Advanced Seat Selection no longer just a QFF benefit (if you want to pay)

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Right, I'm now drawn back into this thread.


QF define the standard, and if you don't make the grade for PS, SG or WP then you shouldn't get their benefits, no matter how often you don't fly.

And as a former public servant, they get SCs which are enough to help them realise the benefits of status. And with the points issue, they have no right to them as they are earned through expenditure of the department - go back and read the APSC rules on obtaining personal benefit from Govt. expenditure.

This makes them neither dis-loyal nor second rate citizens as you infer. Maybe in future you should think rather than post nonsence.
See previous comment - if you don't reach the qualification levels, then you don't get the benefits, end of story.
 
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In a nutshell, QF sets the rules and decides who should be recognised as "frequent" flyers. If your travel patterns/arrangements do not allow you to reach such status, that's your problem, not anyone else's.
 
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QF define the standard, and if you don't make the grade for PS, SG or WP then you shouldn't get their benefits, no matter how often you don't fly.

............but what if I had received a status match without taking a single QF flight?

Just a thought.:)

(Does Qantas ever offer status matches?)
 
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In any case, I agree fundamentally with thewinchester. QF has created its Frequent Flyer program in order to reward those that give it the most business (which is roughly measured using the status credit system, irrespective of how well that reflects on the value of a passenger to the business). For those that give more business to QF, they are offered benefits as a thank-you for their volume of support.

That's not to say QF doesn't value any more new customers, but for the repeat and frequent customers the FF program seeks to reward their volume of contribution to QF. Free Advance Seat Selection for anyone but Bronze and non-FF customers is just one of these ways. Priority Check-In and more points on QF flights are others. Not only does different levels of the program reward one for giving QF more business, but it incentivises others to give QF more business in order to be afforded some of these benefits. In the former clause, this is QF's way of attempting to maintain its high-value customers, and in the latter case it's an incentive for a customer to devote its business to the airline rather than divesting it amongst many airlines.

Now for cases like customers who can't fly enough every year to get a status level, well that's just how it is. It doesn't make you disloyal to the airline - you may only fly 4 times a year, yet every time you fly you will always pick QF. That doesn't make you disloyal, but the QFF program rewards those who give it a lot of business. And that applies to any other FF program. At least you can earn points and lifetime status credits even if you don't or can't fly enough every year to make an elite level - remember that there are lifetime status levels and 5,000 points for every 450 status credits you fly.

If Government fares or whatever pervert the system such that frequent travelers on the Government account do not get the recognition reflected by their actual flying, then that is not necessarily a sole problem with the QFF program but must also consider that of the agreement between the Government and QF. Let's not forget that the public is easily agitated by the news of politicians earning squillions of points and getting shiny status cards or even CL access "on the tax payer dollar". So it's not really just QF or the Government doing you in; your fellow tax payers aren't happy as it is funding Government travel.


Whew that was a huge diversion.

Finally, it comes back to the original argument. The way I see this all is that the only change is that NBs and non-FFs can now access Advance Seat Selection for a fee which they did not have before. I thought I heard something that such pax could select their seat either at booking time or if the load factor was not too high, but perhaps I heard wrong. I also heard there was a 7 day rule, but then again might be wrong. Either way, if Altea does its magic correctly, NBs should really never have much chance of getting the better seats before the elites have had a sporting chance to try and get one themselves. And this only happens in Y. Personally if I were a NB in Y I wouldn't see much need to select a seat before OLCI, because its likely that the best seats in the house are going to be unavailable for selection, barring exit rows which need to be purchased anyway. You would do just as well waiting for OLCI and selecting a seat as soon as T-24 kicks in, if only that this will allow you to, say, avoid a middle seat, or try and find a few seats together.
 
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Unless a large corporate deal was in the offing, nope.

I think I'm pleased they don't.

That said I like the fact that folk with no status can come to AFF and get advice to select seat 80A on a QF 388 and pay their $20 and get a decent seat.

We all started somewhere. :)
 
Just a quick cash grab in my opinion. Say, at a lazy $1,000 earnt per long haul flight, it all starts adding very quickly and enough to pay the CEO's yearly bonus! ;)
 
So to summarise .......

When Qantas comps flyers who have not qualified - that's good.
When Qantas run double-SC promos that allow people to gain status with a couple of carbon "runs" - that's good.
When Qantas allows status to be gained primarily by flying xUPP fares on non-QF metal - that's good.

But when Qantas allows people who don't fall into the above categories to pay $20 to get a slightly better seat on Qantas planes - that's bad.

Breathtaking logic are two words for that, but I can think of a couple of others.
 
I think I'm pleased they don't.

That said I like the fact that folk with no status can come to AFF and get advice to select seat 80A on a QF 388 and pay their $20 and get a decent seat.

We all started somewhere. :)

I like this post, the most sensible thing said so far. I can see both sides of the argument.
 
I think I'm pleased they don't.

That said I like the fact that folk with no status can come to AFF and get advice to select seat 80A on a QF 388 and pay their $20 and get a decent seat.

We all started somewhere. :)

I think this is important. We all did start somewhere, and many of us got the statuses that we have now largely through the collective wisdom of this board, which we wouldn't have achieved were it not for this board.

Sometimes there's a sense of entitlement and exclusivity that creeps onto discussions - this thread is a good example. People that have status seem to want that status to remain exclusive and so feel threatened by any change to an airline's offering that might allow other people even a little of that benefit if they're willing to pay.

