Seat Blocking

[TonyHancock]

And yes we do know that not all Platinums are treated the same. Don't we?

I had an interesting experience back in Feb. I was heading back to MEL from SYD on from QF18. I was flying J and expertflyer showed the seat next to me, 2A, blocked. The guy in 2K had also been on QF 18 and was also a WP but the seat next to him was not blocked according to expertflyer. As it happens the seat next to him was empty but expertflyer showed it as available.

So how all of this shadow business works....I have no idea.

Another thing that I have noticed is that seat blocking seems to appear closer to the date of travel rather than at the time of booking.

 

[Verde]

I was surprised not to see a block next to you. What does MMB show you? It could be a domestic/international difference as well...

Im curious now and am going to trial some things with my future QF bookings.

I signed up for the 5 day EF trial and when I moved my seat down the back of the plane didn't get any blocking either (couldn't tell when I was up front because those rows were all marked as blocked). This is for the MEL-LAX flight (and back), though it is booked as an AA codeshare rather than direct with QF, so I wonder if that has anything to do with it. Tons of availability on the flight too (June 10th).

I assume the front few row blocking to NBs etc disappears at T-80, so if I have no seat blocking it has little benefit to me (on that length of flight I don't know that sitting closer to the front really achieves much - specially with 4 hours until my LAX-JFK flight).

 

[JohnK]

I was surprised not to see a block next to you. What does MMB show you? It could be a domestic/international difference as well...

As always Manage My booking never shows me having a 'shadow'. If there is a vacant seat next to me then I can select it if I really want!

I suspect that this view shows what is available to you as a WP.If you remove your QFF number from EF (and hence your status) you will find that many more seats appear as blocked. Including the rest of JohnK's row.

It would appear that no one is sitting in 41BC yet the seats are blocked. Same for many other seats on that seat map yet 40F is wide open for anyone to pre-allocate.

If I cannot get a "shadow" on this flight when am I ever going to get a shadow?

Anyway if I haven't been upgraded to Business class and still sitting in 40G then I don't care if I have a shadow or not. But if my shadow has been upgraded to Business class and I am still sitting in 40G then i would be very disappointed!

 

[medhead]

Yes sorry. Sticky fingers on these Apple keyboards.

The X means blocked right and the shaded is pre-allocated? So a Platinum is sitting in 40G on a lightly loaded flight and there does not appear to be a shadow.

I still believe "shadows" are a myth or at least they do not appear to exist for this Platinum. And yes we do know that not all Platinums are treated the same. Don't we?

The seat map tells us little about load. I reckon 41J has a shadow on both seat maps. Also as someone mention that seat map is based on the status of whoevers number is in expert flyer, put in a lower status QFF number and it'll be different.

 

[JohnK]

The seat map tells us little about load. I reckon 41J has a shadow on both seat maps. Also as someone mention that seat map is based on the status of whoevers number is in expert flyer, put in a lower status QFF number and it'll be different.

I believe load is light.

Assuming there are 2 different seat maps displayed from kevrosmith and Sickeningthud then both of these show 40DEF as available and not blocked.

So in summation anyone including a nobody without any status can pay $20 and sit in 40F.

I don't really care but it does not bode well for the silly "shadow" myth....

 

[Happy Trails]

I believe load is light.

Assuming there are 2 different seat maps displayed from kevrosmith and Sickeningthud then both of these show 40DEF as available and not blocked.

So in summation anyone including a nobody without any status can pay $20 and sit in 40F.

I don't really care but it does not bode well for the silly "shadow" myth....

The way I read it is that that your neighbouring seats are blocked to non-status pax but available to WP and, maybe, SG.

 

[medhead]

Assuming there are 2 different seat maps displayed from kevrosmith and Sickeningthud then both of these show 40DEF as available and not blocked.

So in summation anyone including a nobody without any status can pay $20 and sit in 40F.

I don't really care but it does not bode well for the silly "shadow" myth....

The seat map displayed is based on status! Those seat maps are what is available to WP. I've just pulled up the EF seat map for a NB and the first row with open seats is row 52. So no a NB cannot pay $20 and get the seat next to you.

As for the shadow look at 41H and J. So a WP can select 41K but not J, 41H is preselected but J is not meaning that seat is not reserved for someone on the same PNR otherwise it would be preselected. Why would the system reserve a middle seat like that for a separate person and not give them one of the available aisle seats, or 41K. So I strongly suspect that is a shadow right there.

But me, kevrosmith and Sickeningthud are all good enough to sit next to you, and not good enough for 41H.

 

[JohnK]

The way I read it is that that your neighbouring seats are blocked to non-status pax but available to WP and, maybe, SG.

Apologies then if I am reading it wrong.

I can see that 41H is occupied and 41J appears to be blocked and 41BC are both blocked without anyone sitting in them on both seat maps. It is a little confusing to interpret.

 

[medhead]

Apologies then if I am reading it wrong.

I can see that 41H is occupied and 41J appears to be blocked and 41BC are both blocked without anyone sitting in them on both seat maps. It is a little confusing to interpret.

41BC are probably being held by the computer for people, a couple I'd guess.


Sent from the Throne

 

[strance]

i'd suggest the 'free seats' showing on EF up front of Y are theoretically allocated to high tier pax but have not been actually assigned. The allocated seats are people who have actually chosen a seat, e.g. JohnK and the remainder of the zone is blocked by default.

 

[EmilyHoward]

Well, when I do my seat allocation and am on my own with my companion Florence not travelling I have never noticed a shadow seat next to me. However I have been asked to sit down quickly on a number of occasions because allegedly my rear causes a rather large shadow for other passengers. I don't really believe this can be true.

EH