The WP shadow

[amaroo]

QF513 today.

Row 4 full except for 4A.....and it remained empty for the complete flight :what:

While waiting to offload, my two seat buddies start talking about seat alloction. Mr 4E complains that he got stuck in a middle seat with on-line checking this morning and Mr 4F delcares that he was happy with his alloction which the machine gave him at checkin.

They then start pondering about the dark art of seat allocation. ..... Mr 4E declares that he used fly buys for their tickets.

Apparently Mrs 4B is his wife :what:

 

[Kangol]

QF513 today.

Row 4 full except for 4A.....and it remained empty for the complete flight :what:

While waiting to offload, my two seat buddies start talking about seat alloction. Mr 4E complains that he got stuck in a middle seat with on-line checking this morning and Mr 4F delcares that he was happy with his alloction which the machine gave him at checkin.

They then start pondering about the dark art of seat allocation. ..... Mr 4E declares that he used fly buys for their tickets.

Apparently Mrs 4B is his wife :what:

I've recently been in 4C where 4B and 4E were husband and wife. Once in the air, an FA came up to them and told them about a pair of available seats further back that were next to each other. My guess is they asked to move and were told that if there was availability once airborne, they could move. They didn't move back for descent though.

 

[amaroo]

I've recently been in 4C where 4B and 4E were husband and wife. Once in the air, an FA came up to them and told them about a pair of available seats further back that were next to each other. My guess is they asked to move and were told that if there was availability once airborne, they could move. They didn't move back for descent though.

I was gob smacked 4B didn't shift over.......then really gob smacked the hubby didn't move thus providing me with a shadow

 

[danny09]

So i decided to e-mail the P1 SST the other day about blocked seats,etc as it was really getting to me knowing something has changed with blocked seats,etc

Hopefuly the shadows/blocked seats come back alive, for me the blocked seat next to me is a must have with the amount of flying i do!

My email to them

Hi the P1 team,



"I was wondering if you could assist me with something. I have been platinum one for 2 years now, & about 3 weeks off qualify’ing for my 3rd year. When I first got platinum one, I use expert flyer (like currently I do) to look at my flight seat maps, etc & always, (99% of the time) had a blocked seat (shadow some people call it) next to me, no matter what class I was in, this was fantastic & a wonderful benefit of the platinum one level.



I did notice along my time, that this benefit (unofficial benefit) was also available for CL members, & thought, wow that’s great. I loved the feeling knowing on a full flight, the seat next to me, would be the last seat to get taken on the plane, & it 95% of the time, this was true.



Something happened 3-4 weeks ago, & this “unofficial benefit” has totally disappeared, I do not within T-80hrs get a blocked seat next to me anymore, this has been on regular discussion on Australian frequent Flyer & Frequent Flyers Australia, a platinum one I have spoken to said if you ring the SST, they will put a blocked seat next to you when you ask, now to me, that sounds backwards, & really don’t want to ring up every time I have a flight just to get a spare seat next to me.



Attached is a screen shot of my flight tomorrow QF1117 (PHE-PER), I’m in 4F 2 screen shots, one from the QF page & the other from expert flyer. You can clearly see my problem with this, as there are so many spare seats in the plane, & the one benefit I most enjoy of being a platinum one, I no longer have.



Ofcourse there may another platinum one in the seat next to me, & which is why he can choose this seat.



I really don’t mean to come across like I own the seat next to me & that if I want a spare seat next to me, buy a comfort seat, or come across as a typical platinum one member who thinks he’s best friends with AJ (lol)



I guess I’m hoping you tell me, its a glitch & it will be fixed soon.



The disappearance of the “unofficial benefit” of a shadow & also the “simpler & fairer flying” has really made me consider do Qantas actually care about the people that fly with them most.



If you could give me any advise or information in any way, that would be great.


QF-Dear Mr McGowan,

I am following up on the email you sent last night regarding the blocked/shadow seats. I just want to confirm that this is being investigated and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Kind regards,


QF-We have been advised that we have been experiencing several problems with seating and check-in via our Amadeus system.

These issues are in the process of being resolved. The good news is that the change you have identified is not intended and not an ‘enhancement’ but a system error.

All should return to normal very soon"

 

[Colster]

QF-Dear Mr McGowan,

"

You may want to remove your identifier there...

 

[Ansett]

Very Interesting response given the advise I have been given some time ago that one MUST now ring or email if you want a shadow. Seems to me that some one on the P1 team didn't actually check what was going and made up a response on the Fly. What great service we get from the P1 Team.......

