Qantas... Why do we bother?

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Some bizarre things can happen. At the beginning of the year Mr FM, myself and Miss FM were flying CBR - MEL. I had preselected exit row for us (one booking) and we checked in as such. At the gate we were beeped and Mr FM was given a new boarding pass for the row behind us. There were numerous other boarding passes lying on the table. We ended up chatting to our fellow passengers - the girl who had moved in next to me was bronze and hadn't asked to move. The elderly couple next to Mr FM said they had been asked to move into the exit row but had refused. I don't believe they had any status either. Presumably someone somewhere had requested to be seated together and that had ended up in a cascade of attempted changes that saw a platinum moved from the exit row and replaced by a bronze! The girl offered to swap with Mr FM, but he told her he hated the exit row so he was happy. :) ( I only select the exit row when Miss FM is with us because she has problems with one leg and needs extra space.)
 
Even worse, people (luckily they did not try me) were moved on a CBR - SYD flight because a family group (5+) including the odd inlaw or two, had their flight cancelled and were put the earlier flight that I was on, so making our flight a bit late, and still wanted to all sit together. The FAs were busy moving people around the plane...and the passengers agreed more fool them. Come on - it's a 25 minute flight for goodness sake!

I dont understand your logic - on the one hand you dont want to change your special seat to allow family members to be seated together, but on the other hand you emphasise it ¨is only a 25 minute flight¨ !! I would happily give up whatever seat I had on such a short flight to enable family members to be together.
 
I don't mind being "asked" to move. Different story when you've been spun BS about faulty seats or someone decides you can't have that seat.
 
I dont understand your logic - on the one hand you dont want to change your special seat to allow family members to be seated together, but on the other hand you emphasise it ¨is only a 25 minute flight¨ !! I would happily give up whatever seat I had on such a short flight to enable family members to be together.

The point is very clear. It's is such a short flight, instead of stuffing around demanding to be seated together and delay the flight in the process, that the seats given and get on with it. Also worth remembering that the group of 5 are the ones disrupting the flight, even if it's due to qantas issues. Why should someone who is in their assigned seat, on their original flight have to move to accommodate someone who is changing at the last minute especially when the flight is so short. It's pretty clear who's caused the issues.
 
I think unless there are very old, very young, or disabled people needing to be rebooked into a different flight that they just sit where there are unallocated seats.
 
Would our opinions on this topic change should we find out that a member within a traveling party (be it 2 pax or what have you not) be a nervy flyer?
 
Would our opinions on this topic change should we find out that a member within a traveling party (be it 2 pax or what have you not) be a nervy flyer?

For me, no; but how nervy, exactly? Nor would my opinion change if the person concerned had a fear of aisles, windows, exit rows or big red aircraft.
 
I dont understand your logic - on the one hand you dont want to change your special seat to allow family members to be seated together, but on the other hand you emphasise it ¨is only a 25 minute flight¨ !! I would happily give up whatever seat I had on such a short flight to enable family members to be together.
Yes, it was only a 25 minute flight. I (and the other passengers for our flight) were on board waiting for the door to close and pushback. The flight after had been cancelled and some passengers were accommodated on our flight (instead of a later one). This group made a fuss because they wanted to be together. We were all on, bags stowed, settled - why should we move to accommodate some late comers? If it was me in the second group, I would have sucked it in and sat wherever the boarding pass had me not insist that the FAs shuffle people around. Their behaviour (unless there were circumstances we did not know about) was inconsiderate IMO. BTW from memory a couple of them were seated together - so if there were nervy or whatever ones in the group, shift around between yourselves. YMMV.
 
<snip>

Seems Business Class and FF Gold have been downgraded yet again.

<snip>

bobw - it doesn't just happen to Business and FF Gold, as I have mentioned in another thread, my wife and I (both WP) returned from London in First this week. Our seats had been carefully chosen 6 months ago but upon check in we discovered my wife had been moved to another seat.

When I asked for an explanation they could only speculate that perhaps the seat had gone unserviceable and was now fixed?? We received no notification of the change, which had apparently happened several days before flying, and at this late stage nothing could be done.

Did you ever get any response from Red Roo as to why you were moved?
 
... Their behaviour....

That is really the issue. My point of view was expressed in ¨normal¨ circumstances, where a ¨family group¨ is parents and children, so I have no problema moving. But if it is a group of adults causing a fuss then ¨bugger them¨. You were there, so you know which scenario applies, so ok I agree now :)
 
I dont understand your logic - on the one hand you dont want to change your special seat to allow family members to be seated together, but on the other hand you emphasise it ¨is only a 25 minute flight¨ !! I would happily give up whatever seat I had on such a short flight to enable family members to be together.
Unfortunately some people are greedy and want everything. It wasn't enough they were accommodated on an earlier flight due to a later flight cancelled but they also wanted to sit together? Unless there are very small children involved then no need to hold up anyone further by insisting to sit together for a 25 minute flight.

