Seating Allocation??

[ozmuzz]

Qantas is now the worst airline for seating that I travel regularly (Gold with QF). I agree with the previous comment that it is better to fly CX than QF to Asia). My last flight on QF LAX-SYD Qantas allocated me a window seat at the back of the plane (my preference is forward aisle) - how could they get this so wrong.

As a Gold on Star Alliance (SQ) I have been upgraded on every flight with United (although never with Singapore - but Singapore has internet check-in - and I can guarantee 8 out of 10 flights to have a spare seat next to me).

This weekend I get to Gold with Emirates - my last trip DXB-SYD I was upgraded as a silver.

 

[thadocta]

As a Gold on Star Alliance (SQ) I have been upgraded on every flight with United (although never with Singapore - but Singapore has internet check-in - and I can guarantee 8 out of 10 flights to have a spare seat next to me).

SQ is notoriously hard to get an upgrade on, on UA it is notoriously easy.

Which one is in the better state financially?

Dave

 

[The Hammer]

SQ is notoriously hard to get an upgrade on

SQ management keep a very tight rein on their staff, and any upgrades are the subject of investigation to determine exactly by WHOM the upgrade was authorised.
If the correct authority was not obtained, the staff member responsible for giving the upgrade is charged the difference, in full.

On QF. only QF Platinum and Chairman's lounge members can request these seats in advance.

Very interesting, Dave - so in effect QF are more or less indirectly charging (by way of membership) for the use of those emergency row seats, in much the same way as Virgin Blue & Virgin Pacific charge outright, by classifying them as Blue Zone seating.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

SQ is notoriously hard to get an upgrade on, on UA it is notoriously easy.

Which one is in the better state financially?

Dave

SQ doesn't op-up unless it really has to (like QF), but paid upgrades ($ or miles) can be had as long as there is availability. I've had a better success rate with SQ upgrades than with NZ (both supported by miles/upgrade vouchers).

 

[Dave Noble]

Very interesting, Dave - so in effect QF are more or less indirectly charging (by way of membership) for the use of those emergency row seats, in much the same way as Virgin Blue & Virgin Pacific charge outright, by classifying them as Blue Zone seating.

Not even close to the way Virgin Blue operates imo. Anyone can pay extra and book the exit seats on DJ. Qantas does not charge anything extra, just allows their top tier members to pre-allocate seats. Top tier membership can be attained without ever setting foot on a QF flight

Dave

 

[The Hammer]

Anyone can pay extra and book the exit seats on DJ.

Close - but not 100% correct.

Anyone WHO IS OF AGE, AND IS ABLE-BODIED can pay extra and book the exit seats on DJ.

Top tier membership can be attained without ever setting foot on a QF flight

That's interesting - how is that possible :?:

 

[oz_mark]

That's interesting - how is that possible :?:

Presumably by setting foot on a non-QF flight.

 

[Dave Noble]

That's interesting - how is that possible :?:

Easy, fly on other OW airlines

Dave

 

[The Hammer]

So by flying on ANY one of the multitude of One World Alliance partner airlines, it's possible to gain the top level ranking with ALL of them?
And gain full privileges with EACH one every time?

 

[simongr]

No, by getting top tier with one airline (say QF WP) you get Emerald status with oneworld. That gives you certain privelleges with all oneworld airlines.

Check out this page on the oneworld site - oneworld - oneworld Tier Status

However you dont need to fly on a particular airline to get op tier status. If you fly say BA LHR-SYD once a month but book your points to QF you will get QF WP status instead of top tier status with BA.

Edit:

You could if you wanted - say if you were doing monthly rtn trips in First class SYD-LHR on BA progressively book all your points to each of the oneworld partner programs and get top tier with all of them (I would need to do teh maths to check that out though) - although you would then have a lot of points with each airline - but you wouldnt have a huge amount with one - so it would not be efficient. And if you are flying first class once a month SYD-LHR then you probably dont care about FF programs and by flying First you are already getting the benefits way beyond the Emerald status

 

[Reggie]

Exit Row 16 on a 744 ( as well as exits 46,58 and 29 (on 2 class aeroplanes) ) indeed show as taken. A request to the seating ppl can be made for QF Platinum/Chairman's Lounge members only, but cannot be assigned by the reservations agents directly.