For me, it doesn't negate my free benefit to see others getting a similar benefit for which they pay. The benefits I get with WP aren't a zero sum thing - if someone else gets a benefit from QF, it doesn't cheapen or negate the benefits I get. One of the things I've liked about AFF over the years is that there's a sense of collegiality - that we share our experience and help everyone to get a better experience flying.
 
I think I'm pleased they don't.

That said I like the fact that folk with no status can come to AFF and get advice to select seat 80A on a QF 388 and pay their $20 and get a decent seat.

We all started somewhere. :)

Agreed. I phoned QF last year to get seat 71D on the A380 while just a QP NB, with thanks to those on this board. Now I’d have to pay $20 to do so, but still would have.
 
I do not see anything wrong with this "enhancement" as long as the first few rows are reserved for Chairman's Lounge and Platinums.

The example I can draw from is Singapore Airlines. Both my mother and I do not have any status but I like the fact that when I book flights I am able to pre-select a seat from the 3rd row of economy and back.
 
I do not see anything wrong with this "enhancement" as long as the first few rows are reserved for Chairman's Lounge and Platinums.

The example I can draw from is Singapore Airlines. Both my mother and I do not have any status but I like the fact that when I book flights I am able to pre-select a seat from the 3rd row of economy and back.
My initial experience of NOT paying the money was not positive. Jumped onto online checkin at about T-20 with booking for 4 on QFF points over Easter SYD - ZQN via MLB(in itself a good score to get seats at Easter but we did book 8 months ahead). Was fairly amazed to find the MLB - ZQN flight had absoultely no availability and the seats we were allocated at the back and not together. Surely not everyone is paying the $20 or know to jump on at T-24.

Coming back better, got mid plane but over the engine so noisy. A couple of things got me here, a) for some reason we could not do online checkin so no ability to choose seats (maybe it was the fact the first half of the flight - to Auckland was on Jetstar but the system should have allowed us to online checkin the Sydney flight). Secondly and not really a huge issue but with my wife and myself having aisle preferences and my two daughters having window preference the allocated seats were just totally wrong (i.e. my wife/I got two windows and daughetr got middle and Aisle). Sure we just moved but has to be something wrong with a system that ignores preferences when it could have met them.

Having been considering how I allocate points for some time now (QFF or KF) and this is just another thing that pushes me to SQ.
 
I think seating preferences are virtually useless these days - received the below email from QF yesterday, and if flying Economy and the majority of people select seats before T-24, then it's just going to be pot luck. For PE and above it allocates a seat at the time of booking based on preferences, so might be a bit better there. (On that note, the email below doesn't specify, but I assume this is only for International as that's been my experience recently?)

I've found that even with the automatic allocation, it takes no notice of your preferences - I have Aisle as my preference, and my partner Window, and the preferences shown on two recent bookings were both Aisle on one, and both Window on the other. Needless to say I went in a selected seats manually, because who knows what might have happened.

Hello pshepvic
When flying Qantas, we want to make your journey as enjoyable as possible. Much of this comes down to your seat. So to make choosing your seat as easy as possible, there are a number of different seat selection options available to you as a Platinum Qantas Frequent Flyer:
Advance Seat Selection
Paid Exit Row Seating using cash or points
Seat Preference Selection via Your Profile

Advance Seat Selection
The best way to get your preferred seat from all those available to you is to use Advance Seat Selection. Advance Seat Selection allows you to request a specific seat location and is available from the moment you complete your booking, up until three hours before your scheduled departure - provided you have not already checked-in.
To use Advance Seat Selection, simply click on the 'Select Seat' ICON on the booking receipt you will receive when booking via qantas.com. Alternatively, you can log into Your Account once your booking has been completed, or you can ask your travel agent or Qantas Telephone Sales agent to select your seat for you.

How do I use Advance Seat Selection?
Once you have made your booking:
• Sign into Your Account at qantas.com
• Select 'View Your Bookings'
• Then select 'View/Change'
• Finally, click on 'Select Seats' in your booking

As a Platinum Frequent Flyer, you'll be able to request any available seat from a preferential seating zone. Advance Seat Selection is complimentary to you, and anyone travelling with you in the same booking on Qantas Domestic and International flights (excluding QantasLink) that are numbered QF400-1349 and QF1-199.

For extra comfort, purchase an Exit Row Seat
Qantas Frequent Flyers, can also choose to redeem points or pay an additional amount to enjoy the comfort of an Exit Row Seat in Economy on most Qantas International flights. To book an Exit Row Seat, log into Your Account once your booking has been completed or phone Qantas Telephone Sales (subject to availability, terms and conditions apply).

Your Seat Preference Selection
Within Your Profile, you can nominate your preferred seating arrangement such as an Aisle or Window so that when you purchase a ticket in Premium Economy, Business or First, and have not requested a seat using Advance Seat Selection, we will allocate you a seat as close as possible to your preference at the time of booking.
If you make a booking in Economy, and haven't requested a seat using Advance Seat Selection or purchased an Exit Row Seat, we will try to accommodate your seating preference at the time of check-in.


Yours Sincerely

Sid Gokani
Head of Loyalty Operations.
 
$0.02.

I've decided that I'm not overly concerned about this new $20 seat selection situation. I don't think many people will go for it.

For a good chunk of my life I was only flying once or twice a year. I had no concept of what constituted a good or bad seat, I didn't at all care about sitting near the front of the plane, and I certainly wouldn't have coughed up an extra $20 to choose where I sat.

In fact, Priority boarding is probably the only upgrade I would have paid for prior to having any kind of status.
 
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