Qantas seat selection - linked bookings

[medhead]

I think I might have stuffed myself slightly. As background, I'm off to Germany next week, booked on 2 bookings, ADL-SIN-ADL in Y (O&V) and SIN-FRA in J (U). I've had these booked for a few months and have got seat selections sorted out and a couple of other things. I thought about linking them for a little while, but wasn't too worried as it is all with QF.

Anyway, I finally got around to calling and asking to link the bookings last week. Very easy, all done in about 3 minutes. I had also noticed that 38G was available to me, but I didn't get around to moving from 39H to 38G for the SIN-SYD leg.

Now when I jump in to seat selection, I can't really do anything. This is because I have 2 bookings that are duplicated, but if I go into one booking the seats selected in the other booking do not appear - seat preference is listed as "None". So I can't change seats as the seat I have selected in the other booking are blocked (obviously taken by me on a different PNR).

What would happen if I did select seats in one booking, would the other booking change or would I end up with 2 seats selected? The second case would probably lead to much confusion when checking in, I feel, and I don't really want to confuse the ADL check in staff. I'm also wondering if they'll pick up my selected seats from both bookings instead of the current "None"? This is slightly important as I have the medical power thing set up for my seats on the SIN-FRA v.v. legs.

One final interesting point is that the 2 Y legs, ADL-SYD-SIN, have fares listed on UBPASR instead of O in what was originally the SIN-FRA booking in the My Flights iphone app. But as O on the QF website and at check my trip. Interesting anomaly, and I've refreshed My Flights 3 times and still UBPASR.

Hopefully, this all makes sense. No matter what it could be a very interesting trip.

 

[ozmille]

I would give the premium desk a buzz to sort it all out especially if you need medical set-up...

 

[medhead]

Thanks for the advice. I should have mentioned that I'm not going to die or anything without the medical equipment and I'm pretty sure it'll work with the in seat power*. So things are not critical and I plan to ride this pony to the end.

I was just fishing for thoughts on what might happen when checking in.

* based on power rating and realising that in seat power supply is not guaranteed.

 

[docjames]

Thanks for the advice. I should have mentioned that I'm not going to die or anything without the medical equipment and I'm pretty sure it'll work with the in seat power*. So things are not critical and I plan to ride this pony to the end.

* based on power rating and realising that in seat power supply is not guaranteed.

A tip: If posible, power-up (turn on) the device before connecting to in seat power (reduces risk of fuse tripping with spike in demand when turned on - this can disable the power point - which often cannot be reset whilst airbourne). Often an issue with high power laptops apparently (maybe not so much with medical devices perhaps).

 

[NM]

The process if "linking" the bookings does not combine them in a single booking. You still have two independent PNRs. Its just that now each of the PNRs knows that you have some other flights before or after the ones in the respective PNR. The flights from the "other" PNR are added as "Information" segments to the PNR.

So you cannot make changes like seat assignments for the flights that are seem as "Information" segments in each PNR. You need to go into each PNR separately to select seats for the flight segments in that PNR. The details (such as seat assignments) showing in the "Information" segments of a PNR may not be updated when you change the original PNR details.

 

[medhead]

The process if "linking" the bookings does not combine them in a single booking. You still have two independent PNRs. Its just that now each of the PNRs knows that you have some other flights before or after the ones in the respective PNR. The flights from the "other" PNR are added as "Information" segments to the PNR.

So you cannot make changes like seat assignments for the flights that are seem as "Information" segments in each PNR. You need to go into each PNR separately to select seats for the flight segments in that PNR. The details (such as seat assignments) showing in the "Information" segments of a PNR may not be updated when you change the original PNR details.

Ah. So from that the seats selected in each PNR will stick. Great! The confusing thing is that if I do seat selection it asks me to select seats for the information segments. I haven't done that but perhaps that means if I do select seats for those info segments I'll get a can't change error seats error when trying to confirm the selections.

The only minor issue is the DOM 738 segments. Maybe I can OLCI for those only, then head to F check in when I get to SYD?

This is going to be an interesting trip as I experiment with the variations. Thanks for the help so far.

 

[NM]

Ah. So from that the seats selected in each PNR will stick. Great! The confusing thing is that if I do seat selection it asks me to select seats for the information segments. I haven't done that but perhaps that means if I do select seats for those info segments I'll get a can't change error seats error when trying to confirm the selections.

Or take the previous advice to just call Qantas and do it over the phone.

 

[medhead]

Or take the previous advice to just call Qantas and do it over the phone.

That sounds terribly sensible, not like me at all

As a serious answer, I have seats selected in each PNR that I can live with, and T-80 isn't until early Thursday morning. I'll think about calling on Friday.

I think the confusion for me and also my learning point is that linking the bookings means that effectively I cannot use online seat selection. It insists that I select a seat for the information segments. My feeling is that isn't right and that also matches your advice. In fact based on your advice it seems almost certain to reject any attempts to select seats now on either PNR given that I would have to pick a seat on the info segments. I'm pretty inexperienced with linked bookings so I just thought it was interesting and I did wonder about what happens from a theoretical point of view.

Anyway, once again AFF answers my silly musings.

 

[V1213]

I think the confusion for me and also my learning point is that linking the bookings means that effectively I cannot use online seat selection. It insists that I select a seat for the information segments. My feeling is that isn't right and that also matches your advice. In fact based on your advice it seems almost certain to reject any attempts to select seats now on either PNR given that I would have to pick a seat on the info segments.

In my experience when I've had segments on airlines other than QF without fully compatible GDSes and done online seat selection is that Qantas may prompt you to select seats on all legs but at the end of the process will advise that it was unable to select the seats on the non-QF legs. The selections made on the QF legs do go through but the others don't. Viewing the booking on the other airlines' site then allows the non-QF leg seats to be selected but similarly will not allow changes to the QF legs.

I'm assuming that this is a similar situation, where QF will prompt you to select seats for all legs but at the end of the process will recognise that it can't make changes to the info legs. The non-info leg changes will occur and your booking should be fine.

 

[medhead]

Thanks everyone for the tips.

Well I've done just about everything with this. After asking AFF, I called today and asked to be moved to 38G on one of the legs. No can do, apparently, as it is a bassinet seat. Fair enough. I didn't mention that that seat is available on the website. Then I bit the bullet and did seat selection on line. Only to get a message that it can't be done and to contact my travel arranger. I thought this might be due to the information segments, so i rechecked the seats and none had changed.

I guess that means that as that booking was done by a TA, I would need to contact them to change seats. I find this to be a bit strange as I have previously selected seats for that booking on line.

But you know, I'm just going to get over myself now. Thank you all for the help and suggestions.

 

[Fantic125]

I wouldn't be too concerned about where you're sitting on the way back.

I've done it twice so far this year (Jan & Feb) and for the 2nd sector SIN-ADL you're better off trying to nab a centre row down the back so you can stretch out over all 4 seats and sleep.

You need to be quick though.....

 

[Sprucegoose]

Request 38G at the airport, if bassinet, it will be allocated at checkin time.

Bon Voyage!

 

[medhead]

Thanks guys. I'm really holding out to win the upgrade lotto on the way back. So with much luck 38G will be irrelevant.

I also mentioned the F check in in SYD to SWMBO, wondering if I should just check in for the ADL-SYD leg and then use F checkin in SYD. She reckoned I should do it, because I would love those other people looking over at me from the Y line with a mixture of disgust and admiration.

I'm sorry I even mentioned it now.