Domestic & International Seat Selection now has exit rows

[serfty]

...
I'm not saying that seat selection shouldn't be allowed. I'm all for it. But I think a review of the rules and definitions of the premium seats should be done by Qantas - 80A/K should be considered premium seats, as should others that are not currently restricted to specific frequent flyer tiers.

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater ... these seats might soon have a $160 fee attached. :shock:

 

[ReLoad]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater ... these seats might soon have a $160 fee attached. :shock:

I was thinking the same thing!

SNAP!

 

[Blackadder]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

Just picked up 16A for my QF 107 flight, can't say no to a exit row with no fee attached.

Looks like QF are going down the LCC route for the non FF.

 

[ChrisCunard]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

I've just managed to secure exits on Domestic services as far ahead as July.
At 197cm tall I am ecstatic as this latest development!

 

[ChrisCunard]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

Unless they use Seat Guru:

Seat Guru is a great guide but doesn't always get it right.

On the QF 388 they say 24 A,B has limited leg room - having flown 24B SIN-LHR last year I can guarantee there's no limitation, it's near an exit so if anything it has more space, plus 24A doesn't have to wake up 24B to get out.

I emailed them with that info but no change.

 

[Kendall Roy]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

I'm able to select exit rows on BA/IB flights as part of a Oneworld Award booking (SG)

(Can also select BA Bassinet which was previously blocked)

 

[pshepvic]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater ... these seats might soon have a $160 fee attached. :shock:

Well, I'm certainly not suggesting that! I'm just saying that it seems that Qantas has decided for us what a preferred seat is, rather than asking. They perhaps need to speak to a few higher tier FF's and find out what we really want, rather than just assuming the further towards the front, the better.

As we've seen in this thread, there are many tall people here who'd prefer extra legroom seats. Blocking out a bulkhead for us is (generally) not much good because the legroom is (usually) more limited than having a seat we can put our feet under. Whereas seats such as 80A/K (or exit rows for that matter) would be ideal.

Personally I'd like to see a discount for exit rows for higher tiered FF members, or at least priority in being able to select them.

But once again, don't get me wrong, I am more than happy with the changes for domestic seat allocation!

 

[pshepvic]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

Seat Guru is a great guide but doesn't always get it right.

On the QF 388 they say 24 A,B has limited leg room - having flown 24B SIN-LHR last year I can guarantee there's no limitation, it's near an exit so if anything it has more space, plus 24A doesn't have to wake up 24B to get out.

I emailed them with that info but no change.

Yeah I'd agree they are slow - and also I think a lot of the comments are based on assumptions (eg. that bulkheads generally have less legroom, or exits are cold, or seats next to the loo have lots of traffic) and whilst these might be true in a lot of cases they are not in others - I didn't find the A380 cold at all near the exits!

They seem to be more accurate with the US airlines IMO.

But they did add Jetstar on there within a few weeks of me emailing it in to them. Mind you they only added the A330 (and considering it's the same config as it was when serving for QF domestically, that wasn't really news!) They still haven't added the A320 - and that was the one I wanted to know what 1D/E/F legroom was like before my flight (and for the record - it's rubbish!) Anyway, that's way off topic, sorry about that!

 

[serfty]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

Just picked up 16A for my QF 107 flight, can't say no to a exit row with no fee attached.

Looks like QF are going down the LCC route for the non FF.

There was previously no charge for exit row seats in Business class... there still isn't.

There certainly is a charge for international economy.

FWIW, a passenger could call Qantas and ask for a Request to be made to "Seating" for pre-allocation in row 16 on 744's.

 

[pshepvic]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

Another question around this. In the past, if you were allocated an Exit row, you couldn't use OLCI or a kiosk - you had to check in with an agent at the airport.

If this is the same, at a NGCI airport would you therefore have to go to the premium service desk to check in? (or can the agents nearby the kiosks "approve" you for an exit?)

It gets a bit messy if they decide once you get to the gate or are onboard that you can't sit in the exit.

And if this is the case, what happens if a PS or NB member has an exit allocated - they're not allowed to use the premium desk!

 

[Kendall Roy]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

As soon as i read this thread i jumped on and snagged 80K for $20 lhr-syd. In my booking, it now has 80K+, not sure what the + sign is for. It could have something to do with this being a request and not set in stone until some point (flight 26th May), because after i booked the seat it said i had to wait until confirmation email came through about seat and print that out and bring it.

