QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - 80A/K,71D, Int. bullhead & Dom. Exit

[Princess Fiona]

re: QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - Domestic Exit & International 80A/K,71D etc

Interestingly there is a report on Facebook from a pax with an existing booking with 71D stating that there's a box beneath the selection advising that it will cost $180.

I would have thought this would only apply to new bookings and/or new seat selections.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - Domestic Exit & International 80A/K,71D etc

Interestingly there is a report on Facebook from a pax with an existing booking with 71D stating that there's a box beneath the selection advising that it will cost $180.

I would have thought this would only apply to new bookings and/or new seat selections.

If you had already paid the $25 charge for the seat it shouldn't increase in price. That would be fairly straight-forward.

If you were able to secure the seat via status (silver or above) I don't know if QF has a specific right under your contract with them to remove you from that seat. While they don't guarantee seats, you can be asked to move for operational or safety reasons. A commercial decision to start charging a fee is unlikely to fall under 'operational or safety'.

But of course what avenue for redress do you have if you find yourself booted out? Well... at least an avenue that is not going to take a lot of time and perhaps some money.

This is perhaps an example of where sites such as AFF and other blogs provide very useful information to airlines in identifying what's popular and what people are prepared to pay for. It's presented on a platter. And the reason why some of the best deals and tips can't be discussed openly.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - Domestic Exit & International 80A/K,71D etc

Is it just me or does anyone else think it's only a matter of time before we see the HLO fares etc etc ?

I think there was a QF survey recently asking for opinions on HLO fares?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Qantas Domestic charging for exit row seats now?!

Wow... Is this acceptable? I would be mighty pissed off if I was Qantas or Ausbt reading this. You have proof this is the case? I would expect that there would be a closer relationship with a business site than a blogger site, but really, the accusations?

No. Some of the language is not acceptable, and there is a 'report post' function for you to notify the moderators.

But the concept is one that is worth questioning, and is for each reader to form their own opinion. AustBT clearly states when they have received a product or service as a courtesy from a company, and most readers would make an allowance for that in forming conclusions.

AustBT is not necessarily a mouth-piece for QF. They omitted the 'world's first reclining business class seat' concept when announcing the new a330 seat refit for example. In fact they openly contradicted QF.

But other times, when a flight is free, you might be prepared to overlook shortcomings which someone paying full price might not.

 

[timster]

re: QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - Domestic Exit & International 80A/K,71D etc

Why is it a fairer deal? Good luck to anyone who was able to snag them, I say.
80A/80K were my favourite seats.

"Fairer" would be the old system where exit rows and extra leg room seats went to tall people who don't fit into a 31" pitch Y seat.

 

[deejo77]

re: QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - Domestic Exit & International 80A/K,71D etc

Having just come back from london with my group of 4 and having both 80A and 80K in our bookings I guess I can count myself lucky - however if I have to pay for the room in front of my seat then the man in the exit row who dumped all his rubbish on my feet better not do it next time!!!

 

[serfty]

re: QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - Domestic Exit & International 80A/K,71D etc

To be honest it's been only a matter of time (I'm a little surprised it has taken so long).

This comment in relation to both International and Domestic seat selection charges being introduced.

More and more Qantas are adopting LCC philosophies, especially for those in economy.

Thank goodness there are other quite reasonable options for travel.

 

[Dalek]

re: QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - Domestic Exit & International 80A/K,71D etc

Interestingly there is a report on Facebook from a pax with an existing booking with 71D stating that there's a box beneath the selection advising that it will cost $180.

I would have thought this would only apply to new bookings and/or new seat selections.

I have just checked a booking on QF2/QF1 that I made for my daughter last month, flying next year and paid $25 for 80K in both directions. They have stuck and they have "paid" next to them so I don't believe Qantas are making it retrospective. In the Manage Your Booking there are 2 boxes below the seat selection with options for the $25 normal seat selection or $180 extra legroom seats but the way I read it they are not asking for payment, they are just available options like the Extra Baggage or Sporting Equipment ones.
I would be mighty unhappy if they tried to backdate this charge.

