QF now charging WP for all Exit Row economy seats [CL/WP1 exempt]

[juddles]

Love the fact that the quote from QF actually uses the word 'fairer'.....

Risking the wrath of the masses, may I be so bold as to suggest maybe it is in some ways "fairer". It seems than it enhances the relative benefits of P1 status versus mere WP.

Prior to this change, what real additional benefits did P1's have on domestic Y flights as against what WP had?

 

[kermatu]

Risking the wrath of the masses, may I be so bold as to suggest maybe it is in some ways "fairer". It seems than it enhances the relative benefits of P1 status versus mere WP.

Prior to this change, what real additional benefits did P1's have on domestic Y flights as against what WP had?

Love the fact you used the word 'enhances'.

In all seriousness I would not regard the downgrading of benefits for a lower tier to be fairer, though I absolutely agree with the point that there's very little practical benefits for P1s over WPs.

 

[serfty]

This as it stands really doesn't worry me as I find exit seats tend to be filled with larger dudes.

Row 4 for me ...

 

[davidj]

material loss for me, and will influence my flying choices.

Please enlighten us who the new better "choice" is?

 

[juddles]

.... I would not regard the downgrading of benefits for a lower tier to be fairer.....

I think sometimes we should all be "fairer" to the airline - we hammer them when things get tightened in different little areas, but we fail to acknowledge where they hugely increase the biggest benefit of all, and one that is available to ALL pax regardless of status - PRICE. QF are now selling trans-pac flights to the USA for under a $1000.

That is fantastic value, and QF deliver a truly world class product on that Y service. They have to do it, to compete with the rest who have dropped to sub-grand trans-pac pricing. And to do so means they need to scrabble for revenue anywhere they possibly can.

In any case, each to their own. On the one hand I don't like seeing an erosion of benefits, but on the other, I know such benefits cost, so maybe here the airline allows those who wish to pay, to do so?

 

[GoldCanyon340]

My impending P1 could not have been better timed. But seriously this is a sad income grab. It was this time last year I was bagging VA for the retraction of flow forwarding for their Plats, and now this lands.

 

[amaroo]

Flying mainly to/from PER, I would trade all of those for a free extra legroom seat if I had to make a choice on domestic flights. Four to five hours of relative comfort would easily make up for the loss of the other benefits combined.

If the flight is running on time, I would spend no more than 20 minutes in the lounge, it has been years since I travelled domestically with a bag and PB on QF is non existent...

Competing interests of two very different flyers... glad I don't run an airline!

 

[Pleb Status]

My impending P1 could not have been better timed. But seriously this is a sad income grab. It was this time last year I was bagging VA for the retraction of flow forwarding for their Plats, and now this lands.

Fly ahead is still available for WP on VA, just not on the three cheapest fare classes.

 

[Strategic Aviation]

I have been on JQ flights that have called for volunteers at boarding to sit in exit rows.

Likewise on VA a couple of years ago. Call at the gate offering exit row seats with extra leg room. No one budged. Follow-up announcement necessary to explain there was no charge

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I suppose QF could open up the exit rows to all pax but waive any seat fee for elites. That seems to be a model used by some other airlines.

Yes please. I'm a massive fan of the AA model.

The AA (& BA) model is at the opposite end of the scale as when checking in as even a NB or no status can easily snag row 8 on an AA 738 or exit row gratis so whilst pre-allocating preferred seating at the time of booking may be restricted to OW elites, on the day of travel it seems to be open slather.

Managed to select MCE seating on AA NRT/ORD/NRT 10AC hoping for a shadow in 10B which stuck in both directions. Not sure if AA would still charge pax extra for that seating right up until checkin closed on its international flights.

Other carriers like AY, CX & LA still restrict some forward seats for elites at least when checking in via IATCI when pax have another airlines flight prior to these carriers. You may get a different result when checking in directly with these carriers eg flying CX ex HKG as the home airline would have the ability to unblock or override seat changes which another carrier can't do via IATCI.

I'm PS, 193cm, and I've managed to get a decent number of exit rows at T-80, so this is a downgrade for me.

