Qatar complimentary advance seat selection for Gold members

[Lexicon]

Has anyone here tried to do this for themselves and also a (non-gold) companion? Would love any advice on if (and how!) you did this, if so!.

I've spent the day being bounced around Velocity, Business Flyer and Qatar to be told it's only for the gold member and not anyone else on the same booking, if it's a flight run by Qatar (basically, a wet lease flight). This is despite being a partner airline benefit with Qatar, and the email term also stating it's for you and up to 8 companions on the same booking. Did I miss something? :/

 

[PERLHR]

As VA platinum and therefore to certain extend for Gold, the free seat selection seems to be only only on the VA flight and not on other QR marketed flights. So for example when I tried a dummy booking to CDG from Perth, the only seats I could choose from my flight "choice" was the VA operated flight between PER and DOH. The next 3 sectors..DOH to CDG then CDG to DOH and DOH to PER were all QR flights and despite "booking" through the VA website it simply said "seat choice not available". So one out of the four sectors allows seat choice at over 7K in biz.... I think not!!

 

[RooFlyer]

As VA platinum and therefore to certain extend for Gold, the free seat selection seems to be only only on the VA flight and not on other QR marketed flights. So for example when I tried a dummy booking to CDG from Perth, the only seats I could choose from my flight "choice" was the VA operated flight between PER and DOH. The next 3 sectors..DOH to CDG then CDG to DOH and DOH to PER were all QR flights and despite "booking" through the VA website it simply said "seat choice not available". So one out of the four sectors allows seat choice at over 7K in biz.... I think not!!

I've never done it, but isn't that the same type of thing as if you book, on Qantas, a Qantas flight then one or more KLM or EDIT: El Al or Bangkok Airways flights? You get some perks on those partner (non alliance) airlines, but there are some things that the ticketing airline can't reach into.

You'd book QR beyond DOH on VA for certain reasons. Personally, I wouldn't, and not because I couldn't select a seat.

 

[PERLHR]

I've never done it, but isn't that the same type of thing as if you book, on Qantas, a Qantas flight then one or more KLM or AL El or Bangkok Airways flights? You get some perks on those partner (non alliance) airlines, but there are some things that the ticketing airline can't reach into.

You'd book QR beyond DOH on VA for certain reasons. Personally, I wouldn't, and not because I couldn't select a seat.

Yeah probably. Not really sure tbh. I think VA blurb says that you can choose seats though but I assume that's only to Doha and perhaps it's not clear. I would suspect most would be going beyond Doha though so if they compare with booking with QR especially in the business cabins etc then I guess not much incentive to book via VA...shame though you have decide...VA points and status but no seat choice apart from DOH sectors if booked on the VA flight, or all seat choices to all destinations when booked via QR. Also the VA price may be higher....

 

[L_MareeB]

Annoyingly, I didn’t get the email about the new perks (will follow up), I only happened upon it on the Velocity app. I booked Y flights through VA on QR metal, not the wet-lease flights, couple of months ago. Managed to book seats last night on 3 of the 4 (the 4th one wouldn’t load; technical issue it said; will follow up) using my corresponding booking code on the QR app (works on website, too). Was able to choose any Y seat free of charge.

Hope that helps.

 

[smaberly]

Yeah I've just done this and you need to do seat selection through the QR site with their PNR for your itinerary. If seats aren't showing up for free (And you are gold or plat), then hop on live chat with QR and get them to update the PNR with your FF numbers and then it will work (I did this process and it now works).

 

[PERLHR]

Yeah I've just done this and you need to do seat selection through the QR site with their PNR for your itinerary. If seats aren't showing up for free (And you are gold or plat), then hop on live chat with QR and get them to update the PNR with your FF numbers and then it will work (I did this process and it now works).

Can you confirm that if booked through the VA site, is the QR PNR also provided and confirm that this was for QR flights (their metal) as well?

 

[smaberly]

Yes the QR PNR comes to you as part of the Virgin Australia Itinerary email that from booking through VA's website on VA flight numbers using QR metal. I have successfully assigned seats for free for DOH-LGW and ZAG-DOH along with the MEL-DOH-MEL legs.

 

[L_MareeB]

Can you confirm that if booked through the VA site, is the QR PNR also provided and confirm that this was for QR flights (their metal) as well?

Yeah, as @smaberly said, you do. I did a post about it. Will see if I can find it.

 

[L_MareeB]

Yeah, as @smaberly said, you do. I did a post about it. Will see if I can find it.

Here you go:

Post in thread 'Virgin Australia flights to Doha now on sale'
Virgin Australia flights to Doha now on sale

 

[Yipchoi]

Yeah I've just done this and you need to do seat selection through the QR site with their PNR for your itinerary. If seats aren't showing up for free (And you are gold or plat), then hop on live chat with QR and get them to update the PNR with your FF numbers and then it will work (I did this process and it now works).

Thanks for this @smaberly I literally just read this and jumped on to the live chat and Hey Presto free seat selection all the way in exit rows ADL to LHR