Preselecting Seating leaving Open Seat between you. Is it gaming?

[serfty]

If you pay to select seating whether A & C or anything else you should retain those seats if no configuration change.

 

[RichardMEL]

Does the last statement sound ok? Should it be "I do not in any way agree with moving pax around at the whim of an agent without asking".

oops. mea culpa. quite right. long day at work.

 

[kpc]

The first time we booked the A + C seats (separate PNRs) was nearly 10 years ago when we travelled in Y (before I knew much about FF pts) on Sq from Syd-Sin-Mxp-Bcn rtn - we thought we hit the jackpot as we scored an empty middle seat on all legs which made the flight in Y just tolerable ...yes we gamed the system!!...but travelling in Y calls for desperate measures....this was the last time we flew to Europe in Y!!

 

[burmans]

For commercial reasons, an airline may decide that couples travelling together, but choosing A+C to game the system is unfair and bad for business. It upsets a whole bunch of single travellers stuck in B seats. Sometimes an airline may assess the situation correctly and identify the true gamers. In others they may get it wrong. That’s the risk passengers take when not selecting seats next to each other.

Everyone who tries to improve their seating allocation is gaming the system (or at least trying to) but that includes singles as much as couples. As far as commercial reasons, well that's for Qantas to decide but would suggest with couples they get twice the revenue so trying to put the requests of singles above couples is not great commercial practice. All commercial decision may favour one group of passengers over another so you go for the one that yields the greater value. Apparently they don't agree with your assessment.

 

[equus]

I can’t imagine many A+Cers that would actually be happy sitting in the window, trapped and unable to get out

Depends entirely on the length of the flight here. Are we talking PER-LHR, or MEL-SYD?

 

[Peter D]

Except the A+Cers say it’s not their preferred seat! They want to sit together, but try to game the system with a spare. With the exceptions stated on this thread, I can’t imagine many A+Cers that would actually be happy sitting in the window, trapped and unable to get out, and unable to speak to their partner in C, with a stranger in the middle! I can’t say i know anyone (except those who have mentioned otherwise here on AFF) that would fit in that category.

Sorry, I know I am being pedantic but they choose A + C because they don’t want to sit together. They want to be separated by an empty seat and are willing to take the gamble.

If it’s a long trip one can always offer A or C to the middle chap, who would be nuts to refuse. On short trip we just wouldn’t talk to each other.

If lightly loaded I often see most of the middle seats are empty but if you are couple you get a third person.

I recently tried the A+C “game”/ gamble on an Air New Zealand flight to Norfolk Island but their web page refused to do it. I could get A+B, and B+C or any other seat on the plane but not A+C. We had booked as couple, so I suspect that might have been the problem.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

With regards to A+C, and as a comparison, whichever ticketing agency sells cricket seats at The Gabba only allows contiguous seating. This may apply to other grounds too I assume.

 

[downgraded]

Sorry, I know I am being pedantic but they choose A + C because they don’t want to sit together.

Says whom?
We choose A&C because we like to play the odds that we might get one of the empty seats that is most likely to be in the cabin between us. I am quite able to communicate across 17.2inches of empty seat but equally Mrs D may well be fast asleep in her window seat.
People read far too much into this. A+C is clearly a superior seating outcome and if it's an option that the airline is offering why not look to benefit from it.
The airlines are the gamers in this not the punters. They are looking to make as much as possible whilst giving as little as possible.

 

[Haplo]

When I am traveling with family in the cattle class normally book D, F and G. However will only do this during off peak season as the plane will not be full so the chance of that seat being taken is slim.

 

[burmans]

Not sure I agree that the airlines are the gamers but there is certainly much in the way of how they run airlines and in particular FF programs that rely heavily on game theory. So I certainly think they are knowing setting up a 'game' themselves with the hope they win that game. This being the case they can't really complain when their customers prove sometimes better at playing the game they have setup. And, no this is not accidental, game theory is well understood by corporations and its use is very deliberate.

 

[GSP]

Ms GSP has had a couple of goes at getting A+C because she thinks I fart - and therefore improves her flight experience.

When the random rocks up in B, we do as others have said (no talking, we're strangers). When the (silent) fart does inevitability come, whilst giggling very hard under a straight face when seeing some mortified expressions from those around and I get the "stare" from Ms GSP, I then claim all innocence via facial expressions not giving up the knowing each other gig, I then shift blame to the random by pointing at him (and once a her). I think I'm 50/50 on believability on my blame shift.



