Qantas Code Share Extortion

[mrsotek]

Hi there,

I made a points + pay booking with Qantas to Europe (Codeshare with Emirates).

Booking initially was very simple & straightforward.

I received an email with pre-allocated seating for myself (i am a Qantas Silver FF). My wife & son however have no allocated seating (Qantas Bronze FF).

I phoned Qantas and they gave me an Emirates Reference number (all good)

I go to Emirates Website logon on and it wants to charge for their seats? WTF?

I phone Qantas again, they advise to call Emirates.

I phone Emirates and they stated "yes you can have seating with your family but you must pay for them". i said but you have allocated me seating but not my family. response - yes you must pay for them. i said but what happens if i dont pay for them? response - you may not be seating with them for your flights.

What Emirates is doing to me equates to Extortion, pure and simple. if i dont pay an additional $272 then my family in all probability wont be travelling with me to Europe.

As i stated to Qantas Rep - then what is the point of me maintaining my silver membership and lounge membership when i am now being extorted? if i had no memberships then we would simply be all sitting together.

Qantas / Emirates - i am seriously upset at how i have been treated. My loyalty with Qantas is doubtful for any future flights and i will be reviewing the qantas lounge membership also.

I dont expect anything to happen - but buyer beware as they say.

 

[ftm]

Is everyone in the same booking? If you are all together in one booking, then your status should apply to everyone else and they should get free seating too. I've not heard of a case where they have differentiated between status within the same booking.

 

[mrsotek]

Hi FTM, all parties are on the same booking. "Apparantely" its new?

 

[mannej]

Yes EK charges for seat selection on the lower end Y fares.

The answer is in the EK FAQ site - https://www.emirates.com/au/english...ntas-frequent-flyer-members-exempt-from-payin . I'd assume EK Silver and QF silver are treated the same even if not mentioned explicitly.

P.s - let's keep some perspective here, trying to pull the loyalty line as a PS member doesn't have a lot of sway truth be told.

 

[mrsotek]

yes but i am pre-allocated and my family isnt. i would prefer then to not have any pre-allocation so we can all sit together (my child is devastated). at the moment unless i pay the extortion amount then in all likely hood we wont be sit together

 

[travelislife]

yes but i am pre-allocated and my family isnt. i would prefer then to not have any pre-allocation so we can all sit together (my child is devastated). at the moment unless i pay the extortion amount then in all likely hood we wont be sit together

You are overplaying this. You will be sitting together. You can remove your FF number from the booking so you appear as an NB if you really want to and then just claim the points later.

 

[mannej]

As per the FAQ link I have posted, it does state seat selection is free at OLCI.

I think you need to stop the mind spinning at 1000 miles an hour over this.

 

[Pushka]

MrP had to pay for seat selection on EK booked flight (3rd party booked it) and he's Qantas Platinum and LTG. We just paid it. He ended up taking up the offer pre flight to upgrade so it turned out to be wasted anyway. Such is the world of travel.

 

[serfty]

MrP had to pay for seat selection on EK booked flight (3rd party booked it) and he's Qantas Platinum and LTG. ...

That is strange!

I have had [-]three[/-] four EK economy flights since EK started charging for seat selection and as WP have not had to pay to preselect a seat on any of them.

Are you sure the 3rd party had MrP's QF WP number correctly in the booking?

 

[Pushka]

That is strange!

I have had [-]three[/-] four EK economy flights since EK started charging for seat selection and as WP have not had to pay to preselect a seat on any of them.

Are you sure the 3rd party had MrP's QF WP number correctly in the booking?

Yes. I put it in there myself but after the booking was made. Maybe that was the issue - the timing. But I did do seat selection after the number was inserted.

 

[mrsotek]

"Serfty" I made the booking myself. I am the primary. It is a new rule that Emirates has brought in as of October 2016. I have had no alternative but to pay the ransom / extortion to Emirates. Am i happy no, am i happy that we are all sitting together then yes. would i have paid extra at time of initial booking to have this functionality then yes.

