JQ Check-in Seat Allocation

[dajop]

Not sure if this was there before, but if I want to skip the seat choice at the booking stage, there's a note which states:
"You have not selected a seat. If you do not wish to pre-select a seat one will be assigned for you randomly from what is still available at check-in." So I guess that is a departure from the previous "choose at check-in" process?

Exact message I saw.

I'm not down on Jetstar for this, always thought the ability to pre-select at checkin was a bit of a loophole that would be closed one day, as it undermines the charging for the seat philosophy.

I ended up "stuck" in a middle seat in second half of the aircraft. It was nowhere near as bad as I feared or as people make out for a flight, flying time was a tad under 90 minutes. Happy to pay for seat selection on longer flights, but anything less than 2 hrs I'll suck it up.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Not sure if this was there before, but if I want to skip the seat choice at the booking stage, there's a note which states:

"You have not selected a seat. If you do not wish to pre-select a seat one will be assigned for you randomly from what is still available at check-in." So I guess that is a departure from the previous "choose at check-in" process?

But the "choose at checkin" option would only be if you hadn't done OLCI. The main issue seems to be a glitch in the system that charges you at T-48 for a seat which should be free. I understand this is only when using a desktop and not from a mobile device.

It's when you haven't paid for a seat prior to check-in whether that is as part of a bundle or paying for seat selection.

You'd be nuts to skip the seat selection process during the booking process when you've paid for a bundle.

I checked in online yesterday and can confirm I was not able to select a seat for free on the desktop website. No doubt this new functionality will be replicated on the mobile website soon enough.

Have you tried using the mobile site from the desktop like when you used to be able to avoid the AUD8.50 cc fee?

 

[gizzard]

Bloody hell, another "enhancement" at JQ. This is exactly what easyJet and Ryanair do - you have to pay to select a seat (even at check-in) or have one allocated for you. (I took the risk and ended up with middle seats twice.)

With the non-mobile site you won't see any seat allocation until you finalise check-in.

If you use the mobile site (you can do so on a desk-top computer if you need to) then you are allocated a seat when you start the check-in process. You can then change it free of charge just as it always was with both sites.

This use of the mobile site is almost certainly a glitch/loophole that will be closed and the new method is that you don't have any choice of seat selection without paying. I too got middle seats on both of my flights when I was allocated seats at the start of my check-in on the mobile site but changed them to my preferred option.

 

[Mattg]

You'd be nuts to skip the seat selection process during the booking process when you've paid for a bundle.

True, and I usually do purchase a plus bundle, but this is not possible on price beat tickets (about 50% of my bookings with JQ).

 

[N860CR]

Can you still login and print a boarding pass online after doing a mobile checkin?

 

[gizzard]

Can you still login and print a boarding pass online after doing a mobile checkin?

Yes, I was able to reprint one even though I had requested an sms.

 

[Mattg]

With the non-mobile site you won't see any seat allocation until you finalise check-in.

If you use the mobile site (you can do so on a desk-top computer if you need to) then you are allocated a seat when you start the check-in process. You can then change it free of charge just as it always was with both sites.

This use of the mobile site is almost certainly a glitch/loophole that will be closed and the new method is that you don't have any choice of seat selection without paying. I too got middle seats on both of my flights when I was allocated seats at the start of my check-in on the mobile site but changed them to my preferred option.

Are you able to pay a fee to have the allocation changed after completing online check-in if you are unhappy?

 

[gizzard]

Are you able to pay a fee to have the allocation changed after completing online check-in if you are unhappy?

Money does not necessarily bring happiness.
AFAIK the only way to change seat having checked in is at the customer service desk at the airport or at the gate and then it will be for free.

 

[N860CR]

Yes, I was able to reprint one even though I had requested an sms.

Thanks, l try that next time.

Mobile phone boarding passes seem to slow my entry to the QP

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Why are you all surprised at JQs way of sucking $$$ from us?
Its not new when you need a third eye to make sure to uncheck/unclick things the system has preclicked for you.
Starkids donation esp, $2 if you dont untick it, etc. Or the carbon offset.

 

[gizzard]

Why are you all surprised at JQs way of sucking $$$ from us?
Its not new when you need a third eye to make sure to uncheck/unclick things the system has preclicked for you.
Starkids donation esp, $2 if you dont untick it, etc. Or the carbon offset.

That's true but there's no "un"-anything here. There's simply no option to see the seat that you will be allocated on the standard site whereas on the mobile seat all is revealed and can be changed.

However, sucking $$$ is not a surprise but they are, at least, good enough to keep the price beat guarantee going, for the moment.

