Seat blocking or similar status benefit

[medhead]

Thanks for the reply VFF.

I certainly didn't expect VA to be add to read people's minds. I was probably wondering if you have any sort policy to restrict allocations within a specific zone that would be designed to look after the comfort of all pax. I guess such policy would come into play early in the allocation process rather than when doing final checks for load and balance. Just seems a bit strange that presumably higher value customers end up with a less comfortable flight with a full row, when that's not required in examples such as mine.

Anyway, thanks again for the answer.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

So from VFFs answer, there are no policies.

Another area that could be (cheaply) implemented to provide presunably valued FFer service?

 

[Aus ATC]

VFF - thanks for the reply. But the issue is not "why someone would choose to sit in a middle seat?", but that they even have the option to, when blocking of middle seats for adjacent Platinum/Gold frequent flyers (with the possible exception of allowing a Plat to select 3B/E) is what is being requested (when loads permit). People travelling together excepted of course.

Of course someone a lot smarter than me would need to write the seat allocation algorithm to support this!

 

[hgwells01]

give me a spare seat next to me any time in Y, can put down the centre tray table, use it for my drink and still hold my book/ipad, spread my feet out a bit and throw up the arm rest. I have noticed tho on a few Newcastle - Melbourne flights that i've done in J that row 3 only has two occupants and the middle seat empty for the first couple of rows then the rest of the plane is packed, I did see two guys take bags down from overhead and they had plat tags on them, so maybe someone is blocking that middle seat in row 3 and 4 for Plat already?

 

[medhead]

give me a spare seat next to me any time in Y, can put down the centre tray table, use it for my drink and still hold my book/ipad, spread my feet out a bit and throw up the arm rest. I have noticed tho on a few Newcastle - Melbourne flights that i've done in J that row 3 only has two occupants and the middle seat empty for the first couple of rows then the rest of the plane is packed, I did see two guys take bags down from overhead and they had plat tags on them, so maybe someone is blocking that middle seat in row 3 and 4 for Plat already?

The pictures I posted in the OP suggest not. Or at least it is variable.

 

[JohnK]

.... I did see two guys take bags down from overhead and they had plat tags on them, so maybe someone is blocking that middle seat in row 3 and 4 for Plat already?

It is not consistent enough and can be easily overriden if indeed you get a seat blocked.

Also it cannot be policed when people use check-in kiosks and the gate agents have enough issues without worrying about the middle seat they are about to allocate is actually in between 2 Platinums.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

can be easily overriden if indeed you get a seat blocked.

This is my experience. A number of times I've been advised they have blocked the middle seat, but upon boarding, realise the only "blocking" is that being done by a human body despite many vacant seats being evident! C'est la vie.

 

[Flywithd]

This is my experience. A number of times I've been advised they have blocked the middle seat, but upon boarding, realise the only "blocking" is that being done by a human body despite many vacant seats being evident! C'est la vie.

Experienced the same thing twice, even opted for row 4 until someone was standing waiting to take their seat.

 

[medhead]

Well another week another failure. I'm especially annoyed because 3E thought picking at the sores (skin infection looking sores not injury looking) on their hand was a good idea.

 

[Mogul]

An old thread but better than starting a new one.

Last Sunday while flying Sydney to Gold Coast on an E90 had the same thing happen.

On booking selected 3A hoping that no one would take the aisle seat.

Boarded sat down and the other 3 seats in row 3 were all occupied by non status (saw boarding passes) flyers, there goes my nice quiet flight as they were talking fairly loudly at each other across the aisle. The last 4 or so rows were completely empty and the rest of the plane was probably only 50% full.

Surely it can't be that hard to completely block out row 3 for example to everyone except WP's and maybe SG's for all aircraft types in situations were the plane is less than say 80% full.

DYKWIA moment over, that feels better.

 

[QF WP]

I had some great service on my 2 recent VA flights BNE/ADL/BNE on 20th - just got a survey and gave kudos to the flight crew on ADL/BNE, FA's and Lounge CSA's where applicable.

Thank God for being Platinum and having pre-allocated 2A on an E190 ADL/BNE (VA1405) - when I got to lounge I was given BP with 2C on it. I had chosen 2A for the single seat and I wanted to do work on my laptop. CSA Theoni was brilliant - she looked at the booking notes to see that I had been allocated 2A, apologised for another CSA having moved a pax into my seat and proceeded to swap us, "because you're a Platinum member". That's what I call Service Recovery. Needless to say, the Haighs dark chocolate buttons went down a treat as a thank you and she was shocked to receive.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I had some great service on my 2 recent VA flights BNE/ADL/BNE on 20th - just got a survey and gave kudos to the flight crew on ADL/BNE, FA's and Lounge CSA's where applicable.

Thank God for being Platinum and having pre-allocated 2A on an E190 ADL/BNE (VA1405) - when I got to lounge I was given BP with 2C on it. I had chosen 2A for the single seat and I wanted to do work on my laptop. CSA Theoni was brilliant - she looked at the booking notes to see that I had been allocated 2A, apologised for another CSA having moved a pax into my seat and proceeded to swap us, "because you're a Platinum member". That's what I call Service Recovery. Needless to say, the Haighs dark chocolate buttons went down a treat as a thank you and she was shocked to receive.

Great service recovery QF WP (flying on VA ) but service recovery is not needed if proper service is applied from scratch! Yes, Yes, I know some will be saying.....swanning_it whining yet again, but the habit of relocating selected seats without notice on VA is often lamented here on AFF. Did the very efficient Theoni muse over why "another CSA" felt the urge to alter a pre-assigned platinum business class travellers seat without so much as a courtesy call?

 

[QF WP]

Great service recovery QF WP (flying on VA ) but service recovery is not needed if proper service is applied from scratch! Yes, Yes, I know some will be saying.....swanning_it whining yet again, but the habit of relocating selected seats without notice on VA is often lamented here on AFF. Did the very efficient Theoni muse over why "another CSA" felt the urge to alter a pre-assigned platinum business class travellers seat without so much as a courtesy call?

Well she didn't say who it was - another Lounge CSA or someone at check-in. I don't check-in beforehand just to keep my powder dry on the flexibility - however not as if there are too many ADL/BNE flights daily. So upon arrival at the airport (75 mins before departure) it was disappointing that I'd been moved - although there really isn't a bad J seat.