QF domestic seat allocation

[DJ737]

Hi there

A friend of mine went back up to AYQ this morning on QF, I did the online check-in (at +12) for her, and she was pre allocated an exit row aisle for the 07:00 MEL-SYD and 4A for SYD-AYQ, she is not a frequent flyer member.

As she is a nervous flyer, she didn't want an exit row seat or be seated up the front, so I changed the allocation to seats up the back which she was happy with. (My friend at least knows planes don't fly into the ground backwards)

Shouldn't the pre allocated seats have been given to QFF/One World passengers before her?

Cheers
DJ737

 

[straitman]

Shouldn't the pre allocated seats have been given to QFF/One World passengers before her?

Cheers
DJ737

That would sound logical, however like many other things with airlines the seat allocation process is often a mystery.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Yes ordinarily. There may have been no 'statused' people flying, does happen from time to time.

It would then depend, most probably, what she paid for her fare?

however mystery can abound!!!!

 

[proskyneo]

Perhaps there were not enough OW/QFF passengers on board?

I remember getting exit row seating from HBA-SYD pre-allocated to me as a QF NB, I wouldn't think being NB had anything to do with it though.. I assume there are few OW/QFF pax leaving Hobart.

(My connecting flight SYD-BNE was not pre-allocated emex seating, but I requested it at HBA check-in and got it too (Seq. no. 1 ))

Has she mentioned how full the plane was?

 

[DJ737]

MEL-SYD was about 75% and SYD-AYQ about 60%, both 737-800's.
Fare was $249 one way, so probably some sort of red e deal fare.
As I previously mentioned I did realloacte her up the back, so I have probably done someone a good deed by releasing the forward & exit row seats.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I don't believe domestically that status pax are allocated exit rows at OLCI in favour of any other pax. In any case many premium pax would prefer to sit in rows forward of the overwing exits.

IMHO the allocation of exit row seats at time of OLCI is purely a random thing that happens. I also think sometimes the allocation of other seats is done to 'trim' the aircraft so not everyone is seated from the front to back. Sometimes immediately after being allocated eg row 20A you bring up the seat map available to you & it will display more forward seats in aisles or windows.

What can be frustrating for some is when they arrive at the airport 'early' - which may only be one hour before departure with the expectation they'll get an exit row only to be told that there's no exit seats left as some of them were allocated to pax who did OLCI.

Their response "no you can't do that I've tried". The thing is you don't try it just happens. The ideal scenario to disprove their theory is for someone who did OLCI to turn up at checkin at the same time and within earshort be overheard by the non-believer saying "I did OLCI but couldn't print out my boarding pass because I'm in an exit row".....

DJ737
Not exactly sure what you mean by preallocated as seats in above scenario were allocated at time of OLCI. FFSL and above may, however preallocate themselves a seat up to 80 hours prior to departure of their scheduled flight.