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

[TheInsider]

Reference point - T80 for a flight this Friday BNE-SYD, had preselected row 6 as row 4 and 5 were blocked. At T80, row 5 opened up, but row 4 still blocked. Checked EF and just blocked, noone seated in R4. Midday flight, looks very light anyway. Disappointing change if this sticks - WP is supposed to be a high tier in line with the flight requirements to earn it. As someone who takes note of other pax, its rare to see many higher status pax especially in Y, sometimes a PO or two on the Mon/Fri shuttles, and almost never a CL..

Once again, nothing has changed in regards to other seats opening up at -80, this is all the same. The only change is the Exit Rows, that is all.

 

[michaele]

Once again, nothing has changed in regards to other seats opening up at -80, this is all the same. The only change is the Exit Rows, that is all.

I have previously always been able to select available R4 at t80.

 

[Solid]

Yes I think the Insider missed the reference to being unable to select R4 at t80

 

[eminere]

Reference point - T80 for a flight this Friday BNE-SYD, had preselected row 6 as row 4 and 5 were blocked. At T80, row 5 opened up, but row 4 still blocked. Checked EF and just blocked, noone seated in R4. Midday flight, looks very light anyway. Disappointing change if this sticks - WP is supposed to be a high tier in line with the flight requirements to earn it. As someone who takes note of other pax, its rare to see many higher status pax especially in Y, sometimes a PO or two on the Mon/Fri shuttles, and almost never a CL..

That is incredibly disappointing if row 4 is now off-limits to Platinum (and below) passengers even after T-80.

 

[Ansett]

That is incredibly disappointing if row 4 is now off-limits to Platinum (and below) passengers even after T-80.

I had hoped it was wrong based on other peoples experience but the people I spoke with at Qantas were adamant P1/CL only Unless the flight is full and then only at the airport for WP and Lower.

 

[Kitchdog]

Shocking decision!!!

 

[kevrosmith]

That is incredibly disappointing if row 4 is now off-limits to Platinum (and below) passengers even after T-80.

I had hoped it was wrong based on other peoples experience but the people I spoke with at Qantas were adamant P1/CL only Unless the flight is full and then only at the airport for WP and Lower.

It could be route dependent. I just checked some flights on SYD-CNS for Friday (within T-80) and Row 4 is showing available for seat selection through EF.

Particularly on the Golden Triangle, I've previously found that unless you literally jumped in 1 minute after T-80, then Row 4 can have a tendency to remain blocked off, and even then, only 1 or 2 seats available, even if no one else was already seated in the row. And this was especially true during peak times.

 

[kevrosmith]

Here's a comparison of flights SYD-BNE and SYD-MEL for this coming Friday night, flights between 3pm and 8pm. It looks like availability on Row 4 really depends on each flight, but I'd read from this that nothing has changed for Row 4. YMMV

 

[kevrosmith]

And this is every QF flight BNE-SYD on Friday from 11:05 to 20:15. It'd be interesting to see how the seat map compares for you now michaele.

 

[Jack_OC]

It could be route dependent. I just checked some flights on SYD-CNS for Friday (within T-80) and Row 4 is showing available for seat selection through EF.

Particularly on the Golden Triangle, I've previously found that unless you literally jumped in 1 minute after T-80, then Row 4 can have a tendency to remain blocked off, and even then, only 1 or 2 seats available, even if no one else was already seated in the row. And this was especially true during peak times.

I have had only limited success getting access to row 4 at or after T-80 in the past. So I agree that even if there is no availability in row 4 on some flights after T-80 now, that doesn't necessarily mean that anything has changed.

By the way, I'm pretty sure that the last couple of times when I did manage to get row 4 seats, it was only after about T-48, having found nothing available at T-80. I assume that suggests the seats were blocked until closer to departure - although there is obviously a possibility that someone who had selected row 4 changed to a different flight or upgraded to J, or whatever.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Actually in a rare bout of unbridled honesty I have to agree with you. From a maximising safety aspect I'd suggest airlines should perhaps, as a matter of protocol, put off-duty crew into exit rows before they stick them in other seats (i.e. J).

I was on an Hawaiian Airlines inter island flight three weeks ago where a positioning crew was seated in the exit rows. Made perfect sense to me. HA also charges for these seats, even on a 35-minute flight.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Reference point - T80 for a flight this Friday BNE-SYD, had preselected row 6 as row 4 and 5 were blocked. At T80, row 5 opened up, but row 4 still blocked. Checked EF and just blocked, noone seated in R4. Midday flight, looks very light anyway. Disappointing change if this sticks - WP is supposed to be a high tier in line with the flight requirements to earn it. As someone who takes note of other pax, its rare to see many higher status pax especially in Y, sometimes a PO or two on the Mon/Fri shuttles, and almost never a CL..

