Seat Requested seems strange...

[simongr]

I am flying back on QF10 from LHR to SIN on 15 August and in my travel itinerary the seat requested is 18B - that seems reasonable - I thinks its upstairs which is all good so far.

However after spending a day in Singapore I then fly form SIN to SYD on QF6 and the seat requested there is 1A - now that to me sounds like a first class seat and I am definitely not flying first class - should I just ignore the seat requested on my itinerary? Is it pretty much irrelevant?

Cheers

S

 

[dajop]

QF6 is operated by a 2 class aircraft, therefore 1A is correct. Can't comment on merits of 1A vs upstairs as haven't flown there, but at least you'll be in the pointy end of the plane.

 

[Mal]

Sounds like your flight is a 2 class 747 for your flight rather than a 3 class plane.

Looking at the seat maps for the 17th and the 18th, this appears to be the case.

Although strangely enough, on the 17th, the seat map is extremely weird. Looks like J seating in a F cabin, then normal J seating downstairs, and upstairs is economy.

Weird!

If yiou're flying that day, it sounds like you're in for a nice suprise F seat with J service.

The punters in Economy being upstairs get an even better deal!

 

[simongr]

Thanks for that - it would be great if my final flight back to SYD after 5 weeks away was a F class seat - just a shame that the flight isnt a little later so I could get a decent sleep

 

[serfty]

If you are indeed travelling SIN-SYD on 17th it certainly is a 3 Class 744 sold as two. Seat 1A is on it's own (no 1B). As described by Mal; Rows 1-4 are 14 F style seats/beds, 23-26 are skybeds all sold a J seating. Upper Deck Skybeds and WHY seats from rows 34 back are all sold as WHY.

Note that flight is almost booked out (if not being oversold): J0 C0 D0 I0 U0 Y5 B3 H3 K3 M3 R0 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 G0 T0 X0 E0 .

If you are travelling a day earlier on Wednesday 16th the QF6 aircraft is a proper 2 class configuration 744 with seats 1A/1B etc.

Have you tried www.checkmytrip.com ? Plug your Qantas/amadues booking ref in and have a look.

 

[simongr]

From that site:

StatusConfirmed
CabinBusiness
AircraftBoeing 747-400
Flight duration7:20
Mileage3907 miles Disclaimer
Stop(s)0
MealDinner - Refreshments
Seat(s) 01A - Non-smoking

Well - looks like the seat is in fact reserved - thanks for that website as well serfty - a new toy for me to play with on my travels Now I am wondering what the trip will be like

It just seems weird that I am in that seat :?:

Cheers

S


Edit:

One thing I dont understand is - if I wasnt travelling business and I was in economy and I jumped on that site - would it tell me what seat I was in? If so - there would be no point getting to the airport early "to get a good seat" - or am I niaive in believing that makes any difference?

 

[JohnK]

One thing I dont understand is - if I wasnt travelling business and I was in economy and I jumped on that site - would it tell me what seat I was in? If so - there would be no point getting to the airport early "to get a good seat" - or am I niaive in believing that makes any difference?

Every single one of my cattle class flights with QF, BA and AY since I started flying again in 2003 has had pre-allocated seats. No need to get to check-in until 91 minutes before flight.

Now I still fly cattle class but as I am QF Gold, and therefore have lounge access, I try to get to the airport as early as possible. Seat is still allocated before check-in and I have been lucky so far that my seat has not bee re-assigned except for the 3 op-upgrades to business class.

 

[serfty]

From that site:
... Seat(s) 01A - Non-smoking ...

Thats'a "Hot-link" to a seat map representing your booking. Click and you will see a plan of your class of travel with your seat as orange in a sea of grey. Note the "configuration". Check it against the 744 Seatmaps available on Flying with Us - In the Air - Seat Maps - Boeing 747-438 Longreach

...

It just seems weird that I am in that seat :?: ...

Seat 1A is a rare experience for many flyers; my suggestion is to simply enjoy it.

I scored it last year in very similar circumstance; I was allocated a business seat further Anyway, tack in a 2 class 744 and it was changed to a 3 class a week or two before the flight. I guess I must have been the highest status flyer with forward window on my profile at the time. This is due to the process undertaken to reallocate passengers in those situation being generally performed via computer software that takes status into account when prioritsing seating preferences.

...
Edit:

One thing I dont understand is - if I wasnt travelling business and I was in economy and I jumped on that site - would it tell me what seat I was in? If so - there would be no point getting to the airport early "to get a good seat" - or am I niaive in believing that makes any difference?

With Qantas, not all economy bookings can have seats preallocated. If you had no Qantas status, seat preallocation is available on request and only if less than around 20% of the seats have been preallocated already. For Qantas Frequent Flyers of QP/PS/SG/WP/CL staus, seat allocation is normally automatic. That's for WHY; for Business (& First) requests for seat preallocation is normally available until at least a day before the flight.

 

[JohnK]

With Qantas, not all economy bookings can have seats preallocated. If you had no Qantas status, seat preallocation is available on request and only if less than around 20% of the seats have been preallocated already. For Qantas Frequent Flyers of QP/PS/SG/WP/CL staus, seat allocation is normally automatic. That's for WHY; for Business (& First) requests for seat preallocation is normally available until at least a day before the flight.

Again I may be wrong but I think you will find that all QF frequent flyers, even NB, get to have a pre-allocated seat.

