QF9 seat dilemma

[hazel]

I'm on QF9 this Monday with 3 family members.
When I booked the tickets in Dec. I acted on the good advice I had read in one of Serfty's posts & asked for seat 80 A,B, C & 81A. The QF person I spoke to suggested I get 80 A & C + 81 A & C - "no-one would want the middle seats" That was all OK until this afternoon when someone has put themselves into 80B.
QF is showing lots of empty seats left on this flight & Expert Flyer is showing that a lot of the empty ones are blocked.
I don't mind if we end up with 80 A, B, C & 81 A but I was wondering if I should call QF & ask if we can sit together & could the other person go to 81 B or just wait until we get on the plane & ask the passenger nicely?
many thanks

 

[Sprucegoose]

not sure of your status Hazel, but i would give QF a call and at least discuss. I am in the same position in a few months and have gambled on your situation not eventuating!!!

It maybe the fact that they have blocked it off?

Let us know how you get along.

cheers

SPRUCE

 

[hazel]

Thanks Sprucegoose, yes it was a gamble that hasn't paid off.
Expert Flyer is showing it as occupied not blocked. I think I'll give QF a call - I'll let you know the result.

 

[hazel]

I called QF & spoke to a very nice & friendly person. Her short answer was she can't move passenger 80B. She commented that she thought 80B had made an odd seat selection, given the choice of other seats available.
Her advice was to ask at check in as they should seat the 4 of us together.
I asked if there was a chance that 80B could be moved for 'operational reasons' she laughingly replied that you can't use that term if you don't work for QF & if they did move 80B at check in that would probably be the reason they would use

 

[Sprucegoose]

I called QF & spoke to a very nice & friendly person. Her short answer was she can't move passenger 80B. She commented that she thought 80B had made an odd seat selection, given the choice of other seats available.
Her advice was to ask at check in as they should seat the 4 of us together.
I asked if there was a chance that 80B could be moved for 'operational reasons' she laughingly replied that you can't use that term if you don't work for QF & if they did move 80B at check in that would probably be the reason they would use

predictable response. Make life hard for 80 B until they move!!!!!

 

[Hvr]

predictable response. Make life hard for 80 B until they move!!!!!

I really hope this remark was written in jest. Making life hard for someone because they inadvertently affect your perceived right to extra privileges (ie a free vacant seat beside you) is wrong.

There are lots of people without the knowledge we have about flying etc and they may have thought (incorrectly) that the seat next to a good seat was also at least slightly better than another seat.

 

[hazel]

predictable response. Make life hard for 80 B until they move!!!!!

I really don't think I could do that - it is one of the facts of life that you don't get to choose who sits next to you on public transport. I just thought it was an odd choice of seat given there are entire rows nearby still empty.

 

[markis10]

Hopefully they will do OLCI and realise there is a world of nearby seats that are better. It could also be a block, there are a number of blocks for different reasons and the seat availability engines may not see the reason why!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well - person in 80B might be being quite smart... they may offer to let the two of you sit together IF you trade for 80A. Therefore giving them all the legroom.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I really don't think I could do that - it is one of the facts of life that you don't get to choose who sits next to you on public transport. I just thought it was an odd choice of seat given there are entire rows nearby still empty.

You wouldn't believe the amount of times people OLCI and initially have an aisle or window seat somewhere then change to a middle seat in the first row of economy if it becomes available (eg 4B or 4E on a 737-800).

I guess it's a case of he or she who sits furthest forward wins.

Re asking QF to move the person from 80B for 'operational reasons' - you have to put yourself in their shoes and ask how you would feel if somebody moved you out of 80A for the same reason?

Keep in mind too, that just because the seat map now has what may appear to be 'heaps of empty seats' this is not a true reflection of how many pax are onboard or how many seats will be empty on the flight.

Most airlines leave sections of the aircraft unallocated and for airport use only - on international flights at least. On domestic a good majority of people still leave the checkin process to when they arrive at the airport so what may look like empty seats now, may well be fully occupied when flight departs.

Another thing I've seen is people doing OLCI eg on a 737 & selecting a middle seat eg 15B as they think that a couple won't take 15A or 15C if they can't sit together. More often or not it just means that a single traveller will select 15A then another one will take 15C then 15B ends up with exactly what they chose.

Cheers

Oz