Queries re seats on Oneworld Award RTW in J

[vetrade]

Hoping to exploit the wisdom of more seasoned flyers............

Have booked a Oneworld RTW (the 280K points one) using QFF points for 2 pax during Aug - Sept and managed to get all flights in J.
Will be travelling MEL-SYD-NRT-DFW-CUN-MIA-BCN-LHR-ATH-AMM-DXB-HKG-BNE-MEL
Got good seats for most flights but have some queries regarding others due to the fact that for non QAN carriers the seat selection process does not allow selection of specific seats - only your preference for aisle or window. Unfortunately this has thrown up some allocated seats that are not together (or even close) - despite the fact that the flights are still 8 months away. Would prefer not to have to rely on getting someone to swap just before departure.

1. Will seat changes for non QAN flights become available closer to departure - e.g. T-80 ?? Is there a way of selecting or changing seats direct with other airlines (they don't recognise my QAN booking number).
2. Seat allocation is listed as unavailable for the BA flights (BCN-LHR-ATH) - will I just have to accept what is allocated at checkin or are there options to get specific seats B4 that?
3. CX738 (DXB-HKG) is on an A330-300 with no F class. Each J row has A,D,G and K sets - what is best seat combo for a couple? i.e. is there a partition between the aisle seats, D and G, which are side by side on the seat map, which would detract from selecting them?
4. Have one Iberia flight (IB6122 MIA-BCN via MAD) and seats allocated are not together. What are they like to fly with ? I can get flights with other carriers for this segment with only slightly longer transit time in MAD so is it worth paying the extra points to fly with someone else where seats might be better. I did look up the IB web site and they have pics of "business" and "business plus" seats but the "business" seats don't look at all like what I would expect for J and are just Y seats with the middle one folded down to form a table. Has anyone had first hand experience with this flight?

 

[dalereardon]

Hi,

Sorry I'm not experienced enough to help with your queries but your itinerary has thrown up a query. I don't know all the airport codes to know where you are flying - is there a page or index somewhere so I can see what the codes mean?

Thanks,
Dale.

 

[Ewing]

is there a page or index somewhere so I can see what the codes mean?

I believe you're on the page.

* MEL: Melbourne
* SYD: Sydney
* NRT: Tokyo Narita
* DFW: Dallas Fort Worth
* CUN: Cancun, Mexico
* MIA: Miami International, Florida
* BCN: Barcelona
* LHR: London Heathrow
* ATH: Athens, Greece
* AMM: Amman, Jordan
* DXB: Dubai
* HKG: Hong Kong
* BNE: Brisbane
* MEL: Melbourne

I'm sure there is a page listing them out there somewhere. Alas (or not), I've memorised most of them :mrgreen:

 

[JohnPhelan]

It is certainly possible to pre-allocate J seats on CX. If you can't do it online, phone them.

On BA, higher oneworld status give you the ability to pre-allocate seats at no cost; lower status and no status means you have to pay to pre-allocate, but it can still be done. Contact the call centre.

Is your QF number showing in the booking (for all flights)? Note that not all airlines will use the PNR generated by QF; some (thinking BA here) generate their own PNR.

No idea about seating on Iberia, but from everything I've heard, I would avoid them at all costs. BA flies out of MIA, so use them instead. I don't know anything about Royal Jordanian, but haven't heard anything negative.

 

[JohnM]

Hi,

Sorry I'm not experienced enough to help with your queries but your itinerary has thrown up a query. I don't know all the airport codes to know where you are flying - is there a page or index somewhere so I can see what the codes mean?

Thanks,
Dale.

There are several web sites for airport and airline codes, including this: Welcome to World Airport Codes

 

[JohnM]

It is certainly possible to pre-allocate J seats on CX. If you can't do it online, phone them.

On BA, higher oneworld status give you the ability to pre-allocate seats at no cost; lower status and no status means you have to pay to pre-allocate, but it can still be done. Contact the call centre.

Is your QF number showing in the booking (for all flights)? Note that not all airlines will use the PNR generated by QF; some (thinking BA here) generate their own PNR.

No idea about seating on Iberia, but from everything I've heard, I would avoid them at all costs. BA flies out of MIA, so use them instead. I don't know anything about Royal Jordanian, but haven't heard anything negative.

I've recently booked a DONE4 through the OneWorld site (ie. meaning effectively QF as it was done in Australia) and the PNR issued by QF lists all flights. Two other PNRs have popped up in my bookings because of BA issuing separate PNRs but they cover only parts of the itinerary.


I think some care is needed in which PNR to use for choosing seats as the different PNRs don't seem to talk intelligently to each other on that matter. It's potentially quite confusing.

