Low End FF?

[ReLoad]

Hi Everyone,

Excuse the Noob and my first post

Ok, this has been bugging me for some time now, but first some background:

I've been flying QF MEL/SYD since September last year every week, sometimes twice a week and throw in the odd BNE as well, My fares are E-deal on the way up (as i dont need to change outbound) and Flex on the way back, always in cattle class.

In December my status period ended, so of course i wasted some 350 status credits (just short of being gold) so was a silver, now in the next week or so ill finally crack it into Gold, yay for me, last time i was QF gold was way back in 2004.

Anyways, a couple of things bug me, I am a frequent flyer, sure i dont pay the big bucks in J or even the most expensive fares, and i dont fly as often as some people but ive just done some 40 seperate flights this year, and may/may not end up in platinum by years end.

Here is my question: how come my seat selection is so cough?, yes i know that they block out certain ones for the big cheeses, which is cool no issue, but i have NOT been able get a seat forward of row 38 on a 767 or forward of the row behind the exit on a 737.

A good example is tomorrow at 1300 SYD/MEL not a single seat available in the front 60% of the plane........ please.....

Even when i was a nobody bronze i got better seats that what i get now, im just wondering what the real deal is, given seat selection in advance and all that sort of thing.

Its funny and it may sound silly but i do miss the old Golden wing days.

I guess the acid test will be in a few weeks when i tick over into gold.


cheers

Ryan

 

[JohnK]

Welcome to AFF ReLoad.

The changes you speak of are as a result of advance seat selection. They have split the aircraft into zones for each of the higher statuses e.g Chairmans Lounge, Platinum, Gold and Silver.

- At the time of booking flights there you can select a seat but cannot cross to a higher zone.
- At T-80 hours some more seats open up in the next higher zone and it is first in first served
- Finally at T-24 hours and OLCI a few more seats open up as people chop and change

If you care about where you sit then you will need to constantly check in case other seats open up.

 

[samh004]

If you care about where you sit then you will need to constantly check in case other seats open up.

And this is important, because even if you don’t have the effort, most other high status pax do go to the effort, so they’ll all be moving around, moving up.

 

[JohnK]

And this is important, because even if you don’t have the effort, most other high status pax do go to the effort, so they’ll all be moving around, moving up.

And this is what I do when booking a flight, at T-80 hours and when OLCI opens.

I have a very good record of sitting in the first row of economy since advance seat selection was implemented. I thought I was going to be worse off but I am much better off due to my perseverance.

 

[munitalP]

And this is important, because even if you don’t have the effort, most other high status pax do go to the effort, so they’ll all be moving around, moving up.

Now with seat selection available, I ALWAYS jump on the net and grab a front row seat. Sometimes the first row or two is unavailable, however, not very frequently. FWIW, I was told by someone in the know, that CL do NOT have a better selection than Platinum. This makes sense when considering CL is still only OWE, and is recognised no differently by other OW carriers than an OWE is.

There are some screen shots somewhere I posted where my worker (now gold) who was silver, his available seats at exactly the same time as my available seats - I am sure someone who knows how to search on this site could link the post or even resubmit the photos into this thread (yes sam, I am looking at you! lol)

Mr!

 

[JohnK]

Now with seat selection available, I ALWAYS jump on the net and grab a front row seat. Sometimes the first row or two is unavailable, however, not very frequently.

From my experience row 23-24 on a 767 and row 4-5 on a 73x are not available at the time of making the booking. So I select row 25 (or row 26 on the ex-BA 767's) and row 6 on the 73x's and then change at T-80 hours and again at OLCI.

I had 25D pre-allocated for a BNE-SYD flight this Friday and changed it earlier to 23J at T-79 hours. No need to check the allocated seat again unless there is an equipment change.

FWIW, I was told by someone in the know, that CL do NOT have a better selection than Platinum. This makes sense when considering CL is still only OWE, and is recognised no differently by other OW carriers than an OWE is.

Why do QF block off row 23-34 on a 767 and row 4-5 on a 73x?

 

[munitalP]

From my experience row 23-24 on a 767 and row 4-5 on a 73x are not available at the time of making the booking. So I select row 25 (or row 26 on the ex-BA 767's) and row 6 on the 73x's and then change at T-80 hours and again at OLCI.

I had 25D pre-allocated for a BNE-SYD flight this Friday and changed it earlier to 23J at T-79 hours. No need to check the allocated seat again unless there is an equipment change.


Why do QF block off row 23-34 on a 767 and row 4-5 on a 73x?

In my experience 23-24 are not blocked off - and Ive had single digit sequence numbers as well - maybe there is scaling within WP as well - who knows? I just jumped onto the QF website and chose 23A & 23B for a booked September flight (I'll show you at lunch rather than create a screen shot for obvious reasons)...

Mr!

 

[JohnK]

In my experience 23-24 are not blocked off - and Ive had single digit sequence numbers as well - maybe there is scaling within WP as well - who knows? I just jumped onto the QF website and chose 23A & 23B for a booked September flight (I'll show you at lunch rather than create a screen shot for obvious reasons)...

Single digit sequence numbers? Is this at the time of OLCI? I get those as well.

Perhaps Qantas is recognising Platinum + Partner Gold as a separate status to Platinum.

