Qantas Platinum One experiences?

[Kangol]

Not sure how far ahead it was booked. Too many flights! Typically a couple of weeks. You can't select seats on Dash 8.

Oh, so it probably slipped through the cracks. On a 737, unlikely you wouldn't get any seat in rows 4/5 as a P1 prior to T-80 at that time.
Even on SYD-MEL during peak hour. You would have to have 12 P1/CLs on that flight who beat you to it for that to occur. Not impossible but not overly likely either.

 

[nutwood]

Oh, so it probably slipped through the cracks. On a 737, unlikely you wouldn't get any seat in rows 4/5 as a P1 prior to T-80 at that time.
Even on SYD-MEL during peak hour. You would have to have 12 P1/CLs on that flight who beat you to it for that to occur. Not impossible but not overly likely either.

I would have to agree with you. Especially as I was checked in about 90 minutes prior to boarding. To be honest, it was the Mel - Lst leg that annoyed me. Row 5 and jammed in. Generally, I ring the SST and get a soft block next to me on this flight. I had rung them this time but I didn't specifically confirm the Launceston leg and I suspect it "slipped through the cracks". My beef is that I shouldn't have to ring every time for such a trivial matter. I can't imagine many P1's want someone in the adjoining seat, so why isn't this a basic default seating arrangement?
Funnily enough, it seemed to be that way when I was WP. I very rarely had anyone next to me and was almost always in 2A or 2D on the Dash 8's. Just lucky perhaps?

 

[juddles]

.... My beef is that I shouldn't have to ring every time for such a trivial matter. I can't imagine many P1's want someone in the adjoining seat, so why isn't this a basic default seating arrangement?
....

This is my central theme with the P1 program. These are the small but invaluable things that would be nice, yet they should not cost QF almost anything. A spare seat next to me is fabulous. But in my experience, despite doing everything to try to ensure this (expertflyer, seat selection, etc) I usually get the "vacant seat' next to me occupied - frequently on long haul by someone that is a last minute blow-in - staff travel, etc.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

This is my central theme with the P1 program. These are the small but invaluable things that would be nice, yet they should not cost QF almost anything. A spare seat next to me is fabulous. But in my experience, despite doing everything to try to ensure this (expertflyer, seat selection, etc) I usually get the "vacant seat' next to me occupied - frequently on long haul by someone that is a last minute blow-in - staff travel, etc.

Can't help when last-minute seat warmers get on but prior to that QF has the control ... but the desire to improve?

To help the Qantas Loyalty and IT lurkers, here's how the logic should work:

- When a pax with value score over X (or blanket all Emeralds) selects a seat, soft block the seat next to them (and when the booking has 2 or more pax, soft block additional seat either side of all pax on the same PNR).
- Soft block means that Gold status or lower won't be able to select those seats until all Plats and above have been assigned a seat with a 'soft block'.
- Block airport staff from moving non-Emeralds into soft-blocked seats unless the flight is >99% full.
- If all remaining seats are soft blocked, allow selection of seats that are next to the next 10-lowest value Plats. Continue until all seats allocated.

[Any changes/suggestions from AFF?]

The current set-up on seat allocation means that Gold and Silvers get the best seats on 737s in economy. In rows 5-12 (let's call it the Gold zone), pax select windows or aisles and the middle seats remain unselected. Pax will choose the next row back instead of the middle seat in a more forward row. Whereas, in row 4, the middle seat is considered desirable, and therefore 4B/4E are chosen BEFORE aisle and window seats further down the plane. Anyone can choose 4B/4E even non-status passengers at the airport. This means the P1/CL/WPs in 4A/4C/4D/4F have a seatmate of low-no status, and the Gold and Silver members in rows 5-12 have nobody next to them.

 

[nutwood]

Can't help when last-minute seat warmers get on but prior to that QF has the control ... but the desire to improve?

To help the Qantas Loyalty and IT lurkers, here's how the logic should work:

- When a pax with value score over X (or blanket all Emeralds) selects a seat, soft block the seat next to them (and when the booking has 2 or more pax, soft block additional seat either side of all pax on the same PNR).
- Soft block means that Gold status or lower won't be able to select those seats until all Plats and above have been assigned a seat with a 'soft block'.
- Block airport staff from moving non-Emeralds into soft-blocked seats unless the flight is >99% full.
- If all remaining seats are soft blocked, allow selection of seats that are next to the next 10-lowest value Plats. Continue until all seats allocated.