Sorry, this adds little value to the discussion other than a little jocularity to lighten the mood albeit an (out there) alternative to the A+C motivation. Airlines are still living in the dark ages to this motivation but if understood it could incur the same wrath as the original poster (my tenuous attempt to bring the A+C conversation back to the original topic)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Everyone who tries to improve their seating allocation is gaming the system (or at least trying to) but that includes singles as much as couples. As far as commercial reasons, well that's for Qantas to decide but would suggest with couples they get twice the revenue so trying to put the requests of singles above couples is not great commercial practice. All commercial decision may favour one group of passengers over another so you go for the one that yields the greater value. Apparently they don't agree with your assessment.

The couple is going to fly anyway. The individual about to book but only sees middle seats may decide to fly another airline.

I don't know what the airlines think other than the one data point I gave above where the check-in agent stated it was unfair to take the A+C seat and moved my sister and her traveling companion to sit together, freeing up the window. Granted, they weren't selecting A+C other than to try and secure more space.

 

[JohnK]

With this "gaming" theory on seating what does one do in regards to travelling with wife and daughter?

On an A330 with 2-4-2 configuration should I be forced into choosing 2 middle seats or is it OK to pre-allocate aisle-aisle-window either across or behind?

And is this gaming the system? And is it relevant to the discussion and why would the airline care what seats I have chosen?

 

[Flying_man]

This thread now about A-C seating.

 

[downgraded]

The couple is going to fly anyway. The individual about to book but only sees middle seats may decide to fly another airline.

I don't know what the airlines think other than the one data point I gave above where the check-in agent stated it was unfair to take the A+C seat and moved my sister and her traveling companion to sit together, freeing up the window. Granted, they weren't selecting A+C other than to try and secure more space.

Until recently you wouldn't see the QF seating until after you'd booked and paid for your flight.
Last time we had an interloper in a B seat, he was oblivious to seat selection or that a middle seat was a bad one - he'd just sat where he'd been allocated at check-in.

 

[RichardMEL]

I agree this thread has strayed totally. It may even warrant a split for the "seat gaming" stuff IMHO.

So I'll add to it.

I think Peter is way off with the assertion that couples (or companions if you like, could be siblings or friends) do not want to travel together. I mean if they're going to the same location be it for business or pleasure, of course they're together. Do they want to be on each other's lap? Well maybe in the privacy of their own hotel rooms... but clearly 99.8% of folks doing this hope that middle stays free so they each get a little more space in Y. That's normal huma behaviour to try and make the most of what's there.

I tried what some may think to be the "ultimate" game (from a certain point of view) earlier this year in the new SQ Suites cabin. I deliberately booked 2F (they go 1AF-3AF), rows 1+2 can have the suites combined into a double bed. When I booked, 1A was taken, but the F side 1/2/3 was free, so I took 2F figuiring that well, other pax may avoid 1F (if any more booked) and I might have a shot at the double bed. Absolute gaming of the cabin. At check in the SQ F hosts ivery nervously asked me if I'd mind moving to row 3, as a couple had booked 1F and 3F and "wanted the suite together" .... well you know I'm a romantic soul, and since either way I wasn't getting the double I swapped (the crew thanked me, the couple just looked at me without a word ) but anyway... it doesn't just happen (or try to happen) in Y

but yes SQ asked me.. they didn't switch me without asking so I couldn't blow up and be banned for losing my cough (see, I brought it back on topic... sort of )

 

[Daver6]

Going a step further with this gaming thing. What about in J where its a 1-2-1 layout. Are couples meant to book the two middle seats and unfair if they book two window seats, one in front of the other?

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Going a step further with this gaming thing. What about in J where its a 1-2-1 layout. Are couples meant to book the two middle seats and unfair if they book two window seats, one in front of the other?

We always do that so, therefore, it is not gaming

 

[Denali]

Going a step further with this gaming thing. What about in J where its a 1-2-1 layout. Are couples meant to book the two middle seats and unfair if they book two window seats, one in front of the other?

I usually book 2 x window seats. Only once did an airline (Delta) reconfigure and move us to 2 middle seats.

 

[RichardMEL]

re the middles, 1-2-1 config.. it can obviously depend on the cabin fitout. QF's design is poor (IMHO) for couples who want closeish contact (don't take that the wrong way ) because of the angling of the seats and so on.

I certainly wouldn't say 2 pax travelling together are "supposed" to book the middles. Many (as above) do windows "together" and that's probably just as close or connected as the middle pair, plus lots of people like windows!

In premium cabins it's certainly far less "cut and dried" about optimum seating for couples.. specially as cabins are going more towards 1-2-1 type all aisle access configs (let alone the forward/backwards seating)