Qantas Seat Allocation For Husbands and Wives.

[Renato1]

So as a single passenger who selects my seat early should I be moved to accommodate couples who select their seats after me? And will I be asked to take the worse seat because I'm single and a couple want to sit together in the good seats?

Your thoughts lead me to wonder if there are there two allocation systems at work in the airlines, leading to the different kind of resonses?

With Emirates, when I go on-line for seat allocation before the flight - a few minutes after it is possible to do so - all I can change is our seats to other vacant seats. I can't displace people already in their seats.

Are you saying that with Qantas it is open slather - that no seats have been allocated?
Regards,
Renato

We always watch seat allocations closely and selections are made at the time of booking.

in January this year we were held up at the F Lounge at LAX because the airline wanted to change our seat allocations and also 5 other people in front of us. We waited 20 minutes trying to get into lounge. We were civil and agrreed to swop seats. We were then asked on board the aircraft to swop again after we were settled into seats.

Never again. Next time I will push back very hard unless the swop is very beneficial to me/my travelling party.

Renato1 : this is the other side of the coin

True, no reason one should wind being hassled again. Funny how it seems to go that if you are agreeable on one thing, something else always comes up that they want you to be agreeable about.
Regards,
Renato

A couple of days ago, QF paged me in the lounge and asked if I would swap my exit row seat so that a couple could sit together. I asked for the proposed seat number and worked out it was right next to the toilets. I said no. On the aircraft, I got the evil eye from the couple involved. They negotiated with the occupant of the neighbouring seat near the toilet to swap him to the exit row and he agreed. Everybody was happy!

Remember, if a couple wants to sit together and wants you to swap to a worse seat, they can always swap with another person and give them a better seat.

That makes sense to me.
Though being near toilets doesn't matter to me - but being near crying babies and crying young kids is another issue. Much harder to figure where to sit in relation to that issue (well, probably it's not crying babies per se which annoys me (since they are expected to cry), instead it's crying babies and kids who's parents couldn't seem to care less that their babies are crying).
Cheers,
Renato

 

[mannej]

Your thoughts lead me to wonder if there are there two allocation systems at work in the airlines, leading to the different kind of resonses?

With Emirates, when I go on-line for seat allocation before the flight - a few minutes after it is possible to do so - all I can change is our seats to other vacant seats. I can't displace people already in their seats.

Are you saying that with Qantas it is open slather - that no seats have been allocated?
Regards,
Renato

No that is not what the quote is saying. You cannot displace someone from their seat by Manage my booking on Qantas. This is referring to when the flight is under airport control.

 

[Quickstatus]

No that is not what the quote is saying. You cannot displace someone from their seat by Manage my booking on Qantas. This is referring to when the flight is under airport control.

Renato1, Airport control does not mean the airport but Checkin control at the airport. The purpose is to facilitate seating for families, special needs customers, high status and other priority customers and bookings with multipassengers on the day of departure. Usually the airline has a block of seats to dole out at the airport but if the flight is completely full this becomes difficult.


Seating allocation is never going to make everyone happy. it is not unusual for people to sit apart. There are many competing and often mutually exclusive requests and some cannot be fulfilled.

My wife is often happy to be seating separated from me, especially when she gets put downstairs if you know what I mean and during the long flight, not one visit from her has ever occurred.

 

[Ausbt]

We always watch seat allocations closely and selections are made at the time of booking.

So do I, even more so back in the days of flying QF (no more). On my very last flight with QF in J, with seats allocated at T-350 or whatever the allocations dropped out three times, including sometime affer 12 hours before departure. Checked and ok at T-12 but 'lost' at time of check-in with my wife separated in the cabin. Now, I don't know if that's a big deal, we live together so we can handle a flight together in different J seats, why would it matter? (Y would be a different story of course). But that's Q, if you choose to fly her.