[Any changes/suggestions from AFF?]

The current set-up on seat allocation means that Gold and Silvers get the best seats on 737s in economy. In rows 5-12 (let's call it the Gold zone), pax select windows or aisles and the middle seats remain unselected. Pax will choose the next row back instead of the middle seat in a more forward row. Whereas, in row 4, the middle seat is considered desirable, and therefore 4B/4E are chosen BEFORE aisle and window seats further down the plane. Anyone can choose 4B/4E even non-status passengers at the airport. This means the P1/CL/WPs in 4A/4C/4D/4F have a seatmate of low-no status, and the Gold and Silver members in rows 5-12 have nobody next to them.

Thank you for a very interesting comment. I totally agree with your suggestion as to how it should be done. When I was WP I got the impression that was how it worked, however, since P1, it doesn't appear to work that way, not for me anyway.
I also agree re last minute arrivals. That's always going to happen. In the particular instance that prompted me to start this prolonged whinge, I knew that the pax next to me had come from Perth. He had his boarding pass and seat allocation well before I checked in. Ahead of me were five empty seats. Because it was a Dash 8, I knew the seating had been allocated by Qantas. As I sat there, all squished up, I was musing on whether this was one of the "...extra special privileges that make each journey an absolute pleasure."

 

[Per_Travels]

I'd get back to emailing them if it's more convenient for you. Bear in mind though I email them about lots of stuff, even errors I find on the website. There's probably a picture of me in the office with the banner 'Problem Customer'

Well. I just tried my first email request - and got a quick reply along the lines of “contact the premium reservations team”. Seems like that route is only open to some P1’s and it’s back to the telephone for this one.

 

[Brettmcg]

Well. I just tried my first email request - and got a quick reply along the lines of “contact the premium reservations team”. Seems like that route is only open to some P1’s and it’s back to the telephone for this one.

New bookings and award seat requests have always had to go through Premium Reservations, and all of the P1 literature states that...

 

[RichardMEL]

I must confess to struggling with the P1 thing. Recent trip SYD - LST. Heading to airport early, called the SST to ask for assistance on the smoothest trip home. My plan was lounge upgrade to J (using points, not asking for freebee) and an empty seat next to me on the MEL - LST Dash 8. Advice was to stick with my existing MEL flight as it had the most available J seats.
Because I had luggage, I checked again prior to dispatching my bag in SYD. Possibly a little bit paranoid but my original flight was the tightest connection to LST and I had several earlier flights to choose from. One delay and I'd be spending the night in Melbourne. All good, I was told several J seats available. Sent bag down chute, through security, into the lounge. Smooth run, five minutes max. Asked for upgrade and was told J was full. Boarding the plane, I couldn't help but notice at least two staff members in J. No big deal, I was in the economy seat I paid for. Hadn't expected 7F with 7E occupied, but it happens. I was however left wondering whether the SST team see empty seats in J, whilst the airport staff see seats with staff in them?
Come the next leg, I found myself in 5D (on a Dash 8) with an extremely large gentleman of Polynesian extraction next to me. He was really nice and did his best but it was still a cramped journey. He had come from Perth so his BP was issued well before mine. Had it been a full flight, I wouldn't have been annoyed but in the rows ahead of me, I counted five empty seats and there were more behind.
Perhaps all of those enjoying the company of their shadows were all P1 and I drew the short straw but I'm skeptical. I'm debating whether to pursue it further. Seems petty, but what's the point of being P1 if you can't get a decent seat? Realistically, all I ask of the status is a decent seat, although the Adelaide Hills tour sounded good!

I find simple explanations for this and I am not entirely sure what you expected from the SST.

Corerect me if I'm wrong in my understanding here, but you were on your way to the flights in question, as in you called on the day of departuere.. at this point all flights are under airport control.

re SYD-MEL J seats. SST may have seen some empties available when you called. Those staff members(and if you identified them due to being in uniform it is most likely they were deadheading for work and thus assigned those seats OR they may have been on standby travel and got the seats at the last minute). I mean you call SST they see seats, by the time you get to th elounge it's possible thos seats were taken by, for example, someone changing into them, a delayed/missed connection, or anything. It could also be that the lounge agent got "computer says no" for U availability (possibly because of the standby situation and/or other fators like filling mssed connections) and thus no go. It happens.

re MEL-LST.. flight under airport control. There's not much SST can do about that, let alone block a seat IMO. There's considerations of weight and balance as well as allocations made when people checked in. You *may* have been able to use the app to change your seat allocation once checked in(I'm not sure on Dash8 services though tbh0.