 

[gizzard]

JQ contacted me again today regarding the new seat allocation process. After 25 minutes of denying there had been any changes to their systems they finally agreed that "a small change" had been made in May. JQ also agreed that they didn't inform any of their customers of this change which isn't surprising as they didn't seem to think it had even happened.

When I flew with them at the beginning of June the update had not been made to the mobile site only the web-site, as we know. If it hasn't been done yet then it will be soon so the days of free seat allocation are over.

I was told that unless you have paid for a seat then a seat will only be allocated when you finalise check-in whether that is online or at the airport. If you don't like the allocation and want to change it then you won't be able to without paying even if you go to the service desk or see check-in staff.

They couldn't tell me what would happen if you tried to check-in in QP or change your seat in QP. I'm assuming, because of the cost that QP wouldn't be able to handle it.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

They couldn't tell me what would happen if you tried to check-in in QP or change your seat in QP. I'm assuming, because of the cost that QP wouldn't be able to handle it.

I can't see them charging you in the QP somehow. I've only every travelled on JQ with a plus bundle which includes the standard seat selection however I can understand this would be annoying for those who have done a price match and can't add the bundle.

 

[eastwest101]

JQ contacted me again today regarding the new seat allocation process. After 25 minutes of denying there had been any changes to their systems they finally agreed that "a small change" had been made in May. JQ also agreed that they didn't inform any of their customers of this change which isn't surprising as they didn't seem to think it had even happened.

When I flew with them at the beginning of June the update had not been made to the mobile site only the web-site, as we know. If it hasn't been done yet then it will be soon so the days of free seat allocation are over.

I was told that unless you have paid for a seat then a seat will only be allocated when you finalise check-in whether that is online or at the airport. If you don't like the allocation and want to change it then you won't be able to without paying even if you go to the service desk or see check-in staff.

They couldn't tell me what would happen if you tried to check-in in QP or change your seat in QP. I'm assuming, because of the cost that QP wouldn't be able to handle it.

I will have a JQ flight coming up in about 3 weeks time, already booked and paid for by corporate travel agent, so I will be the "test bunny" for JQ domestic seat allocation and will report back if no-one else here is flying JQ earlier than me.

If I have trouble online I may wander over to the Qantas Club in SYD and see if they can move me from something horrible like 30E to something a little bit better and see how that goes.

 

[N860CR]

Are they able to access Jetstar seats in the Qantas club? For some stupid reason I booked a BNE-SYD on Jetstar next week (couldn't turn down ~$55 vs 200+ on QF/VA) so it would be a little easier to handle if I wasn't stuck in a middle seat

 

[gizzard]

Are they able to access Jetstar seats in the Qantas club? For some stupid reason I booked a BNE-SYD on Jetstar next week (couldn't turn down ~$55 vs 200+ on QF/VA) so it would be a little easier to handle if I wasn't stuck in a middle seat

Some QPs can check you in (eg MEL) and some can't (eg SYD). Whether they can now select a seat for you is unlikely.

 

[robd]

Both Jnr's #1 and #2 are heading up to MCY on Saturday, but the flights were booked separately, so 2 PNR's. OLCI opened, so #1 wanted to try to select seats together with #2, however the website was requesting additional payment. Jnr#1 phones me :-

#1: "Bloody hell, I'm trying to check-in online with Jetstar and sit with #2, but it says I have to pay!"

Me: "Try the mobile site".

#1: "But if that doesn't work, do you reckon if I phone Jetstar, they will seat us together without charging me?"

Me: "Just try the mobile site first".

A couple of minutes later, I get an email from #1 - "It worked! sneaky sneaky!".

My reply email - "AFF strikes again "

 

[Mattg]

Some QPs can check you in (eg MEL) and some can't (eg SYD). Whether they can now select a seat for you is unlikely.

At the OOL QP the other day, I overheard a conversation where a JQ customer wanted to change something on his booking. The lounge angel said she would be unable to do it as JQ's systems were separate to QF's.

 

[gizzard]

Me: "Just try the mobile app first".
A couple of minutes later, I get an email from #1 - "It worked! sneaky sneaky!".

That's good news. So what JQ told me yesterday, that an update had been applied to the mobile site, was simply wrong.....again.

 

[gizzard]

At the OOL QP the other day, I overheard a conversation where a JQ customer wanted to change something on his booking. The lounge angel said she would be unable to do it as JQ's systems were separate to QF's.

That's right, they are separate systems but in MEL, for example, they have access to JQ's system. In SYD, they no longer do although they used to.
It sounds like OOL don't have the access either.