 

[Quickstatus]

but being near crying babies and crying young kids is another issue. Much harder to figure where to sit in relation to that issue (well, probably it's not crying babies per se which annoys me (since they are expected to cry), instead it's crying babies and kids who's parents couldn't seem to care less that their babies are crying).
Cheers,
Renato

The only place is outside the airplane. The rushing wind should block out and baby screams. I have experienced a screaming baby in First class

 

[Renato1]

No that is not what the quote is saying. You cannot displace someone from their seat by Manage my booking on Qantas. This is referring to when the flight is under airport control.

Renato1, Airport control does not mean the airport but Checkin control at the airport. The purpose is to facilitate seating for families, special needs customers, high status and other priority customers and bookings with multipassengers on the day of departure. Usually the airline has a block of seats to dole out at the airport but if the flight is completely full this becomes difficult.


Seating allocation is never going to make everyone happy. it is not unusual for people to sit apart. There are many competing and often mutually exclusive requests and some cannot be fulfilled.

My wife is often happy to be seating separated from me, especially when she gets put downstairs if you know what I mean and during the long flight, not one visit from her has ever occurred.

Thanks for the explanations, both of you two.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

The only place is outside the airplane. The rushing wind should block out and baby screams. I have experienced a screaming baby in First class

There is another even more annoying sort - on an Emirates flight last year, there was 5 or so year old constantly crying and screaming the entire flight- as my wife speculated - mainly to seek attention as a big baby. And boy did he receive attention from parents and cabin crew, when the attention was there, all was well, else it was another crying/screaming rant.

My wife and I reminisced that had we tried that with our respective parents, we both would have been whacked by them, and really had had something to cry about.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Denali]

There is another even more annoying sort - on an Emirates flight last year, there was 5 or so year old constantly crying and screaming the entire flight- as my wife speculated - mainly to seek attention as a big baby. And boy did he receive attention from parents and cabin crew, when the attention was there, all was well, else it was another crying/screaming rant.

My wife and I reminisced that had we tried that with our respective parents, we both would have been whacked by them, and really had had something to cry about.
Regards,
Renato

A couple of months ago there was a kid in SQ J complaining about the choice of IFE shows and how "this sucks!". I was like, "Dude. When I was your age, my holidays was the back of dads Holden, going to Queanbeyan with truck stop canned spaghetti on toast so toughen up!"

For the crying, noise cancelling headphones are a godsend... my husband tells me he cant even hear my nagging.

For me, if we were put in separate seats/our seats changed, I wouldn't dream of asking someone to swap with us. I know my husband can survive a few hours in a confined space without me... although he does need supervision, hes been known to empty the SQ J toilets of all their toothbrushes.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

For me, if we were put in separate seats/our seats changed, I wouldn't dream of asking someone to swap with us.

It's amazing how well couples can 'manage' in first class with individual suites, but all of a sudden the end of the world has arrived when they find themselves separated in business class!!

 

[Quickstatus]

It's amazing how well couples can 'manage' in first class with individual suites, but all of a sudden the end of the world has arrived when they find themselves separated in business class!!

Well not really. My swopper was an F class family who thought Left aisle was better than right aisle. (QFA380)

So the lounge angel asked us at the F lounge to swop from their 2F2K to our 2A3F. Ok so to be nice we said yes. Partly because we just wanted to get into the lounge and we have been waiting 20 minutes for the people in front of us to sort out their seating.

Anyway on to the airplane and settled into seats 2F2K with everything stowed or setup as one would for an F seat. No!!! the swoppers now did not like 2A3F!!!. and asked the purser to ask us to swop back. Reason - there was a barrier between A and F seats!!
So OK we will swop back.

And I said in a very loud voice: "Are you sure you are now happy with your seats because we are not swopping for a third time. May I suggest if you are still unhappy there are 480 other seats to choose from, or better still there is a flight tomorrow!!"

 

[RooFlyer]

<snip>
And I said in a very loud voice: "Are you sure you are now happy with your seats because we are not swopping for a third time. May I suggest if you are still unhappy there are 480 other seats to choose from, or better still there is a flight tomorrow!!"

Well done!

