P1 Gazumping the front row of whY

[RooAvery]

so, it seems most pax would prefer row 4 to an exit row, is this purely so they can get of the plane quicker?

For example, BNE > MEL on QF619 which is a 737-800 (winglets), would you prefer seat A, C, D or F in row 4, 5, 13 or 14.

I cannot yet see why you would prefer row 4 over row 14. I feel I am missing some piece of information

Happy flying.....

 

[medhead]

Row 4 has just as much room as the exit row and allows getting away about 5 minutes sooner than the exit rows. One disadvantage is limited overhead storage, however there is significant room under row 3 seats for the middle and window seats. If in one of the new 737-800s row 5 is almost preferable to row 4 because of the gate to gate IFE.

If you have checked luggage there is no real time advantage in row 4.

 

[serfty]

Row 4 has better seat pitch than the exit rows on the QF 73H's.

Also, on a full aircraft, there's 72 people in front of row 14 and only 12 in front of row 4.

The only real downside is for those laterally challenged who are giving up about an inch of width as the tray tables are in the armrests .

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Row 4 has more legroom than business. I can't do row 1 as the legroom is not sufficient, but row 4 is perfect.

Exit rows are full of silvers, there's never any special service like on row 4 and you can forget about a shadow in an exit..


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[reductionist]

Exit rows are full of silvers, there's never any special service like on row 4 and you can forget about a shadow in an exit..

Ahh this is interesting to hear. I've never seen anything in the way of special service in row 4 (I am a lowly WP). I also seem to get a shadow most of the time if I choose the exit row.

I do prefer row 4 due to the proximity to the exit however.

 

[JohnK]

I prefer row 4 so I can get out of the aircraft quicker. It takes too long to get off the aircraft from row 13....

 

[medhead]

Ahh this is interesting to hear. I've never seen anything in the way of special service in row 4 (I am a lowly WP). I also seem to get a shadow most of the time if I choose the exit row.

I do prefer row 4 due to the proximity to the exit however.

Special service can include papers and jackets getting hung up, spill over from business basically. In fact I got a J breakfast once. A few weeks ago the CSMs were welcoming all WPs personally after take off and offering a paper of choice, but that seems to have stopped and is not really row 4 related.


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[samh004]

I’ve had a newspaper as a Gold in row 4 before, but it’s essentially spillover and not offered if there’s nothing left after going through J, or if they’re busy.

I do like row 4 though, nearly always there. Managed to score 23J/K for a 767 flight coming up too

 

[Awesom Andy]

I cannot yet see why you would prefer row 4 over row 14.

When you're flying enough to gain/retain SG/WP, you'll want to get off any flights asap. :shock:

Well, looks like I'm quite lucky this week... getting 4C SYD-BNE in half an hours time, with 4F just a few days ago heading the other direction.

 

[Awesom Andy]

Sounds like I just jinzed it. The 734 operating as QF516 is officially delayed by an hour - or, in QF-speak, the engineers have 60min to find a fix, or it's cancelled. :shock:

 

[Ewing]

you can forget about a shadow in an exit..

Except for trans-tasman. I always seem to get a shadow on trans-tasman exits.

One flight I had 14A with 14B/C empty. I did have one gentlemen ask if I'd mind if he sat in 14C (he was in 15C with 15A/B occupied), and of course I didn't object.

I do love this comic on the topic of shadows:
The most awesome thing I've ever heard on an airplane - The Oatmeal :mrgreen:

 

[simongr]

Late morning flight tomorrow so happy to get 4D - 4EF seem to be either occupied or 4F is occupied and hopefully 4E is a shadow.

 

[MatF]

Nice, managed to nab 23A on QF510 SYD-BNE on Monday - at about T-67hrs.

 

[Awesom Andy]

50C on the A380 SIN-MEL for me tomorrow, and row 24 on the 763 SYD-MEL on a Monday morning. As I'm only SG, I think I'm on a bit of a roll this month.

 

[JohnK]

Got stuck with 4A again yesterday.

The person sitting in 4B is not meant to be sitting between 2 people. He was not fat but was big and made it even worse by hogging way more than the whole armrest throughout the whole flight. I was squashed against the wall for the majority of the flight and felt uncomfortable. I wish I was in the aisle seat at least then I could lean to the side and avoid the close contact.

It is not always a blessing to be sitting in the front seats and hindsight tells me I should have stayed in my original 6D....

 

[Kangol]

Got stuck with 4A again yesterday.

The person sitting in 4B is not meant to be sitting between 2 people. He was not fat but was big and made it even worse by hogging way more than the whole armrest throughout the whole flight. I was squashed against the wall for the majority of the flight and felt uncomfortable. I wish I was in the aisle seat at least then I could lean to the side and avoid the close contact.

It is not always a blessing to be sitting in the front seats and hindsight tells me I should have stayed in my original 6D....

I've sometimes had the option of moving from 5 or 6 C/D to a non-aisle row 4 seat and have done so once before. Now I know that it's not worth the potential discomfort for the 1 or so hours just for getting out of the plane half a minute earlier.. I usually walk quickly and pass whoever was sitting in front of me once I leave anyway.

The other "advantage" to row 5 or 6 over 4 is gate to gate IFE on the new BSI 738.. experienced that for the first time on such an aircraft in a row other than 4 on Friday.

 

[haggiscat]

This is bullsh*t, row 4 is being blocked off even after OLCI on most flights even when it is completely empty on both sides. This has been the case on my last 3 flights.

Last time, I called them and got into R4 at T80 pretending my seating engine would not work (obtaining a benefit by deception, sure to have me arrested and charged, immoral, etc - I know). I was the only person in the whole row on a flight that was quite heavily loaded.

So it is being blocked off obviously in case any potential higher status passengers want it at the last minute.

 

[Awesom Andy]

I haven't noticed row 4 being permanently blocked off, but it's definitely not easy getting it as an SG.

And I ended up losing 50C on the A380. QF10 is delayed by almost 5 hours (which is still flying as I type ), so I gave it up for the on-time QF6 instead. On days like this, any seat is a good seat.

 

[haggiscat]

I'm WP and always fly at non-peak times. In the past 12 months I've rarely been back from row 4 or row 5 on a 734. The last few weeks, I've had five flights in exit rows due to row 4 being blocked. I think that's probably more than just coincidence but we shall see.

 

[medhead]

I guess I should report that I gazumped a CL bag tag from row 4 this morning. Me in 4F and CL bag tag in 5C. Still rows 4 to 7 all had empty middle seats.


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