Premium Econ Seats allocated to Econ - How do I get them?

[ronza]

I was lucky enough to get 36F assigned to me at the boarding gate after already holding a boarding pass a few rows back in the normal Y cabin. Bronze. 0 SC. Award ticket. This was early Dec and the people around me seemed to be equally bamboozled at how wide and spacious the seat was.

 

[parsonstrish]

philflyer: as gold i only have options for 37 back. other seats blocked. prior to whatever changed over 12 months or so ago, i used to have access to front row seats as silver but this has changed and now blocked rows either frist two or first three rows for o/s.
cheers

 

[Ewing]

So status does seem to matter. I'm interested when they open up for you.

Certainly does.

For SYD-EZE - here's what I see with a PS number in EF:

Then immediately after, here's with an SG number in EF:

Didn't check EZE-SYD, and I don't have a WP number to check that - but interesting nonetheless

 

[notzac]

Didn't check EZE-SYD, and I don't have a WP number to check that - but interesting nonetheless

What date did you want checked?

 

[notzac]

What date did you want checked?

DUH! It helps if I bother to read the thread... with my QFF number in EF, this is what I'm seeing for those flights:

 

[philflyer]

It makes absolute sense that the seat selection opens up further with the higher status you have. This is one more thing to consider if you are working on moving from Silver upwards.

I wish I had Notzac's status

 

[GCC]

I'm reading this with interest as I do often pay to fly QF Y+.
I don't have plans to go to EZE, but does the same thing happen on other routes (Syd - LHR for eg) so as a WP I could book myself into a Y+ seat on a Y fare?

 

[drewbles]

I'm reading this with interest as I do often pay to fly QF Y+.
I don't have plans to go to EZE, but does the same thing happen on other routes (Syd - LHR for eg) so as a WP I could book myself into a Y+ seat on a Y fare?

As has been mentioned around here, the cabin re-definitions have been happening for some time, but not on all routes. SYD-EZE is one of the ones it is happening on, however, other routes which had it no longer do (eg SYD-SFO, MEL-LHRvHKG). The trend now is to sell F as J, and leave Y/Y+ alone. Checking EF will tell you if your flight has a re-defintion. If you see a 2-4-2 seating chart in the Economy definition, then it's likely to be Y+ sold as Y.

QF seem to be constantly monitoring this, and as a WP you should be able to pre-allocate these seats (don't forget to put your WP number into your EF account to see the availability)

 

[serfty]

Two months ago booked a PE fare on QF29 to HKG with seat allocation in a Skybed.

About a month ago, they changed from a Pacific 4 class 744 to a Kangaroo route configuration and there went my pre-selected Skybed.:-|

I'm still looking for a Points upgrade* and one of the few still vacant seats in zone A.

*Interesting, the flight has been sold out in PE and WHY for the last 3½ weeks and I would be a good chance for an op-up; however I would be well behind any revenue PE pax willing to spend the 25K on a points upgrade so will go that route.

 

[philflyer]

Well I received my answer this morning. I had put a Seat Notification in Expert Flyer on the Prem Economy seats on QF17 for this Saturday. These seats were opened up to silver status economy flyers last night. So it appears that they are being made available 3 days prior to the flight.

I hope the same happens on QF73 when I fly SYD-SFO in May
​

 

[Voyages]

Well I received my answer this morning. I had put a Seat Notification in Expert Flyer on the Prem Economy seats on QF17 for this Saturday. These seats were opened up to silver status economy flyers last night. So it appears that they are being made available 3 days prior to the flight.​

I hope the same happens on QF73 when I fly SYD-SFO in May ​

Just come across this thread. Very helpful...with insightful info, thanks guys. I thought the Y+ seats for Y fares have gone since Feb.

Here's hoping the selection of Y+ seat will be the same in July, when I get home on QF 18 EZE-SYD. That's a saving of 45,000 points for an upgrade request.

 

[Voyages]

Here's hoping the selection of Y+ seat will be the same in July, when I get home on QF 18 EZE-SYD. That's a saving of 45,000 points for an upgrade request.

