' for the right reason, and he rode up front. I was Seq No 3 or 5 at OLCI, and had plenty of seats to choose from had I wanted to move.

Make of that what you will - glitch, deliberate one-off for some reason, change of procedure, recognition of what a top bloke I am lol - I dunno!

 

[pfish]

Apologies if this is in this thread somewhere (i have just picked this thread up, indeed have been away from this forum for sometime), but to be clear, can a plat request an exit row seat on an international flight?

I have an upcoming MEL - HKG flight in Y and I would obviously like an exit row. As an aside, I connect to a flight with BA in first to London (award redemption).....

thank you.

 

[Tooner]

I know it was talked about here before, but I didn't pay much attention until a recent flight to MEL when I was pre-allocated 34K (I think) in OLCI, had a look and realised it was an exit row. While I'd normally go for something a little more forward, the flight appeared fullish forward (although I was checking in quite late) so I accepted it, printed out the confirmation and headed to the bag drop.

No idea why I got it as my preference is forward window as a WP.

As mysterious as an op-up?

 

[Mal]

Apologies if this is in this thread somewhere (i have just picked this thread up, indeed have been away from this forum for sometime), but to be clear, can a plat request an exit row seat on an international flight

Yes, phone and request. The call centre staff can't grant the request, but send a comment to 'seating' requesting the seat. If approved by the seating area, then your seat allocation will change. Can take a few minutes, can be overnight.

 

[JohnK]

How about 24F

I guess that would work as well. From memory, and I do not remember very much about last night, 23D did the trick as I slept from the time I sat down. Woke a few minutes before descent and walked down the back and asked for dinner and a beer.

I was pre-allocated 25F for tomorrows flight SYD-BNE and I will stick with this one as it appears to be bulkhead....

 

[docjames]

Well, return from MEL midday sunday I got 15D - ugh. To me, it seems narrower pitch than "normal" Y seat, and last time I sat there the clown in the exit row fully reclined his seat (which I NEVER do if sitting in exit).

So at bag drop asked for exit row - and got 14B, with mrsdoc in 14A (so she could sleep!). Flight was full-1 seat (last row B seat).

Big thanks again to JohnK for guesting to J lounge on the friday night in BNE. :mrgreen: And I can confirm he is indeed jinxed - his flight was late again!

At least mine was delayed only by 14 mins ("on-time") duwe to "pax failed to board" but after ten minutes, they confirmed "no checked luggage" and we were away.

 

[taswegian77]

Apologies if this is in this thread somewhere (i have just picked this thread up, indeed have been away from this forum for sometime), but to be clear, can a plat request an exit row seat on an international flight?

I have an upcoming MEL - HKG flight in Y and I would obviously like an exit row. As an aside, I connect to a flight with BA in first to London (award redemption).....

thank you.

Hi, yes Plat can request exit row only, but if flying on BA metal you can actually get the exit row pre allocated which is great, shame QF cannot do this yet. I presume they do not trust you meet the requirements and it is easier to jsut assign on the day instead ofhavign tochange othe rpeopel's seats if you do not fit the requirements.

 

[opusman]

I noticed some strange behavior from OLCI today. I was OLCI'ing my parents and grandmother - I did it at T-24 exactly.

Mum & Granny are one one booking, Dad is on another. So I did Mum & Granny first - the default seats were 8A and 8B which I thought were fine, and I could see that 8C was also available so I figured I'd put Dad in there. Come to Dad's OLCI (30 seconds later, mind you) and he had been allocated 25B (!) and 8C was blocked out - however 5C was available. WTF? What are the odds of someone else OLCI'ing in that 30 second window, and going for 8C rather than 5C? Very strange.

 

[jamesatfish]

I know it was talked about here before, but I didn't pay much attention until a recent flight to MEL when I was pre-allocated 34K (I think) in OLCI, had a look and realised it was an exit row.

No idea why I got it as my preference is forward window as a WP.

Similar thing happened yesterday for my wife (WP) and her mother (NB). They booked a last minute CBR-MEL flight yesterday (flying today) and the flight was oversold in all classes but my wife used the WP 'guaranteed economy seats' feature and booked two seats in Y.

Checked in online last night at 1800 (for a 1710 departure today) to find everything forward from row 20 to be taken except a couple of middle seats here and there. The OLCI had automatically allocated my wife and her mother 11A & 11B in the first of the two exit rows (on a 734), which needless to say they accepted.