I can understand why there would be a feeling that P1/SST failed you, but it it were me, I am not so sure I would fee that.

As anyone who flies enough to make P1 knows, on day of travel all bets can be off in terms of what can happen, specially at the last minute.

my 2 cents.

 

[RichardMEL]

Well. I just tried my first email request - and got a quick reply along the lines of “contact the premium reservations team”. Seems like that route is only open to some P1’s and it’s back to the telephone for this one.

Disagree with this assertion. Res do all that stuff anyway. If you called the SST they just pass through anyway with anything reservation related, except during IRROPS when they have some measure of control(in my experience, anyway).

I have no issue with this and in fact just call res directly and don't bother the SST.

 

[Per_Travels]

New bookings and award seat requests have always had to go through Premium Reservations, and all of the P1 literature states that...

Not true - in the early days of P1 I used to always go through the SST for award seat requests. Then it changed to having to go through premium reservations. Then the info from GoldCanyon was that he/she was able to go via the SST - which I’ve just found that I can’t do

 

[Per_Travels]

Disagree with this assertion. Res do all that stuff anyway. If you called the SST they just pass through anyway with anything reservation related, except during IRROPS when they have some measure of control(in my experience, anyway).

I have no issue with this and in fact just call res directly and don't bother the SST.

Personally i would prefer being able to send an email to the SST and let them sort it out. This is what I was hoping they’d gone back to.

 

[RichardMEL]

Personally i would prefer being able to send an email to the SST and let them sort it out. This is what I was hoping they’d gone back to.

I guess this reflects a differing view (not right or wrong) of what the SST is there for AND the best ways to handle requests. I absolutely can see the convenience of firing off emails for various requests and get them handled, specially for the busy passenger on the go a lot(as most P1 are). For me though, I actually have found it more convenient to make requests for award seats or booking stuff to just call res.. Given the FF# the system routes as priority and I've never had a long wait (under a minute) for an answer - usually instantly so that's never been an issue (unlike millions of others without status enduring ridiculous call wait times wich makes me angry on their behalf, but that's a separate issue). Usually had issue sorted pretty quickly. Specially when it's been out of business hours when the SST is down to one person on call I see no need to bother them plus it would be quicker to contact res anyway and it has been.

For me, I've called SST during irrops and that's when they have come through (only ever needed to a couple of times over the course of five years to be clear).. and that's the main reason I see to contact them, other than "special" requests like messages on BP (tried and it didn't work) or a few other times I've dealt with them for one thing or another not directly related to res issues.

However as I say I can certainly see the view that, like a PA almost, they should be there to handle this stuff.

so definitely not a criticism intended, just a different viewpoint at my end

 

[equus]

You *may* have been able to use the app to change your seat allocation once checked in(I'm not sure on Dash8 services though tbh0.

Can confirm that you can change your seat allocation (on App or via the website) once checked in on a Dash8 service - in fact it is the only way (other than calling up) that you can actually change a Dash8 seat.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Can't help when last-minute seat warmers get on but prior to that QF has the control ... but the desire to improve?

To help the Qantas Loyalty and IT lurkers, here's how the logic should work:
...

Building on my comment, yesterday, I was on a SilkAir flight and I asked check-in staff if I could be moved to row 5 (bulkhead of econ).
The airline staff had to get permission from a supervisor to move me.

I asked why they needed permission, and they said (paraphrasing) "those seats are reserved for PPS and Star Gold members. We need permission to move anyone into those rows even if it's a Gold or PPS member".

I am Krisflyer Gold.

kudos to Singapore Airlines for getting right for their Gold members, what Qantas can't get right for their "most valuable frequent flyers"

 

[nutwood]

I find simple explanations for this and I am not entirely sure what you expected from the SST.