I am now able to select a Y+ seat for QF18 EZE-SYD (departing 5 July) . I am surprised that QF releases several premium economies seat for Y pax this early (I am currenty an SG).

 

[philflyer]

My trip to Buenos Aires in April ended up being cancelled since I had to have an operation last month. But I did replace it with a trip to SFO and JFK starting this Friday.... and today.... I was able to re-allocate my seat from Economy to Prem Economy on the Qantas site for QF73 (this Friday). That was $5 well spent on my ExpertFlyer membership.

Let's hope the reconfig of those 4 class 747s take a very long time. I'm enjoying these "free" seat upgrades. Buenos Aires will happen again later in the year. :mrgreen:

 

[blueflamenco]

I am now able to select a Y+ seat for QF18 EZE-SYD (departing 5 July) . I am surprised that QF releases several premium economies seat for Y pax this early (I am currenty an SG).

I'm sorry if this is a silly question.. Where do you go to select your seats?

 

[Keith009]

Either my TA or QF auto seat allocation got me into the J cabin when I booked QF74 SFO-SYD in Y+ (seat 23D). I was going to spend 45k points to upgrade to J but will now save the points instead - after all, most importantly, I will now get a comfy Skybed and the same champers as served in J. Hopefully there won't be a last minute equipment swap...

 

[philflyer]

I'm sorry if this is a silly question.. Where do you go to select your seats?

If the seats are available to you, you would be able to select them when you go to "manage your bookings" on the Qantas website. I knew they were available to me today because I could see them on ExpertFlyer.com. But you need to be a member on it and have recorded your Frequent Flyer number in your ExpertFlyer profile.

You should note that the Prem Economy seats are not obvious in the Qantas seat maps in your booking on the Qantas site. You can only tell they are Prem Econ seats by the 2 - 4 - 2 configuration. I am silver status and I can see that the Prem Econ seats only open up to silver status members 3 days before the day of the flight. Much longer for higher status members.

So far I can see that this arrangement is happening on flights QF17,18,73 and 74.

 

[Voyages]

I don't have access to ExpertFlyer. Expert advice from AFF indicates QFs17,18,73 and 74 have 4-class configs.

Similar to philflyer, I've been able to get a Y+ seat for myself on QF18, and 2 Y+ seats on QF74 for myself and my bf. With my gold status I can see pre-select the PE seats pretty early though (say more than 3 months out), by keep checking their availability using the 'Seat Selection' automatic function as QF009 and philflyer pointed out.

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/your-questions/aircraft-config-qf-74-16-a-22936.html

I was able to pre-select Y+ on QF94 last year, only to find out I was upgraded to J, then for some reason I was put back to a Y seat, and ended up in Y+ as a formal upgrade after talking to the QF desk at LAX T4.

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/your-questions/qf94-tonight-3-nov-j-20052.html

A substantial saving of the points indeed. Whilst flying J would be awesome, I do enjoy Y+ very much. I am just hoping for no change in equipment closer to the date.

 

[adrian]

It is not just an equipment change you need to worry about. If J gets full, they may open up the J downstairs cabin to J passengers, and push Y+ back to the real Y+ seats.

Having said that I have done SYD-SFO return twice in the last couple of months, on Y+ tickets, so 4 segments total, and on 3 of those occasions I sat in a Skybed, and once in a Y+ seat.

 

[Keith009]

It is not just an equipment change you need to worry about. If J gets full, they may open up the J downstairs cabin to J passengers, and push Y+ back to the real Y+ seats.

Having said that I have done SYD-SFO return twice in the last couple of months, on Y+ tickets, so 4 segments total, and on 3 of those occasions I sat in a Skybed, and once in a Y+ seat.

Perhaps I'd better start panicking then as availability on my flight (QF74 on 14MAY) is currently showing this:

J0 C0 D0 I0 U0 W9 R9 T9 SFOSYD 1040P  625A‡2 DCA /E 
            Z0 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L6 V9 S7 N0 Q0 O0 G0 X0 E0

With those figures I'd be hard pressed for even a points upgrade ...

 

[JohnK]

Is this only happening the US and South American routes?