Business Class Seat change by airline [QF*EK codeshare ex BNE]

[condonp]

Hi
I am a Qantas FF but due to the fact that I live in Brisbane I caught thA380 Emirates from Dubai to Brisbane after a 4 day layover from London.
I paid for Business class travel (on sale) through the Qantas website. I chose seat 14A for this flight. The day before the flight I checked and my seat was 14A. I was at the airport well before 7 a.m. , checked in etc. At first I didn't notice that my seat had been changed until after I had gone through customs. I did a cursory look and remember registering the seat was A but not the seat number. My seat had been changed to 16A. Didn't worry about it too much though was a bit annoyed that it was changed as I chad chosen that seat many weeks before and as it is a single seat there didn't seem to be any reason to change it. Until I got on the plane and found it was over the wing and obstructed my view. Then I was really annoyed as I was looking forward to seeing over Dubai as it was daytime. I did notice that there was a man travelling on his own who was sitting in the seat that I had selected.
When I got back I did send an email to Emirates asking for an explanation. I was very very annoyed with the response. because I booked with Qantas, they passed my email to them to respond. Obviously Qantas could not saying anything much as they did not change my seat. it was somebody at Emirates that changed it so I don't know why they would expect Qantas to give me explanation.
I suspect that somebody at the book in counter changed it. Wonder why they picked me then - was it that I was a female?
2 point of discussion:
1. Why did they change it when it is a single seat and no reason that I can see except the man knew it was over the wing and ask to change.
2. Extremely poor customer Service to respond to my email but to send it to Qantas.

 

[russ]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

Yes, airlines often move females around. Never males.

 

[samh004]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

First, welcome to AFF!

Seat changes are a part of travel and can happen for many different reasons. In this case, it sounds like the man sitting in your seat held higher FF status than you, and if he was of Emirates IO (Invitation Only) level, then they would have bent over backwards to accommodate him.

 

[Anna]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

You didn't say whether you have any QF status other than FF membership, but the seat change was probably not because you are female. More likely you got gazumped by an EK frequent flyer who has higher status than you have. The other possibility is that choosing a seat on the QF website did not stick when viewed by EK due to some IT glitch.

A particular seat isn't guaranteed so even though you get your choice most of the time it's always possible it will be changed no matter what status you have.

I agree that EK should have given you a better response than to pass the email to QF.

 

[mannej]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

Seats are never guaranteed, even with advanced selection. There are a number of reasons as to why, but an airline generally will fall back to the operational requirements as a response.

I am not sure what you are expecting from EK as service recovery, as to the airline they will see this is trivial.

 

[condonp]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

I am a Gold Qantas FF. I also checked the night before on the Emirates website to ensure that the seat did stick because I had that issue with a flight going over and had to ring them.

 

[mannej]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

I am a Gold Qantas FF. I also checked the night before on the Emirates website to ensure that the seat did stick because I had that issue with a flight going over and had to ring them.

That close to departure I think you may find the flight to be under airport control. What the MMB shows may differ to reality in some cases.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

About all you can do is always check your boarding pass as soon as you check in so if it has changed you can have a conversation about it at the check in desk.
They may not be able to give you your original seat back but they may be able to accomodate your preferences somehow.

 

[Steady]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

Welcome aboard condonp, I feel your frustration.

Now ow you have lined - I hope you stick around this site as there is plenty to learn and benefit from.

 

[juddles]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

Seat selection with flights involving codeshares is, IMHO, a very shaky experience. Across all airlines.

 

[prozac]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

Welcome to AFF condonp.
Stories such as yours is one of the reasons I may never fly an Arab airline where being locally wealthy seems to be status enough.

 

[kermatu]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

Welcome!

On EK but QF booked and QF flight numbers, I have once had my seat choice in J (selected by the QF P1 team, no less) changed upon check-in. Reason given at airport (Singapore) was that a passenger on the flight from Dubai and then through to Melbourne had selected it and was able to override my preference. Check-in desk couldn't help. QF lounge and P1 team via email said nothing they could do. But I ended up getting an upgrade to F courtesy of the EK lounge when they saw my QF status and when I told them and asked, very politely, for a better seat - so had a good ending!

Since then I have always selected my seat on the EK site. They have held to date but as others have noted, nothing is ever guaranteed so I assume nothing.

Nothing more you can do than the regular check on the operating airline's manage booking page, and keep an eye on check-in or do online check-in 24 hours out if particularly anxious.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

When booking EK metal through QF, it can be difficult to select seats through QF (even as WPs) for some reason. In our experience, we always find the EK booking reference no and login to the EK site and do seat selections there. They have (touch wood) always stuck when done through the EK site.

