Should P1's and CL be "guaranteed" seat selection?

[Fantic125]

To me it would make sense for P1 & CL members to have a preferred seat selection option that they can enter into their profile so when they book a flight the system would assign that seat unless already taken by someone else.

I think it would be unrealistic to expect someone to be evicted from the seat if it is already allocated though, as it may have already been allocated to another P1 or CL who booked earlier.

 

[Feper]

To me it would make sense for P1 & CL members to have a preferred seat selection option that they can enter into their profile so when they book a flight the system would assign that seat unless already taken by someone else.

I think it would be unrealistic to expect someone to be evicted from the seat if it is already allocated though, as it may have already been allocated to another P1 or CL who booked earlier.

Don't disagree with the first part of your response, but given that by there very nature that CL and P1 are more likely to book flights at short notice (and at a premium fare level) so the need to reallocate an earlier booking would need to be used.

 

[Per_Travels]

Always enjoy reading the responses that Feper manages to generate. I have to say, in this case I'm tending towards agreeing with him (the sentiments, although perhaps not the way that they're expressed). I generally don't end up with my preferred seat selection because I'm invariably booking my travel late and making changes on the road. For example, I've spent this morning organising a trip to Houston next week. I'll be heading over on a refurbished 747 and have a choice of row 7, some middle seat or 1A (and having been cramped into 1B on this flight in the past I have no intention of squeezing into the even tighter 1A). I'd love to be able to sit in my preferred 5B.

It strikes me as a simple business proposition. I (or rather the company that I work for) will spend around 100k ferrying me around the world this year. QF wants a piece of the action and so they make me a WP1 and generally stroke my ego by giving me a range of benefits. It would be nice if one of these benefits was to ensure that I get my preferred seat on a plane especially given that my travel is subject to unavoidably late booking and changes. Why would QF shift a WP (or SG or whoever) out of their seat to accomodate me - well the WP is paying QF 20k a year (or whatever it is) and I'm paying 100k a year so QF as a simple business proposition wants to keep my revenue coming in more than the WP.

What's so hard to understand?

Obviously if a CL wants the seat that I've pre-allocated then he gets it because, in the grand scheme of things, my paltry 100k pales into insignificance in comparison to the couple of million that the CL brings to QF. And when the time comes that I drop down to WP (or even SG) then I fully understand that I've dropped down the pecking order and may get bumped out of my seat by someone who's worth more to QF.

 

[Joshua]

...

Seems a bit of a misconception of what many CL are like. They are actually considered 'important', most likely on a commercial basis. Believing they all fly around at the last minute in premium cabins is a bit distorted as they often exhibit average flying habits. They're too busy or interesting enough to care about any of this.

P1 is certainly nothing special, but what is special is when you don't realise all the negative social interactions you attract in life are because of your inadequacies. I have met this type of person on a plane before. I don't envy them for a moment as their general dissatisfaction in life becomes clear in person, likely caused by deeply internalised social and behavioural issues.

Seating on public transport shouldn't be a big issue. Happiness and proficiency in social bonding throughout life should be. Just keeping it all in perspective.

 

[medhead]

you have... it's called Advanced Seat Selection..

Exactly! advanced seat selection gives a P1 or CL to choose any seat in they cabin. If they don't select their preferred seat when given the opportunity they must be fools. If their preferred seat is already occupied when doing advanced seat selection that means some one qantas deems to be more important has got in first. In such case they just need to accept that there is someone more important to qantas on the aircraft.


Sent from the Throne

 

[Per_Travels]

Exactly! advanced seat selection gives a P1 or CL to choose any seat in they cabin. If they don't select their preferred seat when given the opportunity they must be fools. If their preferred seat is already occupied when doing advanced seat selection that means some one qantas deems to be more important has got in first. In such case they just need to accept that there is someone more important to qantas on the aircraft.


Sent from the Throne

I don't think this is quite true. You may be right that for my SYD - DFW flight next week the person in 5B is more important than me in QF's eyes, or it may be that they're less important but they were able to book there flight before me. The question really is "should someone who QF feels is more important than someone else be able to bump the less important person out of their already allocated seat". I'm saying that maybe they should. Before the howls start - please note that I said "who QF feels is more important". On a personal note I don't feel that I'm better than anyone else just because I fly a lot.

 

[medhead]

I don't think this is quite true. You may be right that for my SYD - DFW flight next week the person in 5B is more important than me in QF's eyes, or it may be that they're less important but they were able to book there flight before me. The question really is "should someone who QF feels is more important than someone else be able to bump the less important person out of their already allocated seat". I'm saying that maybe they should. Before the howls start - please note that I said "who QF feels is more important". On a personal note I don't feel that I'm better than anyone else just because I fly a lot.

If you example was in economy I might agree. But IMLE all J seats are pretty much equal, with middle seats and blocked in window seats being slightly less equal. But at least in J you have your area to yourself.

The problem i see is that some people think they are more important than everyone else on the aircraft (unlike you and me)

Off topic: with your flight have you used something like expert flyer to check the seat map. Maybe that row 7 seat will give you a shadow.


Sent from the Throne

 

[NM]

It should be obvious as to why a P1 is more valuable than a WP, essentially 3 times the flying to get that level, and with that would come the rewards.

As an individual perhaps, but as a collective group I suggest there would be way more than value in Platinums than Platinum-1s. I expect there would be way more than 3 x Platinum-1s in the Platinum pool. Even if totaling the SCs earned by Platinum-1s verses Platinums, my guess is that the Platinum pool will be higher (if using SC earn as a measure of value of the members to QF).

