OLCI - What's the point? Shocking seat selection

[kamchatsky]

My better half and I am catching QF783 SYD-ADL flight tomorrow 5:25pm and is planning to do OLCI at 8pm today, in order to beat the crowd of seat selections. However, from qantas.com.au they have allocated us 29A/B, last row of the plane! the only seats opened are: 28B, 24B, 24E, 23E, 22E, 21E. I am stopping OLCI for now.

Whilst I am only a QF NB, this is ridiculous, in terms of lack of seats available for selection. Are they still withholding seats for release? If I follow through OLCI does it mean I cannot change my seats anymore? If I abandon OLCI, can I still check in at the airport?

 

[markis10]

You can change seats even after OLCI by redoing it, which I suggest you do as things change in the 24 hours before the flight a lot, mind you are going at peak frequent flyer hour, so there will be a lot of status pax on your plane.

 

[kamchatsky]

Well I have decided to go through OLCI and get my PDF boarding pass. Our sequence number is 11 and 12, so it is not as if a lot of people have OLCI already.

But I still cannot believe that there are so few seats opened, even for QF NB. If this is the policy I think it is almost not worth OLCI as I will probably be better off checking in later. The only thing I can hope is that the Bag Drop line is actually shorter than the normal checkin queue, even at 5pm on Friday. Is this the case?

 

[DrJ]

Not that it will help on this occasion, but if you can afford to join the QP (or sweet talk your employer into paying for it) , do so. Aside from the other benefits, as a NB I found my seat choices improved considerably on joining.

 

[Warks]

You can always have another look when you get to the QuickCheck, things change. Being in QC as a NB I got reasonable seats but was often well towards the back on the commuter flights. Get on a non City Flyer or out of peak and I found myself right up front.
I hit PS just at the end of my year (Oct) and have just retained PS with almost 9 months to spare. That said I got what I thought was a cough seat on TSV-BNE today although it was full but then got an exit row BNE-SYD.

For legs like SYD-PER I get in OLCI nice and early - I check to see if there's an empty seat next to me and move to where the seat (middle on 767, middle two on A330) is likely to remain empty. Of course more seats are open to me. Can't wait to get back to SG!

 

[N860CR]

I'd say it's just because you're on a "business" flight at the end of the working week.

I often fly the 6 or 7am SYD-BNE flight and even as a SG I usually end up in row 15+.

That said, its very frustrating to see plenty of people without any FF status at all (not even NB) on their passes in the front few rows (seems to happen a lot)

 

[repete]

Interested to discover this post on my return from a CBR-MELB return trip this week. I thought I'd jump in early as well and did OLCI in advance. In the past this has given me a number of options to choose from - this time I had my seat or one other in the plane! Neither were aisle seats yet that's what I have as a preference in my FF account (Qantas Bronze only).

Given that I booked this month's in advance, what's the point of having the preference there if I don't get allocated that type of seat?!? Crazy thing is - they can't have all been taken since I turned up a few mins before my flight was supposed to depart, asked for an aisle seat and got one Happy about that... but not the initial allocation and lack of choice when it's not what I had asked for!

 

[kamchatsky]

Even if I am on "business" flights, as well as plenty of QFers with status, I still could not believe that the ONLY seats side by side on offer in OLCI is 29A/B (next to the toilet)! They should at least provide some more options, say at least the last 10 rows.

I definitely don't fly enough to justify QP at the moment, and certainly I will check later tomorrow if more seats opens up. But really the way they block most of the seats, completely defeated the purpose of OLCI!

From everyone's experiences, does it mean that for "business/city flyers" the ones in front paid for fully-flexi fares, or have very high status?! Admittedly, I am flying on a Red-e-Deal ticket. Maybe that's how QF treats their "el-cheapo passengers" these days?

 

[JohnK]

For a Platinum with a low value ranking and purchasing cheap red e-deal and sale fares I find OLCI useful. I am usually allocated an aisle seat on a 767 up to 9 rows back from the front and when I use OLCI I can get to the first or second row most of the time.

I guess it is harder for someone with no status but keep checking OLCI and when arriving at the airport use the QuickCheck machine before going to bag drop or check-in where you have another chance to get better seat. And if all else fails check again at the service desk before boarding.

Those people with no status sitting closer to the front than status FFers have more than likely grabbed the seat at the airport using QuickCheck or at the check-in counters.

 

[simongr]

Seats are pre-allocated at T-25 hours so when you book is irrelevant.

OLCI or airport check in makes no difference in what you will be allocated other than if doing airport check in or OLCI during the day then you might get a seat that has been freed up by someone doing ODU or a cancellation.

OLCI for me means that I can get two boarding passes printed the night before I fly so I dont have to queue at checkin and can leave home later or spend more time in the QP.

 

[Travel Guru]

From everyone's experiences, does it mean that for "business/city flyers" the ones in front paid for fully-flexi fares, or have very high status?! Admittedly, I am flying on a Red-e-Deal ticket. Maybe that's how QF treats their "el-cheapo passengers" these days?

From my experience (im a SG), ticket price has nothing to do with it, whether i'm flying on an O Class Red E Deal, a frequent flyer redemption or a flexi ticket, my seat assignment is fairly consistent, and given the improvement when I moved from QP - PS - SG, its status that determines where I get.

TG

 

[MarcB]

From my experience (im a SG), ticket price has nothing to do with it, whether i'm flying on an O Class Red E Deal, a frequent flyer redemption or a flexi ticket, my seat assignment is fairly consistent, and given the improvement when I moved from QP - PS - SG, its status that determines where I get.