But, seat selection is always never absolutely guaranteed unless you are Royalty.

Remember the hissy fit Bronwyn Bishop threw when QF would not give her her favourite 1F seat and would not move the person allotted to that seat.

 

[bsb]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

Wonder why they picked me then - was it that I was a female?

that would be truly awful, I would hope that never happens to any woman

 

[kevinkhchan]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

Somewhat related but we just finalised and paid for our flights next year (Feb/Mar) in I. When I checked yesterday my SO had been moved for our HEL - HKG on AY (no status) from the window seat behind me to across the aisle from me. I've had our TA shift her to the seat in front of me. We'll see if any other changes occur.

 

[JohnK]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

Belated welcome to AFF condonp!

Seats are never guaranteed, even with advanced selection. There are a number of reasons as to why, but an airline generally will fall back to the operational requirements as a response.

The seat changes for operational reasons where explained are usually tolerable. It is the seat changes that occur as favours to friends/family/work colleagues and are never explained that cannot be tolerated.

Customers deserve an explanation. The truth. Not lies.

I am not sure what you are expecting from EK as service recovery, as to the airline they will see this is trivial.

Need to look at things from the point of view of a customer.

Is going from first row aisle in economy to second last row middle seat trivial? I dare say not.

 

[mannej]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

Belated welcome to AFF condonp!


The seat changes for operational reasons where explained are usually tolerable. It is the seat changes that occur as favours to friends/family/work colleagues and are never explained that cannot be tolerated.

Customers deserve an explanation. The truth. Not lies.

Any suggestion of favours here is conjecture by yourself JohnK. The issue is the fact that EK fobbed the OP straight to QF even though they were the operating carrier.

I am still of the same belief here that the best place to resolve this issue is prior to setting foot on the aircraft. Leave it until afterwards you are going to cop a generic response.

I had a similar response out of PER. Wife and 18 month in tow, we were moved from 46AB to 56DEF on an intl. 332. Explanation was that the new occupants were of a higher status (NB and NB), so that was a bluff. We were able to retain our seats but the Ground Agent wasn't happy about being called out about the bluff.

Need to look at things from the point of view of a customer.

Is going from first row aisle in economy to second last row middle seat trivial? I dare say not.

Again JohnK, don't exaggerate the situation at hand. We are talking about a move of 1 window seat back here. Your hypothetical isn't relevant to the OP's scenario as it hasn't happened. They were seated in a like window seat 1 window seat back. If it weren't for the difference of view, it would be fairly trivial in the scheme of things.

 

[kermatu]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

Somewhat related but we just finalised and paid for our flights next year (Feb/Mar) in I. When I checked yesterday my SO had been moved for our HEL - HKG on AY (no status) from the window seat behind me to across the aisle from me. I've had our TA shift her to the seat in front of me. We'll see if any other changes occur.

Surely that can't be down to operational requirements so many months out?!

 

[JohnK]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

Any suggestion of favours here is conjecture by yourself JohnK. The issue is the fact that EK fobbed the OP straight to QF even though they were the operating carrier.

I am still of the same belief here that the best place to resolve this issue is prior to setting foot on the aircraft. Leave it until afterwards you are going to cop a generic response.

And I am of the belief that a person should never be moved to a worse seat without their approval. Unfortunately the OP didn't check the boarding pass closely. I do. Any changes and I will resolve them to my satisfaction before I get on flight. It is unauthorised changes at the gate or even on board that are not easy to fix.

Again JohnK, don't exaggerate the situation at hand. We are talking about a move of 1 window seat back here. Your hypothetical isn't relevant to the OP's scenario as it hasn't happened. They were seated in a like window seat 1 window seat back. If it weren't for the difference of view, it would be fairly trivial in the scheme of things.

Not exaggerating. It is important. They lost their view. That's part of the whole experience. Sorry but I don't see that move as trivial.

And my example was not quite hypothetical. I was moved from first row of economy on 767 to somewhere down the back. Row 50 something.

I was also moved from row 23 bulkhead to row 34 exit row and a lady was given my seat along with a shadow supposedly because she needed wheelchair assistance but when we got to MEL she rushed off the flight first as she had a connecting flight to ADL.

 

[prozac]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

...
I was also moved from row 23 bulkhead to row 34 exit row and a lady was given my seat along with a shadow supposedly because she needed wheelchair assistance but when we got to MEL she rushed off the flight first as she had a connecting flight to ADL.

Haaahahaaaa. Mark that woman's card. Some people have no shame.