So if my assumption is correct, QF should be offering this to Platinum status customers. After all, from QF's business perspective P1s are already super-loyal so its better to focus the loyalty bait on where there is biggest benefit to QF - being Platinum and perhaps even Gold status members.

 

[Per_Travels]

If you example was in economy I might agree. But IMLE all J seats are pretty much equal, with middle seats and blocked in window seats being slightly less equal. But at least in J you have your area to yourself.

The problem i see is that some people think they are more important than everyone else on the aircraft (unlike you and me)

Off topic: with your flight have you used something like expert flyer to check the seat map. Maybe that row 7 seat will give you a shadow.


Sent from the Throne

My faith in EF diminishes every time I fly - usually it shows a shadow right up until the moment I get on the plane and introduce myself to the person sitting next to me. In fact last week I had a shadow showing just before I checked in and when I got to my seat (11E on the A380 there were two people fighting over the seat next to me - both of whom had boarding passes showing 11F).

Back on topic I think you're generally right about all business seats being good (and certainly an awful lot better than Y) but there are some significant differences, particularly on the refurbished 747 where I would probably have a DYKWIA moment if I found myself in the front row again

 

[Per_Travels]

As an individual perhaps, but as a collective group I suggest there would be way more than value in Platinums than Platinum-1s. I expect there would be way more than 3 x Platinum-1s in the Platinum pool. Even if totaling the SCs earned by Platinum-1s verses Platinums, my guess is that the Platinum pool will be higher (if using SC earn as a measure of value of the members to QF).

So if my assumption is correct, QF should be offering this to Platinum status customers. After all, from QF's business perspective P1s are already super-loyal so its better to focus the loyalty bait on where there is biggest benefit to QF - being Platinum and perhaps even Gold status members.

I'd keep quiet about this if I was you - if we're not careful we'll realise that the great unwashed with no status who fly once a year actually provide a big chunk of revenue and they'll end up sitting at the front with the CL's

 

[bossreggie]

We do!!

I am always pre-allocated the seat I like to fly in.

Maybe I'm just that little bit more important to QF than you are Feper?

 

[ozmille]

Why the question? From your posts before you went to LHR this week you said that you had 11F locked in both ways, did they give away your seat?

 

[simongr]

As an individual perhaps, but as a collective group I suggest there would be way more than value in Platinums than Platinum-1s. I expect there would be way more than 3 x Platinum-1s in the Platinum pool. Even if totaling the SCs earned by Platinum-1s verses Platinums, my guess is that the Platinum pool will be higher (if using SC earn as a measure of value of the members to QF).

So if my assumption is correct, QF should be offering this to Platinum status customers. After all, from QF's business perspective P1s are already super-loyal so its better to focus the loyalty bait on where there is biggest benefit to QF - being Platinum and perhaps even Gold status members.

To quote the oft quoted stats - 60,000 WP including 3,000 P1.

 

[NM]

To quote the oft quoted stats - 60,000 WP including 3,000 P1.

Point proven then! Platinum (as a group) is more important to Qantas than Platinum-1 *~^+.

* assuming importance is measured by revenue to QF, SC's earned by the collective status group, miles flown by the collective status group, or colour of the socks worn by the majority of the collective status group.
~ Also assuming that the average spend, SC earn and miles flown by Platinum-1 is less than 20 times the average Platinum - for SC,s that would mean an individual average SC earn rate greater than 24,000 per year (based on Platinum renewal minimum earn of 1200 status credits)
^ Also assuming that the quoted, oft-quoted stats are somewhat reflective of reality
+ Ignoring any double status credit bonus promotions since Platinum-1 members would be gaining more from such promo since they travel more regularly

 

[QF029]

Why should 'peasant' P1 members be placed on a par with CL?

 

[k3nnis]

Well why not fly J for domestic as well? I'm sure you can afford it

Yes, I do only fly f or J internationally, but domestically it's all Y, my point is that the choice should be there whether it is for 1A or 73K

 

[medhead]

Point proven then! Platinum (as a group) is more important to Qantas than Platinum-1 *~^+.

SC are the measure of worth that qantas has implemented for us mere mortals. I also wonder how many of those lessor platinums (aka WPs) get 3595 SC per year. Actually, if we assume a normal distribution of earn across the QFF program that has 60000 members between 1200 and 3595 SC. We could probably sum the area under the curve to get total Lessor platinum SC and compare to the 3000 at 3600+ SC.

Who said I don't remember my statistics/mathematics/physics?


Sent from the Throne

 

[Fantic125]

SC are the measure of worth that qantas has implemented for us mere mortals. I also wonder how many of those lessor platinums (aka WPs) get 3595 SC per year. Actually, if we assume a normal distribution of earn across the QFF program that has 60000 members between 1200 and 3595 SC. We could probably sun the area under the curve to get total Lessor platinum SC and compare to the 3000 at 3600+ SC.

Who said I don't remember my statistics/mathematics/physics?


Sent from the Throne

I tend to think it would be a skewed distribution rather than a normal distribution, centred more closely to the 1,200 ~ 1,400 SC's and tailing down to the 3,600+........

 

[medhead]

I tend to think it would be a skewed distribution rather than a normal distribution, centred more closely to the 1,200 ~ 1,400 SC's and tailing down to the 3,600+........

Yeah there's gotta be a heap on <15SC per year. Interesting thought problem. Was there a percentage linked to WP1 and lessor plat? Ummm


Sent from the Throne

 

[JessicaTam]

I wonder if my requoting of the stats is becoming the official source for the stats themselves...

I believe that AJ quoted them recently, so we can probably consider them as close enough.