Qantas to charge passengers extra for exit row seats

[Cyclogenesis]

Qantas to charge passengers extra for exit row seats

Qantas will introduce new fees of up to $160 for emergency exit row seats which offer extra legroom on long-haul overseas flights.....

Hmm... a big bonus of WP+SG gone?

 

[Mwenenzi]

Just another Jestarisation of QF
Joyce will push QF towards Jetstar standards

 

[Keith009]

This was actually pioneered by Singapore Airlines and said to be v popular. Sad to see that it's caught on.

 

[Commuter]

Appalling move by Qantas that takes away the existing privilege of WPs.
I'll be going elsewhere if they introduced it - well I'd just fly BA which I find to be a better product anyway (especially in J).

Another great 'enhancement' to the FF program

 

[JohnK]

First allowing seats to be chosen at time of booking and then charging for exit row seats. Not many benefits left by being a Platinum.

See what happens when LCCs start something and this filters through to full service carriers. Extremely disappointing....

 

[Dave Noble]

Exit rows have never been a published benefit so there is no reason for them to be concerned about removing it ( if indeed they are going to ).. no different to the loss ofthe benefit of getting WT+ for WT award price on BA that used to exist

It seems to me to make perfect sense to try and generate additional revenue from those prepared to pay extra for the additional room and may be an encouragement for people to use QF over other options.

Dave

 

[docjames]

And yet another reason not to be loyal to QF anymore. It really was a point of difference to me when flying with QF.

Honestly, they may as well start painting white kangaroos with orange background.

 

[Commuter]

It seems to me to make perfect sense to try and generate additional revenue from those prepared to pay extra for the additional room and may be an encouragement for people to use QF over other options.

But they are risking losing loyalty from some Platinum members who may be providing them with quite decent revenue for quite a long time to come?

It is a well-known Platinum benefit and so whether it is published or not, those Platinum members who are affected by this policy, if it does happen, would not be happy to have that taken away.

 

[NM]

I wonder if they will have a different fee for the A and K seats on 744 economy exit rows .

Its been a long time since I requested or sat in an economy exit row on a Qantas international flight. I can understand Qantas' reasons behind such a move and I am not overly concerned by it.

 

[Flashback]

I imagine also that WP will be able to 'request' an exit row still, just that they'll now have to contend with the paying customer..

 

[aus_flyer]

This is really, really annoying. :evil:

Not impressed Mr Joyce.

I always gave him the benefit of the doubt when he said he wasn't going to turn Qantas into a LCC.

I don't believe that anymore!

 

[Flashback]

I love also how the article is about Economy, and does state that... yet a whY+ seat is shown as the image.

 

[dajop]

Exit rows have never been a published benefit so there is no reason for them to be concerned about removing it ( if indeed they are going to ).. no different to the loss ofthe benefit of getting WT+ for WT award price on BA that used to exist

Dave you're technically correct. But who cares.

It doesn't matter whether or not it is published benefit. The fact is for the last 7 years as a WP I have been able to enjoy the ability to request a exit row seat. This to me was one of the important benefits of flying and trying to be loyal to QF. Unlike SQ, where exit row seat allocation to PPS members was patchy at best, this was always something QF came thru with the goods. Take a defeatist attitude and QF will get away with it. It's time us WP's took a stand. If I were to choose between accessing the FCL and Domestic business lounges (a published benefit) vs this I would take exit row seat allocation any day and stick to ordinary J lounges/QPs.

 

[Commuter]

It's time us WP's took a stand.

I think every one of us who doesn't like this new policy should write to Qantas to lodge our objections. If enough Platinums complain, maybe they will re-think this policy.

If I were to choose between accessing the FCL and Domestic business lounges (a published benefit) vs this I would take exit row seat allocation any day and stick to ordinary J lounges/QPs.

Same here, although I would prefer it if they stopped taking away bits of frequent flyer benefits.

 

[aus_flyer]

I think every one of us who doesn't like this new policy should write to Qantas to lodge our objections. If enough Platinums complain, maybe they will re-think this policy.

And at the same time, we should complain about them scrapping the waiver of the 2500 point fee for date/time changes! :!::!:

It's the slow erosion of benefits!

 

[Hvr]

One of the sad things about this is that Joe Blow doing the once in a lifetime trip who books months in advance will have the chance to pay the extra and grab the exit row aisle.

Frequent flyers who book a week or two out have no chance of ever getting them. Why does Qantas think this is going to increase loyalty?

If QF is really desperate for the money why not leave them unallocated until, say 48 hours before the flight. Everyone who has booked a seat on the flight and wants the exit row aisle makes note of this when purchasing the their ticket and agrees to pay the fee in cash or points, and then these seats are allocated according to status and time requested.

Much the same as upgrades are allocated. Surely this would have to be a much fairer way to treat loyal pax?

 

[Commuter]

O
If QF is really desperate for the money why not leave them unallocated until, say 48 hours before the flight. Everyone who has booked a seat on the flight and wants the exit row aisle makes note of this when purchasing the their ticket and agrees to pay the fee in cash or points, and then these seats are allocated according to status and time requested.

Sounds like a much better system that will give them extra revenue as well as keeping WPs not-too-unhappy.

I object more to 'lesser availability' than paying for it, so if they allocate them in the order of status, I have much less objection because my chance of getting the exit row will remain the same or better (although I would still prefer it if they stopped taking away or reducing Platinum benefits).

Or, they should start selling the exit row seats at the time of online check-in - WPs remain the only people to be able to request them in advance.

However, given the QF web offerings, I am not so confident that they would implement it that way...

 

[Flashback]

Keep in mind that this is a business decision, and the amount of non-WP's and the revenue they bring would most likely amount to a higher sum. So you may lose a few WP's, but gain overall in terms of "common folk".

 

[Commuter]

Keep in mind that this is a business decision, and the amount of non-WP's and the revenue they bring would most likely amount to a higher sum. So you may lose a few WP's, but gain overall in terms of "common folk".

If they charge $80 per exit row seat, they'd need to sell quite a lot of them (250-400 depending on the year) to recoup what they lose through loss of my custom alone.

 

[Flashback]

If they charge $80 per exit row seat, they'd need to sell quite a lot of them (250-400 depending on the year) to recoup what they lose through loss of my custom alone.

Which airline will you move to that will give you an exit row when requested, based on status? SQ?