747 exit row window - possible to purchase?

[dodgeyhack]

Hi all,

Have purchased 46B and C for our flight back from NRT.
Expertflyer is showing 46A as occupied.
Is it possible to purchase this seat? Or is it likely a glitch?
I was under the impression the exit row windows on the 747 would be one of the last to be allocated, and that they couldn't be purchased ahead of time.
The flight is on the 10th June so still a fair way away - and EF is showing lots of availability.

I did plan to ask the QF call center but forgot while I was on the line. Oops.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

They can be allocated to anyone just like any other seat but are not charged the exit row price so PS & above it's free or $25.00 for anyone who is NB or has no status.

 

[A330]

The exit row seat nearest the window on the 744 has very tight leg room, as the emergency slide on the door takes up a lot of space. QF tends not to seat anyone there unless every other seat is taken, so would not be able to be selected.

 

[dodgeyhack]

They can be allocated to anyone just like any other seat but are not charged the exit row price so PS & above it's free or $25.00 for anyone who is NB or has no status.

Hi oz, my experience (as SG) is that those seats are always blocked for seat selection. Have you seen otherwise?
I did consider that they may be available to higher status pax, but I can't see the logic in that since it's such a poor seat.

 

[serfty]

Hi oz, my experience (as SG) is that those seats are always blocked for seat selection. Have you seen otherwise?
I did consider that they may be available to higher status pax, but I can't see the logic in that since it's such a poor seat.

That's my experience as well - I believe they can generally only be allocated at check-in.

I would not want to sit there either ...

 

[serfty]

That's my experience as well - I believe they can generally only be allocated at check-in.

I would not want to sit there either ...

It is deliberate they cannot be selected online:

...

http://www.qantas.com.au/agents/dyn/qf/policies/FAQExitRowSeating211209.pdf

9. Will Exit Rows with restricted legroom be unavailable for purchase?

Some window Exit Row seats on Boeing 747-400 configurations have restricted legroom as they are adjacent to the exit door bustle. As such these seats will not be available for sale.​

 

[blackcat20]

That's my experience as well - I believe they can generally only be allocated at check-in.

I would not want to sit there either ...

I've called and asked to be allocated the seat (not for me, don't ask ) and they "couldn't" do it.

 

[serfty]

I've called and asked to be allocated the seat (not for me, don't ask ) and they "couldn't" do it.

I have, but it was last decade and a (succefful) request had to be put in to seating - it could not be done "on the spot".

 

[JohnK]

They can be allocated to anyone just like any other seat but are not charged the exit row price so PS & above it's free or $25.00 for anyone who is NB or has no status.

I have never seen a window exit-row seat on a 747 available for me to pre-allocate.

P.S The restricted leg room is not an issue for me and I can easily stretch legs out with one on top of the other and be extremely comfortable.

 

[jb747]

For what it's worth, the area near the doors is almost always quite cold.

 

[k_sheep]

Might be a bonus for 2 travelling together though? Guaranteed a row of 3 to themselves?

 

[dodgeyhack]

That's what I thought too and I was pretty confident it would only be the two of us in the row. Although it seems between SYD and NRT you've got a pretty good chance of getting a row to yourselves anyway.

46A showing as occupied appears to be a bug in expertflyer, or in the data from Qantas. I noticed that the same seat was showing as occupied on my flight up as well, and it was actually empty.

In the end we forfeited our exit row seats and paid 40,000 yen each at check in to move up to Y+. Pretty good value for my wife as it was on top of her $800 .br fare.
Much more pleasant place to spend the 2 hour delay on the ground in NRT. Caused by (according to the captain) a faulty proximity sensor on the landing gear that was causing the gear to indicate as not locked.

 

[AdMEL]

They can be allocated to anyone just like any other seat but are not charged the exit row price so PS & above it's free or $25.00 for anyone who is NB or has no status.

That was not my experience a week ago flying a QF A330 MEL-HKG! 45 A, B, J & K all showed as unavailable on QF website and EF showed 45B & J as occupied, with A & K blocked. When I asked for an exit row seat at check-in, I was given 45K and charged $90! My previous experience was that if I was allocated an exit row seat at the airport, irrespective of which exit row seat, there was no charge.

On my return leg yesterday, I was allocated 45A at check-in, with no charge.

Hi oz, my experience (as SG) is that those seats are always blocked for seat selection. Have you seen otherwise?
I did consider that they may be available to higher status pax, but I can't see the logic in that since it's such a poor seat.

That's my experience as well - I believe they can generally only be allocated at check-in.

I would not want to sit there either ...

It is deliberate they cannot be selected online:

On the return leg yesterday (HKG-MEL), QF showed all exit row seats as unavailable and EF showed 45 A as blocked and the other three as occupied. This was the case for several weeks prior, so someone clearly was able to have 45K allocated well prior to check-in.

And, as detailed above, I was charged for 45K! Wish I'd known about that clause!

I've called and asked to be allocated the seat (not for me, don't ask ) and they "couldn't" do it.

That was my experience last week, too.

For what it's worth, the area near the doors is almost always quite cold.

Freezing!

That's what I thought too and I was pretty confident it would only be the two of us in the row. Although it seems between SYD and NRT you've got a pretty good chance of getting a row to yourselves anyway.

46A showing as occupied appears to be a bug in expertflyer, or in the data from Qantas. I noticed that the same seat was showing as occupied on my flight up as well, and it was actually empty.

In the end we forfeited our exit row seats and paid 40,000 yen each at check in to move up to Y+. Pretty good value for my wife as it was on top of her $800 .br fare.
Much more pleasant place to spend the 2 hour delay on the ground in NRT. Caused by (according to the captain) a faulty proximity sensor on the landing gear that was causing the gear to indicate as not locked.

I didn't think QF offered paid upgrades?

 

[drewbles]

I don't believe they allocate the A seat of an exit row or offer it for sale due to its hugely restrictive leg room (the exit slide basically takes all your leg room). EF will show this as blocked with an X rather than allocated most likely.

Seeing as the flight has been and gone, how did you travel with it?