In fact the length of flight is irrelevant. Just take what can you can get. If I am offered an earlier flight and there are only middle seats then I refuse the offer and go on later flight.
 
If I am offered an earlier flight and there are only middle seats then I refuse the offer and go on later flight.

While I usually agree with you JohnK, I am not too sure I agree in this situation. In this case, the pax flight was cancelled (i.e. they had no influence on the changed flight). So, it is not unreadable for them to expect the same experience on the earlier flight to what was anticipated on their booked flight. There might have been health (physical or mental) reasons why they still wanted to be seated together.

This situation is, IMHO, different from the so-called "downgraded" thread (Downgraded from business class-AGAIN[Flight Change Revoked]) when it was the pax desire to be on the earlier flight and not the one they booked: they were offered a seat (initially in J but then Y) but were unhappy with the outcome. I would have been happy with a Y middle seat with an earlier flight if the changed flight timing was important to me. But not too happy if my flight was cancelled and my family was unable to sit together on the alternative flight.
 
They still had the option to refuse the new flight if the seating was an issue.
 
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While I usually agree with you JohnK, I am not too sure I agree in this situation. In this case, the pax flight was cancelled (i.e. they had no influence on the changed flight). So, it is not unreadable for them to expect the same experience on the earlier flight to what was anticipated on their booked flight. There might have been health (physical or mental) reasons why they still wanted to be seated together.
I see it slightly differently. Their flight, which was due to depart later, was cancelled and they are given seats on an earlier flight in the final stages of boarding. Huge win for them.

Not seated together? Take what you have been given or go on a later flight if you want to sit together. The people already boarded and waiting to go owe this family absolutely nothing. They do not deserve to be inconvenienced for petty reasons such as seating.

And yes I know there may have been medical reasons etc then in this situation take a later flight where there is plenty of gime to sort out seating. And let me guess? They wanted to sit together around the best seat of the 5 seats they were allocated?
 
In particular if it is such a large family group - could they not have accepted sitting together in smaller groups? I'm guessing if there were small children it was possible to have at least 2 pax together. Though I'm not sure that in-laws seating arrangements should matter in normal circumstances.

I had a flight changed on me once at the very last minute (I was flying from CBR to MEL with a connection to PER, but the flight to MEL was so delayed I would have missed the connection). Without asking me if it was okay Qantas staff shifted me to a SYD flight (I was rather unimpressed, not a fan of flying through SYD, especially if I'm not asked before my flight is changed), and I just put up with the seat they put me in. Luckily on the flight back to PER they were still able to give me a window seat because I get motion sickness, but I wouldn't have insisted other passengers be shifted just because I was unlucky enough to have to have my flight changed.

Meanwhile, similar thing happened once with Virgin - there was a possibility my plane was going to be delayed (not even a definite), and they offered to try to get me on a flight through MEL (I was actually going through SYD this time), and upgrade me to Business for the trouble. Turns out there were no seats of either class on the MEL flight, but it was the fact that the staff asked, and tried to do all they could to make my life easier. ASKING before changing a flight on me is always appreciated!
 
Ooh, I didn't think my comment would create so much discussion! It was a few years ago so I probably have forgotten all the intricacies of the situation. I remember there were a couple of children and other adults but I think that the issue was that the whole group wanted to be together not just parent with child. As I said earlier I don't know if there were any special circumstances - and that may have made a difference - but I do recollect the group standing just inside the cabin door discussing wanting people moved so they could be together. Hope that's the end of it.
 
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Hopefully not restarting a never ending thread, but another example, in my view, of QF failing to manage seat allocations well - though in this case initiated by an aircraft sub a few weeks out.

Family of myself, Mrs Asiaflyer, and Master Asiaflyer's aged 1 (with seat) 4 and 5, in J SYD-NRT return in 747's on one booking. We are WP, SG, 2 x PS and a NB. On booking I had selected seats for both legs, right at the front in the nose so the kids can have windows and be easily contained by the adults. Was looking forward to the flight up as it was originally the old F seats. A week out and it's been subbed to a new J fit out plane - disappointing but happens.

In the change QF managed to allocated the 4 year old a lower deck window seat by themselves, the 5 year old the opposite side lower deck window seat by themselves, myself and 1 year old together lower deck, and Mrs Asiaflyer by herself upper deck. Luckily I was watching the booking and have just called to obtain something a little more suitable (though Mrs Asiaflyer was looking forward to a relaxing flight by herself). Of course since most seats are now allocated options were minimal - so I have managed to get the 5 of us in the same vicinity, but spread across two rows with some window side seats and some centre seats. Being in the middle of the rear cabin the kids will of course be more difficult to control and confine (note they travel well but I always plan for the worst so I minimise any potential disruption to others). However I hate to think what would have eventuated if like many I had simply turned up at the airport or perhaps gone to checking online a day out ....

Surely QF can do better when they need to reallocate seats due to an aircraft sub with a week or so notice, perhaps even make contact with the pax proactively when there's 1) multiple young children, 2) premium class and 3) status.
 
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