Unfortunately "Mannej" you are wrong.

Thanks "Travelislife" i appreciated the advise. I wasnt aware that i could do this.

Unfortunately what is now evident more than ever is the value of Qantas Silver. it really isnt worth anything at all if your travelling as a family. With Gold you can pre-select your whole family, with Bronze nothing & with silver your only good for yourself.

Qantas Club Staff etc all provide differing answers / opinions which also adds to the confusion, so clearly the rules arent easy to follow, nor are they given adequate training.

Emirates staff (in Mumbai) could also use some customer training, although Sanjay (a manager) was an exception.

 

[serfty]

Yes. I put it in there myself but after the booking was made. Maybe that was the issue - the timing. But I did do seat selection after the number was inserted.

One thing I did not mention was that on one of the bookings I needed to my QF WP number to EK's version of the booking using Emirates.com.

 

[mannej]

"Serfty" I made the booking myself. I am the primary. It is a new rule that Emirates has brought in as of October 2016. I have had no alternative but to pay the ransom / extortion to Emirates. Am i happy no, am i happy that we are all sitting together then yes. would i have paid extra at time of initial booking to have this functionality then yes.

Unfortunately "Mannej" you are wrong.

Thanks "Travelislife" i appreciated the advise. I wasnt aware that i could do this.

Unfortunately what is now evident more than ever is the value of Qantas Silver. it really isnt worth anything at all if your travelling as a family. With Gold you can pre-select your whole family, with Bronze nothing & with silver your only good for yourself.

Qantas Club Staff etc all provide differing answers / opinions which also adds to the confusion, so clearly the rules arent easy to follow, nor are they given adequate training.

Emirates staff (in Mumbai) could also use some customer training, although Sanjay (a manager) was an exception.

Please tell me where I am wrong?

 

[samh004]

I recently ran into a similar issue when my FF# didn't get entered correctly in my booking. I was initially being charged, and naturally didn't select seats. After sorting my FF# issue, I was able to elect seats for the whole booking due to my status, but I saw that this is only offered to Platinum and Gold members, as per the link upthread. A Silver member receives free seat selection only for themselves.

Best way to show your displeasure at this change is the vote with your feet/cash the next time you make a booking.

And further, Qantas Silver is still worth a lot... if you're travelling Qantas, which you are not.

 

[Longtoo]

It is always risky to fly on another metal from your airline membership. However, if you dare to take your chance, I think Emirate check in agent will arrange for your family to sit together at the end.

I (as PS and QF club member) flew with wife and 2 kids to Europe some time ago with a Y QF ticket on EK metal. I was able to select seat for the entire family from SYD to Europe. On the return, the system did not allow me to select seat. The flight was completely full. We was separated into 2 groups on row apart. we negotiated with the other PAX and were able to sit together.

 

[Pushka]

It is always risky to fly on another metal from your airline membership.

Well I disagree with that. And just as well as out of Adelaide there is no international Q metal.

And I think mannej is correct OP. Also I've found silver to be pretty useless. Mind you I can't remember when I was bronze.

 

[mannej]

Well I disagree with that. And just as well as out of Adelaide there is no international Q metal.

And I think mannej is correct OP. Also I've found silver to be pretty useless. Mind you I can't remember when I was bronze.

I have a feeling the OP is referring to my comment about stopping their head spinning at 1000 miles an hour, as the rest is straight from the EK FAQ site.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

Obviously something went wrong during the booking process as your membership benefit extends to all parties on the same ticketed booking.

If you remained calm and relaxed, took some time to discuss the issue you would have saved yourself $272. Why post here, get a few differing answers then just go ahead and pay the fee?

 

[samh004]

Obviously something went wrong during the booking process as your membership benefit extends to all parties on the same ticketed booking.

My emphasis: not as a Silver status member on EK metal.

 

[PLANT]

You know some families would take that as an enhancement not having to sit with other family members