Just looking at seatmaps , there seem to be no seats held back in F , though it looks like 11JK and 23ABJK are blocked off

Dave

Sorry for dragging this old one up. Dave I attempted to do this today, and was told by the Qantas people that she would send it through to the seating people and I should know in 5 days.

Is this your experience, or is normally done immediately.

Adrian

 

[Mal]

Sorry for dragging this old one up. Dave I attempted to do this today, and was told by the Qantas people that she would send it through to the seating people and I should know in 5 days.

Is this your experience, or is normally done immediately.

Adrian

Last time I tried it took about 15 minutes after my call. Another time the agent called up Seating ppls while I was on hold and it was assigned when they came back.

5 days? Hmmm. A bit overboard I think!

 

[serfty]

Sorry for dragging this old one up. Dave I attempted to do this today, and was told by the Qantas people that she would send it through to the seating people and I should know in 5 days.

Is this your experience, or is normally done immediately.

Adrian

It seems to have been this way for some months; before that they would normally do it on the spot.

Don't concern too much; ALL my requests have come through and shown up on CheckMyTrip - some in a few hours, others in a few days.

 

[Dave Noble]

Is this your experience, or is normally done immediately.

Adrian

Normal process. If it doesnt show in the next day or so, do call back

Dave

 

[janmc]

Since I have seat allocation request - as a Qantas Club member and Freq Flyer and after much the same happening on Hotham to Melb flights I asked the question - I was told to ring the day before and request a forward seat. Reason being - husband is disabled and finds getting down aisle to back in little planes difficult. Never a problem the other way (Melb to Hotham)- so cannot understand it.
Jan

 

[og]

..Is this your experience, or is normally done immediately.

Same story as those above. Recent request for row 16 on the 744 was made in the evening and it was confirmed by mid morning next day.

 

[The Hammer]

Out of curiousity, how much EXTRA would those of you who request Exit Row seats be prepared to pay, if the airlines (such as Virgin Blue) started charging for them? $20? $30? $50?
Or would you - even at say $20 extra - then not request it?

By way of comment, the company I work for (JAL Express) reduced the number of seats (by 5) to introduce a "J Class" - business class-sized seats (take a peek at them by clicking here), and a few little extras, for an extra JPY1,000 (about AUD13).
Patronage has been running at around 80%.

My personal opinion is that airlines rarely run at 100% load factors, so why not remove a row or two of existing seats, and in their place put in some Premium EY seating.

 

[JohnK]

Out of curiousity, how much EXTRA would those of you who request Exit Row seats be prepared to pay, if the airlines (such as Virgin Blue) started charging for them? $20? $30? $50?
Or would you - even at say $20 extra - then not request it?

Don't request exit rows very often now but definitely would not request them if they started charging extra money, even $20. It is not the cost just the principal of the matter.

 

[Yada Yada]

Out of curiousity, how much EXTRA would those of you who request Exit Row seats be prepared to pay, if the airlines (such as Virgin Blue) started charging for them? $20? $30? $50?
Or would you - even at say $20 extra - then not request it?

By way of comment, the company I work for (JAL Express) reduced the number of seats (by 5) to introduce a "J Class" - business class-sized seats (take a peek at them by clicking here), and a few little extras, for an extra JPY1,000 (about AUD13).
Patronage has been running at around 80%.

My personal opinion is that airlines rarely run at 100% load factors, so why not remove a row or two of existing seats, and in their place put in some Premium EY seating.

This is exactly the proposition I have made in another thread on this forum recently regarding Virgin Blue - a New World Business Class. I would definitely pay more for better seating - $13 is nothing. I reckon they could charge $30-$50.

However I'd prefer 2+2 seating. The 3+2 seating in your pic would not give enough elbow room for my liking and I reckon the dog-leg aisle would be a bit of a pain.

 

[The Hammer]

You're quite right, Yada Yada, that dog leg is a real pain in the backside, but by doing away with the 4 seats in those 4 rows, it dramatically reduces the potential revenue.
Then again, I believe that the current JPY1,000/AUD13 extra, could easily be doubled, and still sell.

As for the elbow room, the picture doesn't really do justice to just how wide those seats actually are - but the centre seated person is always going to feel squeezed, I guess.

It is not the cost just the principal of the matter.

We're talking airline accountants here, JohnK - and as far as my experience with them goes, the only principles concerned start with a "D" and end with an "R" ($$'s).