This:

a) Stinks for SG/WP
b) Suggests a similar seating policy to BA has been adopted

 

[TonyHancock]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

FWIW, a passenger could call Qantas and ask for a Request to be made to "Seating" for pre-allocation in row 16 on 744's.

....and thanks to your advice from previous threads I have done this on three upcoming J flights to or from the UK.

 

[samiam]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

From a PR perspective, I find the way in which this improvement (or enhancement for some!) has been communicated interesting.

There was a window of opportunity for a Qantas rep to start a thread circa the same time as the change was publicly made available, and to 'sell' the benefits of the change +/- respond to comments, and potentially obtain some goodwill to boot.

Kudos to DJ for their savvy approach in other threads - my opinion is that the silence speaks volumes for QF's sophistication.

 

[pshepvic]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

It appears the Qantas site has gone into meltdown ... from everyone going nuts trying to select seats online perhaps?

(That's what I was trying to do!)

 

[TonyHancock]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

Having had a few hours to try and understand what I can and can't do with seat selection I think the outcome for me personally is neutral, if not just a smidgen negative.

I don't go for the "premium" seats of 71D, 80A and 80K when I fly Y on a 388, I have been successful in getting bulkhead seats as a WP and prefer them. :shock: (I know..... "heresy" I can here you all shouting!)

I'd rather be at the front of the plane on short haul economy flights.

The only time this will really work against me is when I'm on a MEL-PER run and I could lose out on an exit seat because I'm not "in" quick enough. I'm not sure I had this before though so I'm just not gaining anything I guess.

I'm sure this is a marketing exercise to pacify all NB's, PS's, and SG's because QF is about to introduce a brand new super duper benefit for WP's.

 

[blackcat20]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

It appears the Qantas site has gone into meltdown ... from everyone going nuts trying to select seats online perhaps?

(That's what I was trying to do!)

You can still do the selection even with the limted website, but you cant log in to QFF and use points.

Ive just booked an exit row seat for my trip Mel-LA in August...relieved I dont have to wait till T-7 cos leg room is an issue for me (not overly tall, but very long legs). Already had 80A allocated for return trip so dont need to pay for that

 

[fjc]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

Am I right in saying that at the moment we know that WP and SG can select domestic exit row seats and WP's can select, online, international J exit row seats.

Any PS's or NB's had any luck?

I'm NB and QP. Tonight, I booked Y - SYD-ATL via DFW, then JFK to LAX, stopover, then LAX to SYD

Had to call Qantas as I needed to be on QF108 x JFK and I couldn't do it online.
At the end of the booking, seats were allocated to me on all flights at no cost.

Later, I found via Seat Guru I had been allocated 1 dodgy seat on SYD-DFW. Called Qantas back and they changed it to something more acceptable at no extra cost. I wasn't after exit rows etc - just a seat that reclined properly.

Now: Just went in and allocated seats on 2 domestic flights. Again, nothing special but good to get a seat that I'm happy with.

 

[V1213]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

It doesn't look like any Silvers have commented yet.

On my upcoming domestic 738 trips my options remain unchanged - row 17 is as far forward as I can go, so no exit rows are available. I'm not sure if on the 763s and 332s I would get exit row because the limit of available seats includes exit rows anyway, because I don't have any upcoming flights in Y on these types.

On my upcoming international 333 flights I was already allocated row 24. Exit rows are still payable.
I notice that for the non-frequent flyers that I'll be travelling with the $20 seat selection allows them to get as far as row 29.

Also, has anyone else noticed that the Qantas seat maps now have a baby symbol on the bassinet seat positions? Interesting...

 

[Princess Fiona]

Domestic & most International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

Sadly we can't select exit rows for our annual TT skiing trip July ( SYD-AKL) as Shrek juniors too young
Not too worried as we will be spread across row 4 on 73H :mrgreen:

 

[V1213]

re: Domestic & International Routes Seat Selection now includes exit rows

Looks like I can also select seats on LAN, which is a new feature.
Unfortunately Qantas doesn't pick up which seats are occupied or blocked so if I didn't have access to EF I'd have to guess and see if it rejects my request or not.