 

[Flying mermaid]

Well not really. My swopper was an F class family who thought Left aisle was better than right aisle. (QFA380)

So the lounge angel asked us at the F lounge to swop from their 2F2K to our 2A3F. Ok so to be nice we said yes. Partly because we just wanted to get into the lounge and we have been waiting 20 minutes for the people in front of us to sort out their seating.

Anyway on to the airplane and settled into seats 2F2K with everything stowed or setup as one would for an F seat. No!!! the swoppers now did not like 2A3F!!!. and asked the purser to ask us to swop back. Reason - there was a barrier between A and F seats!!
So OK we will swop back.

And I said in a very loud voice: "Are you sure you are now happy with your seats because we are not swopping for a third time. May I suggest if you are still unhappy there are 480 other seats to choose from, or better still there is a flight tomorrow!!"

I doubt I would have done the second swap - that is just plain silly of them!

 

[Renato1]

A couple of months ago there was a kid in SQ J complaining about the choice of IFE shows and how "this sucks!". I was like, "Dude. When I was your age, my holidays was the back of dads Holden, going to Queanbeyan with truck stop canned spaghetti on toast so toughen up!"

For the crying, noise cancelling headphones are a godsend... my husband tells me he cant even hear my nagging.

For me, if we were put in separate seats/our seats changed, I wouldn't dream of asking someone to swap with us. I know my husband can survive a few hours in a confined space without me... although he does need supervision, hes been known to empty the SQ J toilets of all their toothbrushes.

I was wearing noise-cancelling earphones!
They don't cancel out crying babies and screaming crying kids acting like big babies.
What is probably happening with your husband's pair is that they let you follow movies much more easily by cutting out the airplane hum - so that one can get really engrossed with the movie, and ignore distractions.

But can your husband survive with you charming company!
Regards,
Renato

 

[SpudOz]

Flying in J from JNB-SYD last month when the crew were delayed due to a crash on the N1 freeway in Jo'burg. Funny how all the pax got there in time. Anyway, the flowon from that was my flight back to Perth in J went from an A330 to B737. Ugh! I was allocated 1K and the I noticed the lady next to me talking to a bloke who was settling into 3A. I thought about it for a minute and wondered if I was stupid for what I was about to do. The lady in question was flying back from HNL with hubby (Mr 3A) and I did also wonder why they were not together. Maybe I have more status, dunno.

Well, I did swap as I figured it was no big deal for me but very appreciated by the swappees... The CSM came by to thank me as well.

Saint SpudOz...lol

 

[travelislife]

Flying in J from JNB-SYD last month when the crew were delayed due to a crash on the N1 freeway in Jo'burg. Funny how all the pax got there in time. Anyway, the flowon from that was my flight back to Perth in J went from an A330 to B737. Ugh! I was allocated 1K and the I noticed the lady next to me talking to a bloke who was settling into 3A. I thought about it for a minute and wondered if I was stupid for what I was about to do. The lady in question was flying back from HNL with hubby (Mr 3A) and I did also wonder why they were not together. Maybe I have more status, dunno.

Well, I did swap as I figured it was no big deal for me but very appreciated by the swappees... The CSM came by to thank me as well.

Saint SpudOz...lol

You flew JNB-SYD-PER!? Why not just take the direct JNB-PER?

 

[wandering_fred]

You flew JNB-SYD-PER!? Why not just take the direct JNB-PER?

Only SAA flies JNB-PER direct... QF flies only JNB-SYD

Aside: Fly QF JNB-SYD-PER with JNB-SYD in premium economy you might get offered Biz class SYD-PER

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[SpudOz]

You flew JNB-SYD-PER!? Why not just take the direct JNB-PER?

No direct QF from PER. Not even code share anymore.

 

[Hvr]

You flew JNB-SYD-PER!? Why not just take the direct JNB-PER?

The Frequent Flyer Creed, why fly direct when you can connect springs to mind here.

Plus of course the extra SCs.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The Frequent Flyer Creed, why fly direct when you can connect springs to mind here.

Because according to the QF website the minimum journey times are 18hrs50mins JNB-SYD-PER (and 23 hours on the reverse) compared to 9 hours on SAA :shock:. That shows some commitment!