How many other glitches are they having one wonders

Well done and thank you for posting the responses from QF.

 

[opusman]

I like how they say it's 'not an enhancement'

 

[danny09]

You may want to remove your identifier there...

theres always gotta be one

 

[boomy]

Very Interesting response given the advise I have been given some time ago that one MUST now ring or email if you want a shadow.

You can also ask at the airport on the day.
I don't bother doing it for short flights but anything over 2 hours I do ask and it works well (as long as the flight is not full).

 

[Willy]

I use Expertflyer prior to T-80 to identify whether 4C or 4D (738's) are actually taken and if they are, until recently, at T-80, I would select the window seat (4A or 4F) knowing that the middle seat is likely to be blocked thanks to presumably a WP1 or CL having 4C or 4D. That practice has most definately come unstuck in the past six weeks with absolutely no shadowing for, presumably, the WP1's (or CL's) anymore - even on lightly loaded flights. What is very apparent though is that shadowing appears to be happening in the rows behind row 4. Since the response by QF to Danny09 that there is a glitch with Amadeus, I haven't observed any changes at all to the new Row 4 seating enhancement.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

I can tell you from experience selecting a seat for the other half when flying solo, even an NB can get to row 4 at the moment, albeit middle seat. They've really screwed the pooch on this one.

 

[kermatu]

I've just had two air Berlin flights within Germany. As OWE, I was able to select seats in first 3 rows of the Y only flights. Both times I noticed a block on the middle seat next to me after selected (in EF). The shadow then held. Seats in first 3 rows were kept open and all of row 1 was empty this morning. AB obviously keep their premium seats for premium pax only.

an automatic shadow system which holds. QF, please take lessons from AB!

 

[JessicaTam]

I have just got off the phone from a QF manager (name withheld to protect the innocent!)

Amadeus had an update recently which caused a couple of problems:

One was the preallocation of setting preference to those who do not choose seats, such as aisle/window etc. They are hoping a fix to this will occur this week.

The other problem was the allocation of a 'courtesy seat' to high tier pax. This has been flagged with Amadeus and a fix should be loaded soon.

There was never any intention to 'enhance'* the shadow, as it is something QF like to provide and they are working on getting it back.

Thanks for the phone call QF.

*My word, not QF's

 

[Mr_Orange]

Good to hear. I was really hoping this post was going to be something positive when I received notification of a new post to this thread.

 

[JessicaTam]

Good to hear. I was really hoping this post was going to be something positive when I received notification of a new post to this thread.

Happy to oblige, Sir.

 

[amaroo]

The change can't come quick enough ... plenty of those precious X on this map - unfortunately not next to me ... although at T-22 I'm still seat buddy free.

 

[Ansett]

I have just got off the phone from a QF manager (name withheld to protect the innocent!)

Amadeus had an update recently which caused a couple of problems:

One was the preallocation of setting preference to those who do not choose seats, such as aisle/window etc. They are hoping a fix to this will occur this week.

The other problem was the allocation of a 'courtesy seat' to high tier pax. This has been flagged with Amadeus and a fix should be loaded soon.

There was never any intention to 'enhance'* the shadow, as it is something QF like to provide and they are working on getting it back.

Thanks for the phone call QF.

*My word, not QF's

Thanks Jessica

the most disappointing thing about this was the response from the P1 team when I enquired about it. The response was simply well it was never a guarantee and you should be checking with us 3 days prior to your flight. Surely the P1 team should know what is going on or should investigate an issue when it is raised.

 

[Aeolus]

Qf81 today. Shadow on row 23 held until this morning and then disappeared. Ended up asking F lounge to move me to the back at T-2 just to have a shadow. Not happy as it was certainly not full load. Hope they fix it soon as it's certainly getting on my nerves.

 

[doubleplatinum]

Travelling overwhelmingly in J due to the munificence of clients, I was oblivious to the existance of the WP 'shadow' until being a regular reader of these pages.

An international long-haul trip in whY (fare O) is coming up (horrors!) and I'll be travelling with 2 friends (QFF members, no status).

So how does it work?

* When I check in (and I usually check in early, having selected my seat in advance), with or without travel companions, am I guaranteed an empty seat beside me? Or is it 'subject to space being available'?

No they will bump someone from a full flight to ensure you get your shadow?!?!?!?!

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

This whole plebs in middle seat row 4 is getting tiresome...