QF now charging WP for all Exit Row economy seats [CL/WP1 exempt]

[TheInsider]

They must really think they can sell them. Or perhaps the ratio status pax to pax buying exits is way off from what we think it is and there are only a few status pax in the exits.

I think it comes down to, that the majority (not majority spending) customers never get the opportunity to purchase or even get to choose the exit rows, as they are always taken by the high tier FFers and not shown on their seat map. Now everyone has the opportunity to select them. Yes it's a downside for Gold and Platinum, but it's a major benefit for non frequent flyers, bronze and silver ff'ers.

Before I get flammed, i'm just pointing out a different perspective from a non 'elite' POV.

Also the paid exit row option has been going on since 2014 on the east-west routes, so nothing new there.

 

[njba]

Yes it's a downside for Gold and Platinum, but it's a major benefit for non frequent flyers, bronze and silver ff'ers.

Perhaps, but that's no consolation for the people who are QF's biggest customers, is it?

 

[Austman]

I think it comes down to, that the majority (not majority spending) customers never get the opportunity to purchase or even get to choose the exit rows, as they are always taken by the high tier FFers and not shown on their seat map. Now everyone has the opportunity to select them.

I suppose QF could open up the exit rows to all pax but waive any seat fee for elites. That seems to be a model used by some other airlines.

 

[davec]

QF may have back-peddled on this already. Looked at a booking of mine this morning to see if I could get some row 4 seats MEL-CNS on Saturday. Was a bit late and they had gone, but noticed there was an option now to spend $30 and get an exit row seat (which I've never seen before). Didn't change anything.

Logged back in just now, and I can select those exit row seats, but there is no charge associated with it. Maybe the screaming and yelling via social media has had an effect??

 

[njba]

QF may have back-peddled on this already. Looked at a booking of mine this morning to see if I could get some row 4 seats MEL-CNS on Saturday. Was a bit late and they had gone, but noticed there was an option now to spend $30 and get an exit row seat (which I've never seen before). Didn't change anything.

Logged back in just now, and I can select those exit row seats, but there is no charge associated with it. Maybe the screaming and yelling via social media has had an effect??

Given that the call centre did not seem to know about this policy, I suspect it could be something that is rolling out slowly? Or maybe QF is testing the waters to gauge compliance vs hysteria?

 

[Ansett]

QF may have back-peddled on this already. Looked at a booking of mine this morning to see if I could get some row 4 seats MEL-CNS on Saturday. Was a bit late and they had gone, but noticed there was an option now to spend $30 and get an exit row seat (which I've never seen before). Didn't change anything.

Logged back in just now, and I can select those exit row seats, but there is no charge associated with it. Maybe the screaming and yelling via social media has had an effect??

Not according to this it still talks of from $20.00

Flight Seat Selection | Qantas

 

[docjames]

Perhaps, but that's no consolation for the people who are QF's biggest customers, is it?

I'm tipping they are fairly certtain their "biggest customers" wont leave them, at least not in sufficient numbers to offset the revenue gained.

I suppose QF could open up the exit rows to all pax but waive any seat fee for elites. That seems to be a model used by some other airlines.

I'd have thought this was the best method for QF.

 

[serfty]

...
Edit: none of the seat maps are available for my future bookings, so that doesn't bode well.

There's been bugs in MMB for the last week or so - try using the Qantas app.

 

[Ansett]

Just spoke with Qantas and was told that Row 4 will not be opened up at T-80 to all and sundry and will only be allocated at airport when flights are fully booked..... And that Platinum Members will not be able to select these seats, other than at the airport on a full flight...

 

[shuuy]

As a P1 this was a worry - the row 13 crew would now take the empty middle seat next to me in row 4.

Just spoke with Qantas and was told that Row 4 will not be opened up at T-80 to all and sundry and will only be allocated at airport when flights are fully booked..... And that Platinum Members will not be able to select these seats, other than at the airport on a full flight...

 

[Ansett]

As a P1 this was a worry - the row 13 crew would now take the empty middle seat next to me in row 4.

May well be worse now on a full flight you could have a Bogan Non Status Passenger allocated that seat.. I know what I would rather have LOL

 

[Flying mermaid]

Mr FM hated exit rows (likes to put hand luggage under the seat in front, not fight for space overhead), so I gave up booking them years ago for us. Dr FM and Ms FM liked them though. They are both silver (LTS) and I pretty much always got an exit row for them at T-80. (They leave seat selection to me). They don't fly at peak times normally, so pretty easy. I doubt that they would pay for it though. Was pretty much the only perk for silvers. Qantas continues to increase its LCC profile.

