Online Seat Allocation

[Kiwi Flyer]

Re: Business Class Online Seat Allocation

This is the first time I will be flying in paid business class and I have never booked business class with any other airlines. Is online seat allocation standard practice when flying business class with other airlines?

Yup. Some airlines, eg Air NZ, it is also available economy (albeit some parts of cabin blocked off for elites only) and even domestic.

 

[JohnK]

Re: Business Class Online Seat Allocation

Yup. Some airlines, eg Air NZ, it is also available economy (albeit some parts of cabin blocked off for elites only) and even domestic.

Disappointing that so many airlines have this feature available for economy yet QF are so far behind.

Most of the time I get my forward aisle preference but on some occassions I am not happy with allocated seat and would like it changed. It would be nice to be able to change it online rather than ringing someone and asking what is available.

 

[serfty]

Re: Business Class Online Seat Allocation

Yup. Some airlines, eg Air NZ, it is also available economy (albeit some parts of cabin blocked off for elites only) and even domestic.

Disappointing that so many airlines have this feature available for economy yet QF are so far behind.

Most of the time I get my forward aisle preference but on some occassions I am not happy with allocated seat and would like it changed. It would be nice to be able to change it online rather than ringing someone and asking what is available.

Methinks Qantas have the technology, but have deliberately chosen not to make it readily available.

 

[JohnK]

Re: Business Class Online Seat Allocation

Methinks Qantas have the technology, but have deliberately chosen not to make it readily available.

Serfty, if they do have the technology available why do you think they have not released it, at least for QFF's?

Is it to maintain some sort of control?

 

[serfty]

Re: Business Class Online Seat Allocation

... Serfty, if they do have the technology available why do you think they have not released it, at least for QFF's?

Is it to maintain some sort of control?

I think so; I am not really sure Qantas are happy in letting up to 20% of International WHY NB PAX preallocate seats; possibly only doing so due to international agreements.

While, it's not a difficult task for an elite to request seat allocation by ringing up after making a booking, it's still a PITA. :?

 

[JohnK]

Re: Business Class Online Seat Allocation

... Serfty, if they do have the technology available why do you think they have not released it, at least for QFF's?

Is it to maintain some sort of control?

I think so; I am not really sure Qantas are happy in letting up to 20% of International WHY NB PAX preallocate seats; possibly only doing so due to international agreements.:?

Surely if they have the technology then they can also restrict online seat allocation to maybe QF PS and above or even QF SG and above.

While, it's not a difficult task for an elite to request seat allocation by ringing up after making a booking, it's still a PITA. :?

Agree. Due to the seating blockouts we really have no idea what seats are truly available.

 

[serfty]

Re: Business Class Online Seat Allocation

... Agree. Due to the seating blockouts we really have no idea what seats are truly available.

Actually, Expertflyer does differentiate well enough between blocked and allocated seats to get a better idea of this.

The blokced seats show as a darker version of unallocated seats while allocated seats show a notional 'Head, Shoulders & Lap'.

 

[JohnK]

Re: Business Class Online Seat Allocation

... Agree. Due to the seating blockouts we really have no idea what seats are truly available.

Actually, Expertflyer does differentiate well enough between blocked and allocated seats to get a better idea of this.

The blokced seats show as a darker version of unallocated seats while allocated seats show a notional 'Head, Shoulders & Lap'.

Any free tools that show this information?

 

[serfty]

Re: Business Class Online Seat Allocation

... Any free tools that show this information?

None that I know of.

Here's some images of a flight I had recently taken at the same time:

 

[JohnK]

serfty, the images aren't appearing.

 

[Mal]

Re: Business Class Online Seat Allocation

Methinks Qantas have the technology, but have deliberately chosen not to make it readily available.

I think it's another issue with Qantas and their legacy IT systems. Must be a real pita to add new features to the website. The CIO's always discuss the systems so it is obviously an issue.

 

[serfty]

serfty, the images aren't appearing.

I know, I used :: instead of ':'.

Now OK :?

 

[serfty]

Methinks Qantas have the technology, but have deliberately chosen not to make it readily available.

I think it's another issue with Qantas and their legacy IT systems. Must be a real pita to add new features to the website. The CIO's always discuss the systems so it is obviously an issue.

QF utilised a system called "USAS" until BA became a part owner. Since then BA's CUBE has been partially incorporated into their systems, the eventual aim was to eliminate USAS altogether.

Quite a few years down the track and the last vestiges of USAS still exist.

The technology is there (as can be seen on BA.com) but Qantas still resist implementing it for their web site.

 

[JohnK]

Re: Business Class Online Seat Allocation

... Any free tools that show this information?

None that I know of.

Why am I not surprised.

No one gives away something for nothing. Even airlines.

 

[serfty]

Re: Business Class Online Seat Allocation

... Here's some images of a flight I had recently taken at the same time: ...

A bit more on this. This was QF31 SYD-SIN back in October.

Note that my preallocation was 35H, you can see the orange seat with checkmytrip. Expertflyer shows this as allocated.

Also note the Expertflyer is indicating 34/D/E/F/G as allocated. This was not the case, in the end they were empty. Qantas have blocked these as there are two bassinet positions there. The same with exit rows; expertflyer shows them as allocated when they may not have been.

In the end, when everyone had boarded, there was me in 35H, a woman in 35K. 35D/E/F/G were empty (but not for long :twisted: )

 

[serfty]

Re: Business Class Online Seat Allocation

... Any free tools that show this information?

None that I know of.

Why am I not surprised.

No one gives away something for nothing. Even airlines.

I do! (Sometimes)

Please feel free to PM me if you need any ad hoc information. :wink:

 

[NM]

Remember that tools like ExpertFlyer are only able to display the information made available to them from the airline's own systems. If the airline's systems are providing inaccurate information, then that is all that EF can present to you.

And different airlines handle the representation of "allocated", "reserved", "blocked", "available/reserved for premium/elite", and "available" in different ways. So one airline may show seats as "reserved for elites", while another airline may show the same category of seats as "reserved" or even as "allocated" even though they have not been allocated to an individual passenger.

 

[Dave Noble]

Re: Business Class Online Seat Allocation

No one gives away something for nothing. Even airlines.

Not true. AA, for example, provides seat map information for all their flights on their website; bu default it shows generally available seats, if logged in as a Gold or higher member it shows all seats available including those available to elite members only ( e.g. exit seats )

BAs MMB, provides seating information for the cabin booked in based upon the persons OW status to what seats are available for assignment

Alternatively, use a booking engine and make a dummy boking for a flight and go into select seats to see what is available ( e.g. http://www.flyaow.com/classavailability.htm )

Dave

 

[JohnK]

No one gives away something for nothing. Even airlines.

Not true. AA, for example, provides seat map information for all their flights on their website; bu default it shows generally available seats, if logged in as a Gold or higher member it shows all seats available including those available to elite members only ( e.g. exit seats )

BAs MMB, provides seating information for the cabin booked in based upon the persons OW status to what seats are available for assignment.

So again confirms that QF is well behind the 8-ball!

Alternatively, use a booking engine and make a dummy boking for a flight and go into select seats to see what is available ( e.g. http://www.flyaow.com/classavailability.htm )

If booking QF flights wouldn't this tool still blockout the seats reserved for higher status QFF's?

 

[Dave Noble]

So again confirms that QF is well behind the 8-ball!

Assuming that QF are actually bothered about providing such a facility. The system does auto-allocation to QP and status members based on preference and to others on request subject to limits not exceeded.

If booking QF flights wouldn't this tool still blockout the seats reserved for higher status QFF's?

This will indeed only show generally available seats

Dave