PS - Wilco (my old post got moderated) - but can you please go back to berating Frequent Flyers for caring about Frequent Flying perks - because it makes you sound like SWMBO - which in turn is like a security blanket and makes me feel safe and comfortable.
And on the off chance that you ARE my Other Half - hi honey
Not quite, but it did make me chuckle.... lol
On topic - please don't over react to JohnK's post - I understand his point, which is on topic with this thread.
That is, simply, about QF valuing loyalty and rewarding it with benefits (published and unpublished).
QF has made a business decision to allow premium pax access to premium seating zones.
Now all John is saying is that status pax (who through their status have demonstrated loyalty to QF - regardless of current fare), appreciate these benefits.
But, regardless of the individual circumstance, these benefits appear diluted when status pax see non-status pax receive the same benefit when the aircraft is not full.
Now of course there are valid reasons for it to not work all the time - but the concept of preferential seating is not new (even to QF), and when implemented works very well.
The problems often come from frontline staff having no regard to FF issues when sometimes taking the easy option of solving issues / requests.
JohnK was not demanding he be treated as a DYKWIA - he was just pointing out where a benefit area can sometimes not be perfect and can provide an area of perceived dilution as to benefits (expected or not).
Ill answer your points in bullet form just to make things a little easier for me.
I actually don't see his point. As a frequent traveller, he of all people should understand that "things" happen. In this case it was a double aircraft substitution and god knows whatever else.
Im all for sticking it to QF when they don't provide a published benefit (e.g.: priority boarding), but to expect that they provide unpublished ones, all the time, is just... well, unrealistic.
QF do allow premium pax preferred acces to premium seating zones and thats what he got. Row 5. He wasn't happy with this, so changed to row 4, but then he stalked the poor pregnant women to determine she was of no status and then comes on here to accuse her of having stolen his seat!! I mean really?? does it get any worse than this??
i don't think its a case of appreciating these benefits, its more of demanding them, and when you don't get them, all hell breaks loose. And id like to add, Row 4 or whatever is NOT the sole domain of WP's. It is a row of seats on an aircraft that the airline can assign in their ultimate wisdom.
And so what if a non status pax was sat in row 4, what is the big deal?? the big deal is that she had the window or aisle that he wanted and should have got over her because he is WP. Does any of this just sound wrong to you?? I'm sorry, but id be embarrassed to admit to such ridiculousness.
There are many reasons as to why it doesn't work all the time and in this case, its clear that something did occur, but even so, $hit happens from time to time. Again, I don't see the big deal.
as for front line staff.... do you honestly think they have the time to go through the manifest, pick out people for special treatment, fix up any real or perceived errors, move people around from seats that for all intents and purposes they are entitled to, double check FF's preferences and make sure they get the only seat they ever sit in and the list goes on.... they don't have the time to do any of this. They need to get the pax and aircraft out on time. Mr WP and his seat preference is waaaaaay down the list of their priorities.
I never suggested he behaved as a DYKWIA, but I think what he did was simply unacceptable. Spying on this poor women, passing judgment on her because she didnt have a FF number or status on her BP and then coughing on here that he didn't get the seat he wanted. I mean honestly, who cares what status any other passenger has, or what benefits they get. If its that important to you, fight your own battles, don't drag other innocent bystanders in to support your, IMO, flawed, argument.
I hear what your saying, but at the end of the day, the rant is about him not getting the seat he tried to choose twice and then being allocated 5B, changing it to 4 something which still wasn't good enough because no status pregnant women was in the seat he wanted. And the spying on other flyers, well thats just creepy......