Can any Platinums (not Partner Gold) select rows 23-24 for future flights >T-80 hours?

 

[samh004]

I am sure someone who knows how to search on this site could link the post or even resubmit the photos into this thread (yes sam, I am looking at you! lol)

Mr!

The search function isn’t that great, I searched for about 10 minutes and then gave up.

 

[JohnK]

The search function isn’t that great, I searched for about 10 minutes and then gave up.

Have you tried using Google search with keyword site:frequentflyer.com.au?

 

[Mike79]

Single digit sequence numbers? Is this at the time of OLCI? I get those as well.

Perhaps Qantas is recognising Platinum + Partner Gold as a separate status to Platinum.

Can any Platinums (not Partner Gold) select rows 23-24 for future flights >T-80 hours?

I can confirm that as Platinum (Partner Gold) I cannot select rows 23-24 for future flights >T-80 hours. So it must be something else?

 

[JohnK]

OK now I am intrigued.

Hands up anyone who can pre-allocate rows 23-24 at >T-80 hours?

 

[samh004]

Have you tried using Google search with keyword site:frequentflyer.com.au?

But I’d be looking for a post by munitalP, containing keywords I’m not entirely sure of, and more importantly, an image. Google image search isn’t that useful.

 

[qf unfort]

Can any Platinums (not Partner Gold) select rows 23-24 for future flights >T-80 hours?

On Mel-Syd i've only been able to pre-select 25 on 767 and 6 on 737. However, on Melb-Adel 737 have been able to freely select row 4. But as mentioned above, can move forward closer to flight - thanks for the tip on the 80hr deadline for moving. Handy for some upcoming flights.

 

[Voyages]

And this is what I do when booking a flight, at T-80 hours and when OLCI opens.

Thanks Johnk for the T-80 hours tip. I am flying Y on Saturday to MEL on a 738. As an SG, I was only able to pre-select seats from row 11 backwards. But at T-80 hour, I can select seats from row 4.

 

[medhead]

As a PS since Seat selction was enabled for me 3 weeks ago, i've been able to to into rows 4 to 6 on my weekly flights. this is from an initial seat selction option of rows 23 to 26 on a 738.

Check early, check often.

 

[JohnK]

But at T-80 hour, I can select seats from row 4.

There will be greater competition as more people become aware of the benefit.

As a PS since Seat selction was enabled for me 3 weeks ago, i've been able to to into rows 4 to 6 on my weekly flights. this is from an initial seat selction option of rows 23 to 26 on a 738.

As a Silver I sincerely hope you can only get to rows 4-6 late during OLCI and not at booking time, at T-80 hours or even when OLCI opens up at T-24 hours.

Otherwise this is another eroding (and muddled) benefit for Platinums....

 

[Aenveigh]

I've been flying QF MEL/SYD since September last year every week, sometimes twice a week and throw in the odd BNE as well, My fares are E-deal on the way up (as i dont need to change outbound) and Flex on the way back, always in cattle class....
Anyways, a couple of things bug me, I am a frequent flyer, sure i dont pay the big bucks in J or even the most expensive fares, and i dont fly as often as some people but ive just done some 40 seperate flights this year, ...
... how come my seat selection is so cough?....i have NOT been able get a seat forward of row 38 on a 767 or forward of the row behind the exit on a 737.

Even when i was a nobody bronze

If you're travelling that much, join the Qantas Club. If you get Gold you'll just get the period extended, it's not a loss (unless you stop flying completely, instead of just slowing down).

I went from the back of the bus to regular exit row or <10, often up to about 6 or so - still as a NB, only just about to get PS (I started flying at a bad time in the status year, and always on discount economy -self funded !)

Plus, the lounge just helps the whole thing more bearable too.

I made similar comments in this thread a while back, I don't know why I put it off, it was the bad seating that was getting to me (as you) and the QP membership solved that right up. Even on peak flights I do ok, and offpeak, always good. This is mainly on MEL-CBR, which is probably status-heavy, but MEL-SYD and CBR-SYD similar.

edit: I guess if Gold is only a few weeks away, wait for it, but if you go back down to Silver and have the same problem, QP! : )

 

[medhead]

As a PS since Seat selction was enabled for me 3 weeks ago, i've been able to to into rows 4 to 6 on my weekly flights. this is from an initial seat selction option of rows 23 to 26 on a 738.

Check early, check often.

As a Silver I sincerely hope you can only get to rows 4-6 late during OLCI and not at booking time, at T-80 hours or even when OLCI opens up at T-24 hours.

Otherwise this is another eroding (and muddled) benefit for Platinums....

As mentioned at booking i only have rows 23 to 26 available. No idea why 27 to 29 are blocked But at T-80 I'm able to get infront of the exit rows and even into row 4, once between T-80 and T-24. Anyway, here are my rows since 28 Jan and I've been able to select seats for the last 6 flights. Not much of a change but I feel that it is an improvement. Of course, i would probably prefer the 13 and 14 that i was getting over 9 or 7.

11 17 12 9 4 13 11 7 13 8 4 14 11 4 9 5 5 4 7

 

[JohnK]

As mentioned at booking i only have rows 23 to 26 available. No idea why 27 to 29 are blocked

I could be wrong but my guess would be rows 27-29 are blocked for unaccompanied minors.