TG

I am minded to agree with you Travel Guru. I don't think what you paid for your ticket is relevant (or whether you are on points versus paid ticket). I find that as an SG, my seating allocations are fairly consisitent - usually within the first 6 rows. Using OLCI, I can usually get myself to the front row on most flights over the course of the 24 hours leading up to the flight.

Edit: Oh, and I am usually ALWAYS on a red-e deal.

 

[markis10]

Using OLCI, I can usually get myself to the front row on most flights over the course of the 24 hours leading up to the flight.

Edit: Oh, and I am usually ALWAYS on a red-e deal.

And thats the trick, if you are not happy go back and redo OLCI every couple of hours, you will be surprised at the changes that occur and as mentioned, often front row seats appear ! BTW once you start OLCI you cannot abort it and not be checked in, even if you dont get to the boarding pass stage.

Its never a bad idea to have another look at OLCI closer to the flight, equipment changes happen and sometimes that seat you had goes AWOL as a result, often resulting in a worse seat being allocated, alternatively an equipment change could bring better choices that were not available at the original check in time , especially when an INT config is put on.

 

[serfty]

From my experience (im a SG), ticket price has nothing to do with it ...

I am minded to agree with you Travel Guru. I don't think what you paid for your ticket is relevant (or whether you are on points versus paid ticket). ...

Since the introduction of Altéa by Qantas, price of ticket/booking class IS indeed part of the assessment.

Search here or FT for posts/thread with the term "Theoretical seats".

Here's one such: Big development! Qantas seat selection!

 

[cosi]

And thats the trick, if you are not happy go back and redo OLCI every couple of hours, you will be surprised at the changes that occur and as mentioned, often front row seats appear !

Totally agree - keep checking.

The dragon (my wife + no status) flew on Tuesday from Per-Syd. OLCI had allocated her 55A - plane was a domestic A330-200.

On the morning of the flight I checked and got her 23G - first row on economy plus the bonus of a spare seat next to her. She was very happy

Obviousily somebody travelling with another person with very high status had cancelled.

 

[bossreggie]

The seat allocation always surprises me. I did an OLCI at 4pm yesterday for my SYD-MEL 4pm flight today. I am QF Gold and always fly in J. I was allocated row 6!!!!! A330-200 Back row of business. I was unable to change online. I just checked in at SYD Bus lounge now and miraculously 1B has become available. (My preferred seat)

On the way up this morning was a similar story. Was originally booked with Deathstar *Class but that flight was delayed nearly 2 hours. Quick telephone call to QF and I was on the 11am SYD-MEL also an A330 but allocated 4J. Once again at lounge 1B became available.

No rhyme or reason to it! I will be platinum in March so I wonder if that will change things.

BTW... I did notice SEVERAL cabin crew and 2 pilots in J on the way up.

 

[markis10]

No rhyme or reason to it! I will be platinum in March so I wonder if that will change things.

There is reason to it regardless of what cabin you are in, seat allocation is always done early however seat blocks are not removed, allowing last minute high fare paying guests good seats, when those last minute transfers dont happen seats are released and often a better seat is offered on check in at the airport because the option exists, whereas it did not exist at T-24 or 20 hours. Thats also why you often see non status pax up the front, because the status pax or regular fliers have been too lazy to recheck for better seats in the meantime.

Makes sense when you think about it, if you often book last minute you are paying a premium, would you expect to also be given the worst seat in the plane????

 

[MarcB]

Since the introduction of Altéa by Qantas, price of ticket/booking class IS indeed part of the assessment.

Search here or FT for posts/thread with the term "Theoretical seats".

Here's one such: Big development! Qantas seat selection!

It must still be somewhat hit and miss then - I often get pre-allocated worse seats when works books me Y fares than when I book my own red-e deals. These are perhaps mysteries of Altéa that we will probably never understand...

 

[docjames]

...SYD-MEL 4pm .... I am QF Gold ......allocated row 6!!!!!........miraculously 1B has become available. ......

11am SYD-MEL allocated 4J...... Once again ....1B became available.

No rhyme or reason to it!

The rhyme and reason would be 1B is the bassinet seat and it gets held until the last minute in case it is required (better to bump you 4J --> 1B than 1B --> 4J

Also, on the SYD-MEL 4pm it's quite conceiveable that there were CLs and WPs that also like "forward aisle" and thus, got rows 2,3,4,5 aisles ahead of you.

:shock:

 

[JohnK]

From my experience (im a SG), ticket price has nothing to do with it, whether i'm flying on an O Class Red E Deal, a frequent flyer redemption or a flexi ticket, my seat assignment is fairly consistent, and given the improvement when I moved from QP - PS - SG, its status that determines where I get.

I believe that Qantas does take "Value to Qantas" into account within Status levels when pre-allocating seats for domestic flights.

I don't believe though that a lower status person on a higher class fare would not get a better seat pre-allocated than a Platinum on a lower class fare

Makes sense when you think about it, if you often book last minute you are paying a premium, would you expect to also be given the worst seat in the plane????

No status and booking at the last minute should get worst seat in the plane.

I don't want to go back to the silly arguments (apparently Qantas loses ~AUD100 for every flight I take on a domestic red e-Deal. ) but a person travelling once a year with no status and spending AUD500 on a last minute one-way or return booking is not more important than a person who flies close to 100 flights a year with some sort of status regardless of whether these flights are red e-Deals or sales or award bookings. Anyone who thinks otherwise is seriously kidding themselves....