I've seen plenty of CL and P1 pax in whY on BNE/SYD flights so I would say it's quite common. It's quite likely that the fact you can't select row 4 because the theoretical seating is holding those seats for those pax. It's not so much an actual hard seat selection like a lot of people do here but rather the seat the system would allocate that passenger at the time they checked in if they hadn't yet selected a seat.

There hasn't been any changes to row 4 at all - only the introducation of charging for the exit in rows 13 and 14.

I have had only limited success getting access to row 4 at or after T-80 in the past. So I agree that even if there is no availability in row 4 on some flights after T-80 now, that doesn't necessarily mean that anything has changed.

By the way, I'm pretty sure that the last couple of times when I did manage to get row 4 seats, it was only after about T-48, having found nothing available at T-80. I assume that suggests the seats were blocked until closer to departure - although there is obviously a possibility that someone who had selected row 4 changed to a different flight or upgraded to J, or whatever.

There is so much movement with flights on golden triangle routes in the late afternoon with people on flex fares changing flights on the day plus CL & P1 can change flights on the day even on red-e-deals etc. Some may use points to upgrade to J or if the flight's full may score an op-up to J which would free up seats in row 4.

 

[JohnK]

Very disappointing but not the end of the world. And QF know the grass is not greener on the other side.

For me personally exit rows don't interest me and my preference is row 4 but just as happy in row 6. What really disappoints me is taking benefits away from a lower tier to further differentiate from a higher tier. Very poor and Qantas loyalty lose my respect further.

 

[sydks]

QF WP here and did my seat selection for some September flights SYD-AKL on the A330 service and noticed exit seats 44A/B/J/K were available for me too select with no charge both ways. Not that I wanted them but was expecting they should have had the new fee applied.

 

[Ansett]

QF WP here and did my seat selection for some September flights SYD-AKL on the A330 service and noticed exit seats 44A/B/J/K were available for me too select with no charge both ways. Not that I wanted them but was expecting they should have had the new fee applied.

Trans Tasman is coming later only applies to domestic and other International at this stage.

 

[Pleb Status]

Very disappointing but not the end of the world. And QF know the grass is not greener on the other side.

With respect to this topic, if you are a WP on both airlines, the grass on the the other side is far greener. Jungle vs desert in fact.

 

[oz_mark]

I've seen plenty of CL and P1 pax in whY on BNE/SYD flights so I would say it's quite common. It's quite likely that the fact you can't select row 4 because the theoretical seating is holding those seats for those pax. It's not so much an actual hard seat selection like a lot of people do here but rather the seat the system would allocate that passenger at the time they checked in if they hadn't yet selected a seat.

There hasn't been any changes to row 4 at all - only the introducation of charging for the exit in rows 13 and 14.

There is so much movement with flights on golden triangle routes in the late afternoon with people on flex fares changing flights on the day plus CL & P1 can change flights on the day even on red-e-deals etc. Some may use points to upgrade to J or if the flight's full may score an op-up to J which would free up seats in row 4.

Indeed. The whole seat map and seats any individual passenger can see is quite dynamic. The more people above you in the food chain, the less seats you can see. As people move around and select seats, the view changes.

 

[bertflyer]

So a quick data point for this discussion, today's flights were MEL-ADL-MEL (same day). I am SG.
I was able to select 4A at T-80 for the 6.40am MEL-ADL flight and 10F for the 5.05pm ADL-MEL return flight. All exit row seats showed up as $20 to select for both flights at that time.
When I got the airport this morning I decided to print out my BPs at the machines in MEL and thought I'd have a quick look to see if anything had opened up in row 4 for the return flight.
Turns out I could choose any of the exit row seats free of charge and am now travelling home (ADL-MEL) in 13A without paying.
cheers Bert

 

[vicpow]

By selling these seats for the money grab, surely they are putting $$$ over safety? I don't think that some people they are selling exit rows to, could actually help in an emergency situation.

 

[Austman]

By selling these seats for the money grab, surely they are putting $$$ over safety? I don't think that some people they are selling exit rows to, could actually help in an emergency situation.

You have to agree to the exit row conditions and meet the criteria both when purchasing it and when on board, before take off. Else the crew will move you.