Seat allocations for no status

[Ribbo83]

Flew SYD - HBA and return this week as SG. I had row 4 booked but was offered 3 at check in (not a full flight) when we boarded there was only 1x WP in 3C and a WP in 3D and I was in 3F. One of the last PAX to board came in and sat in 3E. She had not status, i got a look at the boarding pass and the luggage on the floor gave it away. Thankfully the FA came over and asked her to move to 3A which I was happy about.

Return flight I was in row 4 again and was offered 3 at check in, she then corrected herself and said, actually stay in 4 you have a spare seat next to you which I can block. Cheering again.

Im hoping it continues to improve with Reds and Silver not being able to allocate seating.

I'm happy with row 3 and 4 being for WP but its nice when the flights not full to have th SG recognised and be allocated those seats rather then seeing Reds get them.

 

[sausagefingers]

As a VA WP I always get row 3 and when I get onboard I usually make a big deal about hardly ever flying and about the legroom and how lucky I am to be in a special seat and suggest that maybe the check in ladies fancied me ;-).
Small things I guess?

 

[OzEire]

I thought that anyone can purchase row 3 as an "extra legroom" seat?

Although i agree that VA have few real benefits at the WP tier (and therefore should respect those few which are) i can't see them losing revenue just to keep WP's feeling special.

 

[CPMaverick]

You cannot select row 3 online without WP status. Not even at extra charge.

 

[Happy Dude]

Our corporate TA does not allocate seats, I change/allocate seats in my bookings online only if it's a leisure trip and I only ever use priority check-in.

Recently, I was given row 20-something at checkin. When I asked if it was a rear door loading plane (ATR's don't go up to 20+ rows do they?), she says "No, would you like to sit up the front"? "Sure", and was then given 3A.

This implies to me that, where loading permits, there's not specific protocol in place to ensure that elites get 'better' seats ahead of non-elites at check-in, or to ensure that non-elites remain in 'worse' seats.

 

[Warks]

Does row 3 even have more legroom? I find it cramped and you have to stow your laptop above anyway as there's no spot for it at your feet. For these reasons I wouldn't select row 3 over 4. As a SG I can just about never get forward of row 5 these days but that's no big deal.

We do tend to judge on appearances and wonder how Noddy No-Status got to sit at the front. They are jumping around like it's their first flight and seem to not know how to put on a seatbelt. Then you see their BP with the WP status...

(not sure this has ever really happened, in my experience 90% of the time you CAN just by appearances)

 

[Caversham04]

Our corporate TA does not allocate seats, I change/allocate seats in my bookings online only if it's a leisure trip and I only ever use priority check-in.

Recently, I was given row 20-something at checkin. When I asked if it was a rear door loading plane (ATR's don't go up to 20+ rows do they?), she says "No, would you like to sit up the front"? "Sure", and was then given 3A.

This implies to me that, where loading permits, there's not specific protocol in place to ensure that elites get 'better' seats ahead of non-elites at check-in, or to ensure that non-elites remain in 'worse' seats.

Only WP can select Row 3 BEFORE check-in, but they seem to become generally available at check-in...... whether they should or not (unless the flight is full) is a different question......

 

[Bagpuss]

I'm not too sure how you tell someone else's status.
Whilst I am platinum I don't use the bag tags etc so one one board would know my status without seeing my boarding pass.

It does annoy me when the front rows are full and the back of the plane is pretty spread out. Though with web based seat selections some people may elect a middle seat further forward than one more towards the back.

 

[kevrosmith]

This....




VA can do seat blocks now. I find that CNS ground staff (if that's who's responsible for doing it) have worked out very well how to use it for their local Status pax traveling south.

 

[Jet L]

They should block 3 4 5 middle automatically unless the plane is full then SG/PS get them

 

[Jet L]

Only WP can select Row 3 BEFORE check-in, but they seem to become generally available at check-in...... whether they should or not (unless the flight is full) is a different question......

Ill just post this again,

T-48 NR gets PS zones, PS gets SG zones and SG gets WP zones, T-12 all seats become available for OLCI

 

[Marty_]

Gotta say, I basically never get sat next to a non-WP in row 3. Very, very rare.

 

[bean]

I'm not too sure how you tell someone else's status.
Whilst I am platinum I don't use the bag tags etc so one one board would know my status without seeing my boarding pass.

It does annoy me when the front rows are full and the back of the plane is pretty spread out. Though with web based seat selections some people may elect a middle seat further forward than one more towards the back.

^^this! How on earth do u know the status of someone sitting next to you?

I also don't use the bag tags for carry on. I did consider it but thought it would be a bit of a wanker thing to do

 

[blackcat20]

^^this! How on earth do u know the status of someone sitting next to you?

I also don't use the bag tags for carry on. I did consider it but thought it would be a bit of a wanker thing to do

Some people wave their boarding passes around. And those in row 3 that dont know to put their bags overhead, or cant work out how to turn a light on, obviously arent regular travellers so unlikely to be WP.

 

[OzEire]

Some people wave their boarding passes around. And those in row 3 that dont know to put their bags overhead, or cant work out how to turn a light on, obviously arent regular travellers so unlikely to be WP.

Slightly tongue in cheek BC, my 3 year old nephew is WP, even he knows how these things work.... and often sits in 3F (next to his parents).

 

[bean]

Some people wave their boarding passes around. And those in row 3 that dont know to put their bags overhead, or cant work out how to turn a light on, obviously arent regular travellers so unlikely to be WP.

U are giving to much credit to the intelligence of the general population. I had a gold member (tag on carry on lol) just the other day get told TWICE by the cabin crew to put her bag in the overhead, both for take off and landing.

Some people just don't like to follow direction unless forced I guess...

 

[OzEire]

No such issues on VA1210 this morning. Pax in 3ACF, 4AF... lots of shadows.

 

[Warks]

To quote Basil Fawlty:

[FONT=&quot]“I mean, have you seen the people in room six? They've never even sat on chairs before.”[/FONT]

 

[Bolthead]

My wife(PS) the other day OOL-SYD was booked in 11A, when she checked in at airport kiosk she was allocated 3B for no reason.

 

[Muppet501st]

U are giving to much credit to the intelligence of the general population. I had a gold member (tag on carry on lol) just the other day get told TWICE by the cabin crew to put her bag in the overhead, both for take off and landing.

Some people just don't like to follow direction unless forced I guess...

they night have been gifted gold,