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

[juddles]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

....I am of the belief that a person should never be moved to a worse seat without their approval......

This raises a question in my head: Do the checkin staff even know if a seat has been specifically selected by someone? For example, if person "A" preselected 47A 6 months out because it was their favorite, but then before they checkin a person "B" goes to checkin and asks "pretty please can I be put in 47A", does the checkin person know when/how person "A" selected it? Is there anything that distinguishes a customer selection from a random auto assignation?

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

Yes.
The auto selections are all the middle seats down the back.

 

[mannej]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

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.

So we agree that the OP missed their best chance to rectify the seat change.

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.

In the context of the OP's issues you are exaggerating. We are talking about being moved back 1 Window seat here, not from a row 23 Bulkhead to the back of the plane.

However, I do agree with your situation that the white lie is an issue here. It has been noted here that Ground Agents are getting called out on their lies. That IMO isn't good enough.

In the situation of the OP, expecting service recovery after the fact is only going to lead to disappointment unfortunately.

 

[Moindardt]

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.

Not wanting to hijack thread, but I saw this in America. Lady in wheelchair (70 odd), got someone else moved so she had seat at front of MCE and got on plane first in her "wheelchair". When we get to the baggage carousel, she leans over and easily picks up a huge bag like a 20 yr old. A girl beside her commented on her being in the wheelchair. She said she was in boarding group 5 and seat at back near toilet, on a full 3 hr flight, so she decided didn't like that and would do something about it. We all just sat there with our mouths open in shock.

 

[Anna]

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.

I'm wondering if someone might have thought they were doing you a favour putting you across the aisle where you could see each other and maybe talk, rather than one sitting behind the other. Mostly couples complain about being separated, not ask for it!

 

[boomy]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

I'm wondering if someone might have thought they were doing you a favour putting you across the aisle where you could see each other and maybe talk, rather than one sitting behind the other. Mostly couples complain about being separated, not ask for it!

While you are probably correct in your assumption, some couples actually prefer two window seats behind each other and its not the airline's role to play matchmaker and decide for pax where is best for them to sit after they have already pre-selected their seats.

Recently I checked-in at one of the QF lounges with my +1 and the angel advised us she can organise better seats so we can sit closer to each other. Looking at the seat map we could see the cabin was full and when I pointed that out the reply was: "don't worry about it, I can swap some around for you". Well, I didn't like this answer at all! In fact it made me very angry to hear that seat selection is not respected and can be changed so easily. I was on the other side before when moved from my assigned seat to accommodate a CL so I know the feeling and would never do that to others.

I think pre-selected seats should be respected and changed only if it's absolutely necessary, gender or FF status are both unacceptable excuses.

 

[JohnK]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

Not wanting to hijack thread, but I saw this in America. Lady in wheelchair (70 odd), got someone else moved so she had seat at front of MCE and got on plane first in her "wheelchair". When we get to the baggage carousel, she leans over and easily picks up a huge bag like a 20 yr old. A girl beside her commented on her being in the wheelchair. She said she was in boarding group 5 and seat at back near toilet, on a full 3 hr flight, so she decided didn't like that and would do something about it. We all just sat there with our mouths open in shock.

It's that simple if people want to do it.

 

[kevinkhchan]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

I'm wondering if someone might have thought they were doing you a favour putting you across the aisle where you could see each other and maybe talk, rather than one sitting behind the other. Mostly couples complain about being separated, not ask for it!

While you are probably correct in your assumption, some couples actually prefer two window seats behind each other and its not the airline's role to play matchmaker and decide for pax where is best for them to sit after they have already pre-selected their seats...

It is possible though unlikely that someone decided that we may wish to sit across the aisle from each other. I had specifically selected the two window seats as the reverse herringbone was not conducive to us being next to each other. The fact that this would be an overnighter helped my SO agree to the seating option as we would most likely be sleeping through most of the flight. We'll just have to wait and see if this sticks for now (though I'm open to the possibility of change until we have our butts in the seats).

On a different note our seats for our upcoming trip to DPS (one off so my SO can say that she HAS been there) on VA has the seats confirmed outbound and inbound.

 

[RichardMEL]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

Not wanting to hijack thread, but I saw this in America. Lady in wheelchair (70 odd), got someone else moved so she had seat at front of MCE and got on plane first in her "wheelchair". When we get to the baggage carousel, she leans over and easily picks up a huge bag like a 20 yr old. A girl beside her commented on her being in the wheelchair. She said she was in boarding group 5 and seat at back near toilet, on a full 3 hr flight, so she decided didn't like that and would do something about it. We all just sat there with our mouths open in shock.

It's called Chutzpah and while part of me admires her for it, it also rankles me a bit in the same way people can and do buy $5 "Emotional support animal" vests and stick it on their pooch or pig or whatever, claim the requirement and fly the yapper for free to get around paying fees to fly their pet.

And let's not get started on the minature horse.....


but anyway back to the top of QF code/EK metal seating.


In my own experience on either revenue or award bookings, all with QF flight numbers all seat assignments have held but I do agree that when the plane gets under airport control it's a lottery. You'd suspect that status was an issue here (and NOT gender!) and really the agents won't care (or probably know) that 14A may have a better view than 16A - it's a window in J - to them it's a minimal change.

At least the OP could use the EK cameras on the 380 to look out at Dubai on take off and enjoy some sort of view, and/or look out over the wing.

 

[Princess Fiona]

This is a little OT but go with me.
Had our own experience of EK seat shifting on a QF codeshare in Y SYD-AKL. Family of 6 booked as 4 middle seats at front, two in bulkhead opposite.
Checked in at SYD and didn't really pay any attention to BP. As going through Immigration noticed that two daughters had been moved to the second back row of the aircraft !!!
At the EK lounge after lots of phone calls we found out in the QF F Lounge that they had been moved back near the front, two rows behind us and seated together.
I spoke with the supervisor at the gate who told me the kids were bumped as they were in basinette seats (FWIW EK doesn't use basinettes T-T I've been told). We were also advised that if you haven't done OLCI then you may well have your seat moved for operational reasons. She advised me not to select bulkhead seats regardless of status and to always do OLCI.
On the way back we had 3 and 3 across the bulkhead. I did OLCI and the seat selection stuck.

I have to say the whole EK Y treatment was less than stellar. We went back to NZ for our latest trip, now that's one airline that really knows how to look after their partner Elites in Y.

 

[condonp]

Re: Business Class Seat change by airline

Good question and you would think that somehow it is marked on computer that this seat was preselected.