You can still have a crack at getting row 4 free of charge which is probably the next best thing legroom wise to an exit.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Fly ahead is still available for WP on VA, just not on the three cheapest fare classes.

Just shows you how bad the QF change is then!

 

[amaroo]

Likewise on VA a couple of years ago. Call at the gate offering exit row seats with extra leg room. No one budged. Follow-up announcement necessary to explain there was no charge

JQ Asia only require one ... flat bed to boot!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

The minute any airline starts charging for exit rows it seems to open the floodgates to people who aren't suitable mobility wise but are ready to stump up the cash for the sought after seats. Airlines can't be all about safety one minute then the next spruiking about 'extra leg room seats' with glossy advertising that almost makes the safety obligations redundant.'

Just about every AA flight we travelled on recently there was some drama with elderly people who had pre-selected extra legroom seats (emergency exits) trying to pre-board in wheelchairs. One gate agent just about lost it when she went to scan the boarding passes of the WCHR pax and exclaimed "I've already told you two times you cannot sit in the exit row.'

Even on our the final AA flight of that trip PHX/HNL we were seated in exit row 6DE (old US Air 757) and an elderly couple were in 7AB. While standing waiting for the door to open she had the shakes like she had Parkinson's Disease and her husband looked grey like he was about to faint. The piece de resistance was after they struggled up the aerobridge they stood there looking bewildered when I heard the woman say "they told us they were going to meet us at the gate with a wheelchair."

This is bound to happen here so be prepared for argy bargy at the gate as people who have paid will feel they own the real estate they've paid for.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

QF are now selling trans-pac flights to the USA for under a $1000.

...

They have to do it, to compete with the rest who have dropped to sub-grand trans-pac pricing. And to do so means they need to scrabble for revenue anywhere they possibly can.

I'm just looking at flights this weekend MEL-SYD... all flights bar the 0600 are asking for more than $1000 one way in business class, and around half are asking $1317. That one way, MEL-SYD. For a one hour flight with catering at about $2.50 a passenger.

Yeah, QF might need to make money... but they're doing it with business class fares at those levels. Not even CX/KA in full F HKG-Shanghai can compete with those Aussie domestic fares.

 

[njba]

They have to do it, to compete with the rest who have dropped to sub-grand trans-pac pricing. And to do so means they need to scrabble for revenue anywhere they possibly can.

That's a little unpalatable (and not entirely convincing to boot). It's not a zero sum game.

 

[coyote25]

It's interesting how it is actually 'fairer'. As I understand it the once a year traveller on Red deal SYD-MEL $100 cheap fare booking in advance then grabs exit row for $20.

The WP member buys fare a week out for work travel and pays $400 on flexible fare but finds the higher fare and their frequent flying / high revenue earning status means nothing the seats are gone.

At the very least they need to limit access until T-80 to either high status members or higher fare paying pax. That way those who contribute the revenue get a 'fairer' shot at these seats.

Not that this is fairer then current arrangement but it makes a lot more sense to align to revenue principles and reward those on higher fare classes / frequent travellers.

Very small revenue raised for in my opinion / situation a major downgrade of gold & platinum benefits.

 

[dajop]

Déjà vu ??

Oh, similar uproar when QF started charging for exit rows on international flights, including WP's. And removing ATA. And removing MASAs. And simpler and fairer. And modifications to loyalty bonus. And removal of upgrade credits. And the first big devaluation of 2005. And so on.

In fact if anything, judging by the number of posts this one has caused less uproar than any of the preceding enhancements.

 

[TheInsider]

Very small revenue raised for in my opinion / situation a major downgrade of gold & platinum benefits.

Lets say there are 90 - B737 flights just out of SYD in one day, and each exit row was $20 per person, and lets say only half of the exits were full and paid for. That would equate to around $10,800 extra revenue per day only out of SYD.

 

[Flying Fox]

Qn - Are flights allowed to fly with the Emergency Exit rows empty?

 

[TheInsider]

Qn - Are flights allowed to fly with the Emergency Exit rows empty?

Australian registered aircraft, no for B737/A320s etc etc. A330/A380/B747 not required to be filled.