Does anyone have any experience as to whether calling the WP QF helpline will allow selection of seats on the OW airlines that don't readily allow seat selection? I've got pretty good allocations on most but wouldn't mind tweaking a few on CX and BA, and on AA to take better advantage of FEBO on a couple of even -numbered flights where I've been allocated 6A.

 

[moa999]

Call Qantas and ask for the PNRs for other airlines
(BA, CX, QF are all on Amadeus so should be the same, AA will be different)

Then log onto each airlines site (eg. BA Manage my Booking etc) to select seats

Iberia longhaul on a 343 is fine... ie the Business Plus from the webpage
See this thread on FT: Iberia Business Plus longhaul - definitive thread - FlyerTalk Forums

Like most European airlines, shorthaul business is more average.

 

[Grooba]

Call Qantas and ask for the PNRs for other airlines
(BA, CX, QF are all on Amadeus so should be the same, AA will be different)

Then log onto each airlines site (eg. BA Manage my Booking etc) to select seats

Just add to this advice it looks like you might have a couple of RJ sectors (ATH-AMM-DXB perhaps?) - if this is the case you might have issues bringing up your reservation on their site as it seems to have problems with complex itineraries. If you do miraculously happen to be able to select seats online please let me know your method of success.

Looks like a fun itinerary, enjoy.

 

[NM]

Different airlines have different rules for seat allocations before check-in. For example, BA only allows assignments to people on certain paid fares (fully flexible fares only) or with certain levels of OneWorld (Sapphire or Emerald) status. If you don't meet those criteria then you need to on-line check-in as early as possible once the option is available.

 

[vetrade]

Thanks to all for your replies. Combined with my protracted searches of past posts on AFF I am now better informed but (probably in keeping with my personality) there's still some gaps and ambiguity to be addressed before I am satisfied. I'm sure there are other AFFers who will also appreciate more clarity so I've included some info I've found out as well.

Firstly, with regard to PNRs (passenger name records), I could not find it spelled out anywhere whether the PNR is just the booking or reservation reference (which it appears to be). If this is not the case can someone point out how they differ?
Do all PNRs consist of a 6 digit alphanumeric combination? I know that different airlines generate different PNRs for bookings depending on whether they use the Amadeus (QAN, BA, IB), Galileo, Sabre (AA) or Abacus booking system. I have been able to access my booking info on the BA and IB web sites using the QAN-generated booking reference but it was not recognised by the CX/AA/RJ sites. I'm guessing CX is not Amadeus (as moa999 thought). A list of which airlines use each booking system would be helpful to know which PNRs should work with what airline web sites.

Using the QAN PNR for access to the BA web site I found my whole itinerary with ease. Seats could be pre-selected for a fee of $32.90AUD (I don't have status with BA but was still a little disappointed it wasn't free on a J ticket). Otherwise you can reserve seats for free 24 hrs before check in. I was allocated seats on our IB flight (you only get to enter a preference for aisle or window) which were not together. Unfortunately the IB "manage your booking" tool says you can not prior book your seats so I guess you just have to take what you are given.

As accurately predicted by "vec" I couldn't get access to my booking on the RJ site. That wasn't a problem though since their planes on the ATH-AMM and AMM-DXB segments only have small J cabins and we were allocated good seats together anyway.

AA have put us in the last row of J (and not together) for the NRT-DFW long haul flight. Will want to change that since those seats are directly in front of the Y seats used for pax with babies - which is my No.1 pet "hate" on planes. Like JohnM, I'd like to know if anyone has any experience/advice in getting those changed.

 

[serfty]

...

AA have put us in the last row of J (and not together) for the NRT-DFW long haul flight. Will want to change that since those seats are directly in front of the Y seats used for pax with babies - which is my No.1 pet "hate" on planes. Like JohnM, I'd like to know if anyone has any experience/advice in getting those changed.

Yep - get your SABRE AA PNR, go to AA.com and change them!

To get your AA PNR, you may be able to get them with www.classic.checkmytrip.com and use your Amadeus PNR to look the booking up, or simply call AA, armed with your flight details, name etc. and ask.

 

[vetrade]

Not unexpectedly your info was spot-on serfty - AA pnr was readily available on checkmytrip.com and, with the help of seatguru I now have the best seats in the cabin.
Much appreciated!

 

[moa999]

Do all PNRs consist of a 6 digit alphanumeric combination? I know that different airlines generate different PNRs for bookings depending on whether they use the Amadeus (QAN, BA, IB), Galileo, Sabre (AA) or Abacus booking system. I have been able to access my booking info on the BA and IB web sites using the QAN-generated booking reference but it was not recognised by the CX/AA/RJ sites. I'm guessing CX is not Amadeus (as moa999 thought). .