Now if pre-allocation stops at 20% of seat capacity I am not entirely convinced based on my experience in the past I have had seats pre-allocated within a week of the flight as a NB/PS and the aircraft was full on the day of the flight. I don't think that the flights I was on got filled in the last few days.

 

[simongr]

I am wondering if the fact that my flight from SIN-SYD is my flight where I will get SG status is connected to this..... or do QF just know that I have been on the road for fice weeks and think I need a boost

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Again I may be wrong but I think you will find that all QF frequent flyers, even NB, get to have a pre-allocated seat.

Now if pre-allocation stops at 20% of seat capacity I am not entirely convinced based on my experience in the past I have had seats pre-allocated within a week of the flight as a NB/PS and the aircraft was full on the day of the flight. I don't think that the flights I was on got filled in the last few days.

Ahh but not everyone requests to allocate a seat. So a flight can be full, even overbooked, and still make a seat pre-allocation as long as enough other pax haven't also done so (at that time).

 

[serfty]

Again I may be wrong but I think you will find that all QF frequent flyers, even NB, get to have a pre-allocated seat.

Now if pre-allocation stops at 20% of seat capacity I am not entirely convinced based on my experience in the past I have had seats pre-allocated within a week of the flight as a NB/PS and the aircraft was full on the day of the flight. I don't think that the flights I was on got filled in the last few days.

In this your NB experience only is relevant. Preallocation for NB and nufin' nufin's is what generally stops at about 20%; it may be more... perhaps 25%.

I am travelling to HKG this week and while it is showing F5 A5 Z0 P0 J9 C9 D9 I9 U0 Y0 B0 H0 K0 M0 R0 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 G0 T0 X0 E0, an expertflyer seat map only showed about 70 pre-allocations before it became 'hidden' last week; that includes the 12 exit row seats and 8 bassinet positions (which always show as allocated on Qantas). It may or may not have reached it's limit.

Early Last year I had a revenue booking for myself and Jenny along with a points booking for my QF NB Daughter to NZ (different PNR). I and Jenny were allocated seats automatically; daughter was not. It took a few days with several requests being submitted before I (as a QF SG) could get her a pre-allocated seat.

 

[JohnK]

In this your NB experience only is relevant. Preallocation for NB and nufin' nufin's is what generally stops at about 20%; it may be more... perhaps 25%.

You are probably right as you have had a lot more experience with flying related matters than I have. I am only telling my experience with pre-allocated seats as a NB and then PS. Here on AFF and on FT we read a lot of experiences and no two experiences are the same.

Which one to believe? Make up your own mind or insert your own experience.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Which one to believe? Make up your own mind or insert your own experience.

There are other explanations - as already posted.

 

[simongr]

Back on topic slightly - sadly the seat was a standard J class seat - the flight was on its way from Frankfurt to Sydney via Singapore. It did have AVOD though - but that died after the first movie I watched so I just slept then for a few hours.

 

[Mal]

Back on topic slightly - sadly the seat was a standard J class seat - the flight was on its way from Frankfurt to Sydney via Singapore. It did have AVOD though - but that died after the first movie I watched so I just slept then for a few hours.

Sounds like they found a 2 class plane to fly your route instead of the 3 class plane they were planning on flying.

I wonder if that little scrape in LAX might have caused the need for another 3 class plane to be found at short notice?

 

[simongr]

Hmm - I am starting not to like QF5 and QF6... Now flying SYD-SIN-SYD on 7 Nov rtn 17 Nov and although the flights havent been ticketed - I checked on checkmytrip.com and the allocated seats are 01J (QF5) and 03J (QF6) - which I am assuming again will be some sort of odd business class in pointy end rather than relying on it being first class seat with business class service... any thoughts? If its business class seats at what point do I start calling to try and get a better seat?

Cheers

S

 

[serfty]

I have had a look at the seats maps and you indeed are in 2 class 774's. Note, thease are not 'Strange'. Qantas currenty have 7 aircraft in this configuration. check the seat map: http://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/flying/inTheAir/ourAircraft/744-56J356Y.pdf

IMO it's actually quite nice to turn left on boarding; in 1J you will a have quite a feeling of privacy.

Looking at Expert flyer there are plenty of J seats available, up front, upstairs and down back.

Do a www.checkmytrip.com and have a look.

 

[simongr]

Hmm - I might have to take your more experienced word for it - although I might try and get the window seat But lets wait and see - a lot could happen between now and then. I wouldnt be surprised if I got a call whilst I was in thailand the week before and was told to be in New York that week

 

[NM]

Hmm - I am starting not to like QF5 and QF6... Now flying SYD-SIN-SYD on 7 Nov rtn 17 Nov and although the flights havent been ticketed - I checked on checkmytrip.com and the allocated seats are 01J (QF5) and 03J (QF6) - which I am assuming again will be some sort of odd business class in pointy end rather than relying on it being first class seat with business class service... any thoughts? If its business class seats at what point do I start calling to try and get a better seat?

Cheers

S

Nothing odd about those seats. They will be standard Skybeds with the usual business class service.

Actually, there are two types of Skybeds with very slight difference. The ones used on A330-300 and in the nose (Zone A) of a 747 have slightly narrower arm rests between the pairs of seats. The seats cushon area is exactly the same dimentions as the other type of Skybeds used on the upper deck and lower deck Zone B/C on 747s.

You chances of a 3-class aircarft operating QF5/6 are very slight.