Corerect me if I'm wrong in my understanding here, but you were on your way to the flights in question, as in you called on the day of departuere.. at this point all flights are under airport control.

re SYD-MEL J seats. SST may have seen some empties available when you called. Those staff members(and if you identified them due to being in uniform it is most likely they were deadheading for work and thus assigned those seats OR they may have been on standby travel and got the seats at the last minute). I mean you call SST they see seats, by the time you get to th elounge it's possible thos seats were taken by, for example, someone changing into them, a delayed/missed connection, or anything. It could also be that the lounge agent got "computer says no" for U availability (possibly because of the standby situation and/or other fators like filling mssed connections) and thus no go. It happens.

re MEL-LST.. flight under airport control. There's not much SST can do about that, let alone block a seat IMO. There's considerations of weight and balance as well as allocations made when people checked in. You *may* have been able to use the app to change your seat allocation once checked in(I'm not sure on Dash8 services though tbh0.

I can understand why there would be a feeling that P1/SST failed you, but it it were me, I am not so sure I would fee that.

As anyone who flies enough to make P1 knows, on day of travel all bets can be off in terms of what can happen, specially at the last minute.

my 2 cents.

I agree with at least part of your 2 cents. With regard to the availability of seats in J question, I can see that it entirely possible for seats to disappear rapidly. It was very rapid though... My speculation was whether or not the SST see empty seats but the airport sees seats with staff in them.
I'm not sure what went on with the Lst-Mel leg. I'm very familiar with Dash 8's. It'd be a near thing but I'd say I do more flights in Dash 8's than 737's. It was my fault for not confirming the seating for that flight with the SST when I was talking with them, however my point is, that as a P1, why should it be necessary to have to call to arrange an empty seat on a nowhere near full flight?

 

[downgraded]

This is my central theme with the P1 program. These are the small but invaluable things that would be nice, yet they should not cost QF almost anything. A spare seat next to me is fabulous. But in my experience, despite doing everything to try to ensure this (expertflyer, seat selection, etc) I usually get the "vacant seat' next to me occupied - frequently on long haul by someone that is a last minute blow-in - staff travel, etc.

I would do the same as a WP, but also sometimes wondered if my being pro-active might be counter-productive to some angel in the background's efforts to provide a shadow. I concluded not, but always wondered.
I largely gave up on row 4 as the middle seat was so invariably occupied when a few rows back the middle seats were less so.

 

[RichardMEL]

When flights are under airport control things often change wildly. Over the past few years when in J on a number of 737 flights sowing half full (and with sales availability still showing, so one presumes not just unassigned seats) close in to departure I've seen a seat block next to me (yes, in J) only to, 9/10 times, have all J seats taken by the time the door is closed. Often with staff standbys/buddy passes or last minute upgrades or changes from other flights - specially on your trunk/triangle routes (less so on more leisure routes like CNS-BNE or OOL-MEL) - all of which makes perfect sense to me (though yeah a few times I've sat there thinking you ripper when I'm sitting there on board to see the seat map suddenly fill).

I do think though this is less about P1 status. I mean when agents are trying to get a flight out, get standby pax and or staff on and so on in a small amount of time they don't(I imagine) often have the time of luxury to even bother seeing who has high status and whatever and just plonk pax wherever - a seat is a seat.

The case of te dash8 flight where the pax had come from PER seems a bit odd though.

I guess once I check in online and if it matters to me I do look at the seat map from time to time, and have been known to proactively change to a "better" (seemingly) seat.. sometimes that works out.. sometimes it doesn't.

I do agree though if you're in row 7 and you see seats ahead free(that aren't just middles) you'd think well what's with that? and I have no real explanation.

Now who remembers the good old days when NOBODY had pre-assigned seats on domestic and the computer did it all the night before travel and you got what you got?

 

[nutwood]

Interested to know if anyone has got much domestic benefit from the "One off, 20% off, P1 fares"?
I looked at it but figured the limitations make it pointless for me. It has little benefit for economy fares, so you are looking at Flex or J. You have to book 30 days prior, so I can't use it for the flight I'm taking next week. I always book flex as my plans change; often and unpredictably! 30 days out, I can almost guarantee change of some sort. As soon as you alter the flight, there'll be a fare difference and there goes the 20%! If I could be 100% sure of dates, I'd book economy and save a lot more than 20%!

 

[RichardMEL]

I did see benefit with the current J "sale" (I call it a semi-sale tbh) with the 20% off applying made them reasonable. I did not end up booking for various reasons, but I had a serious look (and the booking page worked perfectly too... lol)

 

[RichardMEL]

I was also very tempted by the USA sale fares in J and F - I mean $8500 F to LAX is a good deal IMO.. unfortunately I could not make a trip work to take advantage, but it was ever so tempting