CX used to be five, but changed to six when it cut over to Amadeus Altea in Feb 2012 - Cathay Pacific upgrading to a new reservations system on 11/12 February. Web site, online check-in, ticket purchases to be unavailable for a portion of that weekend
CX website can be very fiddly with your name.... eg. SURNAME / MRFIRST was the only combination it would accept on my last use

 

[vetrade]

Some more info for those interested..........
As moa999 has correctly pointed out CX does, in fact, use the Amadeus system so your QAN PNR can be used to access their booking management - provided you type in your name the way it likes. RJ must also use Amadeus because my QAN PNR was also listed for them.

Checkmytrip.com threw up a 5 digit PNR for Iberian which their login subsequently rejected with a message it needed to have 6 digits - so the 5 digit one must have dropped one digit in error. Interestingly the QAN PNR got me into the IB site easily. Not sure if that suggests that 2 Amadeus PNRs can be generated for the same flight segment on the one booking - one generated by the company you book with (QAN in this case) and one by the actual airline flying the segment.

 

[JohnM]

My DONE4 includes six AA flights (mainland ones in F but as I am going to a couple of Caribbean destinations those are in D :-|. But, never mind, the DONE4 will still see me comfortably retain WP).

I phoned AA today to get my AA PNR. It took twenty minutes or so before anyone answered, but it was well worth it. I had been automatically seated in 6A or 6F on all flights but half were even-numbered. I just jumped on the AA web site and shifted myself to front row for all the even-numbered flights to take full advantage of FEBO.

If I look at my bookings on QF's website, my original QF-generated PNR shows all 16 sectors with either the auto seat allocations or those that I could change online at QF. Two other PNRs were generated, seemingly by BA and CX which, interestingly, show the BA or CX sectors in each case preceded by the previous sector on whichever carrier that sector is on. So, the BA PNR shows my QF MEL-LHR flight, then PHR-FCO and beyond; CX ORD-HKG and beyond shows the preceding MIA-ORD AA flight. Weird.

Anyway, I used the BA PNR to change seat on a B744 LHR-SFO from 17K to my preferred 62A. However, it's still showing 17K on the QF PNR (and on the AA PNR). I imagine my AA seat selections will also not auto-update to the QF PNR.

Like I said previously, the records for each 'sub'-PNR do not auto-update to the original main PNR that lists all the flights on the DONE. It will be interesting to see which seats I get. I expect it will be 62A on the BA bird but it's no drama if it ends up being 17K. Similarly, utilising FEBO is nice but not essential on AA.

 

[kevrosmith]

FWIW, Wikipedia does list which airlines use which systems... Search for global distribution systems. How accurate it is or up-to-date it is, is anyone's guess. It *is* the Internet, after all.

And regarding JohnM on AA, it's worth checking out seat guru comments on various AA aircraft type to make sure you get a good seat. Not having flown AA previously, I made my original selections based on my usual basic seat selection criteria (eg. Front row is good and either side is good, though 1A is great) but after checking out seat guru, was surprised to read that some other seats and rows were better due to the aircraft type, location of galleys, closets etc. For example, on the MD80, 1F was far superior to 1A due to the location of the WC and a closet. YMMV

 

[JohnPhelan]

If I look at my bookings on QF's website, my original QF-generated PNR shows all 16 sectors with either the auto seat allocations or those that I could change online at QF. Two other PNRs were generated, seemingly by BA and CX which, interestingly, show the BA or CX sectors in each case preceded by the previous sector on whichever carrier that sector is on. So, the BA PNR shows my QF MEL-LHR flight, then PHR-FCO and beyond; CX ORD-HKG and beyond shows the preceding MIA-ORD AA flight. Weird.

Anyway, I used the BA PNR to change seat on a B744 LHR-SFO from 17K to my preferred 62A. However, it's still showing 17K on the QF PNR (and on the AA PNR). I imagine my AA seat selections will also not auto-update to the QF PNR.

It will be interesting to see which seats I get. I expect it will be 62A on the BA bird but it's no drama if it ends up being 17K. Similarly, utilising FEBO is nice but not essential on AA.

JohnM, I've had the same experience with BA on several occasions. You will get the BA seat that shows on your BA PNR.

 

[Grooba]

Just add to this advice it looks like you might have a couple of RJ sectors (ATH-AMM-DXB perhaps?) - if this is the case you might have issues bringing up your reservation on their site as it seems to have problems with complex itineraries. If you do miraculously happen to be able to select seats online please let me know your method of success.

Looks like a fun itinerary, enjoy.

Update: Today for whatever reason I've been able to bring up a 12 sector itinerary on the RJ website and successfully choose seats.
Might be helpful info to some.