 

[amaroo]

Just spoke with Qantas and was told that Row 4 will not be opened up at T-80 to all and sundry and will only be allocated at airport when flights are fully booked..... And that Platinum Members will not be able to select these seats, other than at the airport on a full flight...

Made no sense having your best seats full when the next umpteen bog standard rows all have shadows.

As a Plat I couldn't care less about row 4.... pity about the exit though! Thank goodness my commuting days are long gone. I don't fly much DOM these days so when I do - I'll just pay to sit in an exit row.

 

[casanovawa]

Just looked at flights in August/September and November that i had booked Perth to the USA on sale fare and i put in my AA Gold (One World Ruby equivalent to QF Silver) and looked like i could pick exit rows on the Oz legs to the eastern states and VV and could pick exit rows for no cost??

Hopefully those choices stick...

 

[Pleb Status]

Just spoke with Qantas and was told that Row 4 will not be opened up at T-80 to all and sundry and will only be allocated at airport when flights are fully booked..... And that Platinum Members will not be able to select these seats, other than at the airport on a full flight...

If the above is correct, I do not see this policy staying in place for very long as a large number of flights will not have any P1/CL pax and therefore even the Qsheep will start asking hard questions when the whole of row 4 is empty on relatively full flights.

 

[Matt_01]

If this happens then you will just make the elite pax even more angry. You took away the benefit and now because no one wants to pay for it you are just giving it to some randoms.
I dont see why you cant just make it a thing that at T80 or T24 if no one is paying for it them elite pax can select for free. Isnt that what happens for PS pax?

Don’t get me wrong, I do not agree with it, from what you read all the airlines seem to be devaluing their FF programs and removing benefits from higher status passengers this is just another.

Personally, I would like to see and ready for the backlash:

• R4 only available to WP1 and CL, and not available to others at T-80, unless the flight is fully booked, then only available to WP
• QF to follow VA and other international carriers and introduce an economyX or main cabin extra and make it free for WP. Noted they have stated it is not in the current plan.
• Exit Rows free of charge to WP at the time of booking and available to others at T-80 or T-24.

Bit OT, these days it seems every person and their dog is a so called elite traveller with an ever increasing sense of entitlement. There seems to be very few (if any) tangible benefits between WP1 and WP, unpublished benefits like opt-ups seem to have reduced to almost nil over the past couple of 12-18 months. Likewise there seems to be few tangible benefits between SG and WP other than WP being able to request additional rewards seats being made available and F Lounge access.

 

[Ansett]

Made no sense having your best seats full when the next umpteen bog standard rows all have shadows.

As a Plat I couldn't care less about row 4.... pity about the exit though! Thank goodness my commuting days are long gone. I don't fly much DOM these days so when I do - I'll just pay to sit in an exit row.

When I was Plat1 I was told the shadow could not be Guaranteed as they could not hold any seat specifically for Plat1 or Chairman's Lounge. This appears to be not the case any more.

 

[amaroo]

When I was Plat1 I was told the shadow could not be Guaranteed as they could not hold any seat specifically for Plat1 or Chairman's Lounge. This appears to be not the case any more.

What's that saying "kill two birds with one stone" ... increase revenue whilst sorting out premium seating for your best customers. Makes sense to me...

 

[Matt_01]

May well be worse now on a full flight you could have a Bogan Non Status Passenger allocated that seat.. I know what I would rather have LOL

This happens now and not even on full flights, normally the WP and SG were in exit rows or R5-7 with shadows until this simpler and fairer change.

 

[Sdtravel]

Bit OT, these days it seems every person and their dog is a so called elite traveller with an ever increasing sense of entitlement.

This is more off topic but
I think there are still a large number of pax travelling out there with no elite status. I think we all just culminate here so it appears to be a lot.
On a recent work trip there were 6 of us travelling and I was the only one with status. 2 pax in our group only joined FF several weeks before our trip despite being on several overseas trips on QFF.

With all the enhancements it gets harder and harder to justify keeping status and less reason to look forward to DSC's status runs.
I mean shouldnt QF be worried about their elite pax jumping ship to other OW partners. Clearly they dont think we are going to jumo ship to VA. Eg CX if they travel to Asia a lot, AA if the US ect. Im not saying its better of at those airlines but there has to be some lure to keep us loyal and with them right above what i could just get if i was the same status level with a partner.

But it is sneaky there is no actual official announcement about this other than the AUSBT article. I guess with unpublished benefits its best to just remove them and wait till pax notice. Not even a small very bottom of a FF monthly email note about the change as they did previously with the last enhancement.