My wife's preference is set as forward window; her mother doesn't fly enough to actually have a preference set.

If that's an indication of how the seat allocation system is supposed to work I'm very happy - yet another benefit of flying enough with Qantas to earn WP status.

 

[anat0l]

I managed to select an exit row once, although I didn't realise this until I tried to print a BP and it told me I could not do this. (I had to get the BP at the airport.)

However, this was just before the magical QF preallocation system was put in place. Don't see how people could get prealloc'ed an exit row unless the flight was genuinely full to the brim. In any other case, perhaps the allocation system values WPs as preferring seating towards the aisles, nearest to the front, rather than exit rows. Beats me - I'll find out once I start domestic flying again.

 

[JohnK]

And I have finally been allocated 23F, with 23D vacant and 23E blocked, on a Friday afternoon, 5:45pm, BNE-SYD flight on a QF 767. :shock:

 

[serfty]

I noticed some strange behavior from OLCI today. ...

One method when doing two bookings at once is to use to different internet browsers concurrently.

e.g. MS Internet Explorer and Fire Fox.

It may not resolve the issue as stated however.

 

[comint]

So I did Mum & Granny first - the default seats were 8A and 8B which I thought were fine, and I could see that 8C was also available so I figured I'd put Dad in there. Come to Dad's OLCI (30 seconds later, mind you) and he had been allocated 25B (!) and 8C was blocked out - however 5C was available. WTF?

I find this completely logical, based on my guessing of how the system works.

1. Qantas "scored" your mum and granny as higher priority customers (for some reason), for the sake of a number let's say 20 & 21. At this score level they can see all the other available empty seats as well as seats theoretically allocated to lower scoring passengers, who had not check in yet, including 8C.

2. Qantas "scored" your dad as a low priority customer (for some reason), for the sake of numbers let's say 135. So, from his log in he can see all available empty seats and those seats theoretically allocated to (the few) passengers on the flight ranking lower than him. In this case he can't see 8C (even though no one has probably checked in yet) as it would have been allocated to a customer with a higher score than him (yet lower than your mum & granny's).

3. 5C - At some point during the 30second delay, the person theoretically allocated 5C changed their seat allocation (maybe to an earlier flight, maybe an upgrade, doesn't matter). It would appear that at this time, the system released 5C as a free for all.

I would be interested to know what sequence numbers your family got on their boarding passes? (If you still have them.)

Story Moral - Always ring Qantas to link bookings when travelling together on separate PNRs.

 

[opusman]

I would be interested to know what sequence numbers your family got on their boarding passes? (If you still have them.)

6, 7 and 8 (Dad got 8). I agree with your assessment except there should really be no difference between them in Qantas' eyes - they are all travelling on award flights, and none of their FF numbers were supplied in the booking. About the only difference is that Dad's was booked about a month after the other two, but I'd be surprised if that affected it. So really they should all be the "lowest of the low" as far as Qantas is concerned

Yes, should have linked the bookings for them but never got around to it. It's only a 50 minute flight from ADL-MEL so they'll cope

 

[comint]

6, 7 and 8 (Dad got 8).

Thank you for the info. It goes to show that no one else checked in (to 8C) between your mum & granny and dad.

Additionally, 5C being made available to your father (and his low rank) so early in "the check-in", demonstrates that the system doesn't respond to changes "effectively" after check-in starts. JohnK said the other day that he thought theoretical seats were allocated once, only at the commencement of "the check-in". He would seem to be correct, as the system appears non-adaptive, and therefore (as others have suggested) constantly checking for a better seat (after original check-in) is a strategy worth pursuing, regardless of QFF status or flight value rank.

One assumes this tactic will be a disaster for Qantas, as it will lead to creating unnecessary additional customer interactions, both online (relatively cheap) and at human assisted service desks (relatively expensive).

 

[sr81]

Got allocated 24D for my HBA-MEL yesterday at T -8. I was flying on an M fare and have already requalifed for WP for next membership year. I booked about 4 days prior to the flight BUT it was made over the phone.

I could move to 4 B/E but my preference is forward/aisle and then nothing was available to about row 12.

I took my aisle seat then got the QP attendant to change me to 14D. I have been allocated some odd seats recently but have always asked in the lounge and have recieved an exit row seat.

Yesterday I even had my BP rejected at the gate. My fingers were crossed for an Op-Up but no dice, just a dodgy bar code reader.

 

[docjames]

Weird for WP to get 24 anything!