Following a successful launch on domestic routes, Qantas is now expanding its “Neighbour Free” program onto international flights.

This initiative allows customers on many domestic flights to purchase an empty neighbouring seat for a small additional fee, starting from just $30 on short flights.

The Neighbour Free concept was initially trialled on six domestic routes, including Sydney to Gold Coast in September 2022. It has since been expanded to cover the majority of the Qantas domestic network. From today, it is also now being offered on 19 international routes.

Similar to the Bid Now upgrade system, Qantas customers booked in Economy Class on eligible flights are invited by email to purchase a neighbour-free seat around 24-48 hours before departure.

For obvious reasons, this would only be offered on flights where there are sufficient empty seats remaining for sale. This is not available on all flights, and cannot be reserved more than 48 hours before the flight.

Qantas has long had an unofficial policy of blocking the seats next to Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers, who also receive priority access to up-front seat reservations if a flight is not fully booked. Presumably, customers paying for a Neighbour Free request will now receive priority over the available “shadows”. That said, most of the Neighbour Free seats being offered are towards the back of the plane.

How to reserve a Neighbour Free seat

Qantas customers invited to purchase a neighbour-free seat can do so up to an hour prior to the flight’s scheduled departure time by clicking on the link in the email invitation.

You’ll be able to select which seats you want to reserve before completing the payment by credit card.

Payments using a flight credit or Qantas TravelPass are not accepted.

Things to be aware of

It is only possible to reserve one Neighbour Free seat per booking, so you can’t book a whole row of three for yourself. Qantas says that this empty seat cannot be used for carry-on baggage storage or infant seating. The service is not offered to passengers with exit row, bassinet or preferred seat reservations, nor to children under 12 years old.

Availability is limited, so it is possible that there may not be any more empty seats available by the time you click on the link in the email.

Qantas also says that it can’t guarantee it will be able to honour all Neighbour Free reservations, for example, if a flight is cancelled or a large number of passengers book tickets at the last minute. Customers who don’t receive the seat reservation they paid for will be entitled to a refund.

Both of your reserved seats will be printed on your boarding pass with a note that you’ve paid for a Neighbour Free seat assignment.

Qantas points and status credits are not earned on the second seat.

The Qantas website has more details about how this works, including the terms & conditions.

Additional restrictions on international routes

While Qantas trials offering Neighbour Free on international routes, it won’t be available to customers who:

• Have purchased an extra legroom seat
• Have requested an upgrade to Premium Economy or Business
• Are travelling with an infant
• Have an unaccompanied minor in the booking
• Are travelling as part of a group booking

On which routes is Qantas Neighbour Free available?

As of October 2023, Qantas Neighbour Free is offered on over 130 Australian domestic routes including Sydney-Darwin, Brisbane-Perth and Perth-Melbourne (plus many others). It is also now being trialled on the following international routes:

• Brisbane-Auckland
• Brisbane-Christchurch
• Brisbane-Los Angeles
• Brisbane-Singapore
• Brisbane-Wellington (flights commence 29 October)
• Melbourne-Auckland
• Melbourne-Christchurch
• Melbourne-Dallas
• Melbourne-Los Angeles
• Melbourne-Singapore
• Melbourne-Wellington
• Perth-Singapore
• Sydney-Auckland
• Sydney-Christchurch
• Sydney-Dallas
• Sydney-Honolulu
• Sydney-Los Angeles
• Sydney-San Francisco
• Sydney-Wellington

Qantas plans to expand this product onto more international flights in the coming months.

How much does Qantas Neighbour Free cost?

The cost to reserve an empty seat next to you on a Qantas flight depends on the route. If you receive an email invitation to buy a Neighbour Free seat, you’ll be able to see the exact price before deciding whether to pay.

To give you an idea, the cost is generally around:

• $30 on short domestic flights (e.g. Sydney-Gold Coast, Sydney-Canberra or Adelaide-Melbourne)
• $45 on domestic flights around two hours and trans-Tasman flights (e.g. Adelaide-Sydney or Melbourne-Auckland)
• $65 on longer domestic flights (e.g. Perth-Melbourne or Adelaide-Darwin)
• $100 between Australia and Asia (e.g. Melbourne-Singapore)
• $225 between Australia and North America (e.g. Sydney-Dallas or Brisbane-Los Angeles)

Do any other airlines offer this?

Several other airlines have trialled similar services in the past, including Etihad Airways and Air New Zealand.

I recall receiving an offer to bid for an empty neighbouring seat once on an Airberlin flight as well. In the end, that particular flight was around 20% full and I received a whole row to myself anyway – so I’m glad I didn’t pay extra for that!

Qantas comfort seats

Alternatively, Qantas customers have the option to book an “Extra Seat (EXST) for Personal Comfort” – also known as a comfort seat – at the time of booking. This product is available on all Qantas flights and is designed for larger passengers who need more space. It guarantees a vacant neighbouring seat, and you will also earn points and status credits for the additional seat.

However, the cost of reserving a comfort seat is likely to be somewhat higher. You’ll need to pay the full airfare for the second seat, minus any taxes or surcharges.

Comfort seats can be booked by calling Qantas or through a travel agent. It’s not possible to book an Extra Seat for Personal Comfort online.

Matt Graham

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 90 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include aviation, economics & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.