 

[Princess Fiona]

re: QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - Domestic Exit & International 80A/K,71D etc

I have just checked a booking on QF2/QF1 that I made for my daughter last month, flying next year and paid $25 for 80K in both directions. They have stuck and they have "paid" next to them so I don't believe Qantas are making it retrospective. In the Manage Your Booking there are 2 boxes below the seat selection with options for the $25 normal seat selection or $180 extra legroom seats but the way I read it they are not asking for payment, they are just available options like the Extra Baggage or Sporting Equipment ones.
I would be mighty unhappy if they tried to backdate this charge.

Excellent, thanks for posting. It's possible that the pax on Facebook is mistaken and their seat is marked similarly. I would hope that this isn't a retrospective change.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - Domestic Exit & International 80A/K,71D etc

Excellent, thanks for posting. It's possible that the pax on Facebook is mistaken and their seat is marked similarly. I would hope that this isn't a retrospective change.

by law it cannot be a retrospective change if you have paid a $25 fee. That seat is yours for the selling price at the time! (changes or rearranges may incur the new charge)

there isn't an IATA guideline in sight that allows an increase of this nature

 

[Princess Fiona]

re: QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - Domestic Exit & International 80A/K,71D etc

by law it cannot be a retrospective change if you have paid a $25 fee. That seat is yours for the selling price at the time! (changes or rearranges may incur the new charge)

there isn't an IATA guideline in sight that allows an increase of this nature

I don't know the status of the passenger I referred to so they may have been eligble for free Int seat selection. Would that have an effect ?

 

[Timtammi]

re: QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - Domestic Exit & International 80A/K,71D etc

What about 71d which until now has been free? My daughter and her friend are travelling to the USA next year and I helped them select that seat and the one next to it both ways. Can they make them pay or take the seat away now? Doesn't seem fair if that is the case.

 

[JessicaTam]

re: QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - Domestic Exit & International 80A/K,71D etc

What about 71d which until now has been free? My daughter and her friend are travelling to the USA next year and I helped them select that seat and the one next to it both ways. Can they make them pay or take the seat away now? Doesn't seem fair if that is the case.

It would be unlikely.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - Domestic Exit & International 80A/K,71D etc

I don't know the status of the passenger I referred to so they may have been eligble for free Int seat selection. Would that have an effect ?

see post #14 above, I would suspect QF would be on shaky ground, but perhaps hard for the passenger to enforce.

 

[Sequel]

Re: Qantas Domestic charging for exit row seats now?!

VA have been charging for extra legroom seats on domestic for alot longer than QF

The point is instead of differentiating themselves from the competition, they are lowering themselves to the same level, while at the same time the competition is rising.

Previously people flew QF because they were better - now they are not. They are just the same on many levels, better on some and way worse on others. So many frequent flyers like myself are now spreading the love rather than blindly flying QF.

So instead of me paying QF an extra $60 to get a seat I used to get for free, they will likely lose 10 times that in revenue for that flight as I purchase a VA flexi and use one of my upgrade credits to fly J.

The bean counters at QF seem to continually only be doing one side of the calculations. X trans cons per day times Y seats times $60 = $Z per year extra income, sounds great. They seem to ignore the $1,000's that they lose at the same time from these decisions.

 

[fifo]

Re: Qantas Domestic charging for exit row seats now?!

The point is instead of differentiating themselves from the competition, they are lowering themselves to the same level, while at the same time the competition is rising.

Previously people flew QF because they were better - now they are not. They are just the same on many levels, better on some and way worse on others. So many frequent flyers like myself are now spreading the love rather than blindly flying QF.

So instead of me paying QF an extra $60 to get a seat I used to get for free, they will likely lose 10 times that in revenue for that flight as I purchase a VA flexi and use one of my upgrade credits to fly J.

The bean counters at QF seem to continually only be doing one side of the calculations. X trans cons per day times Y seats times $60 = $Z per year extra income, sounds great. They seem to ignore the $1,000's that they lose at the same time from these decisions.

Thanks for the constructive input, I feel very much the same. Also to Pleb Status - yep, my thoughts exactly, a lot more business class flights for me. I wonder if this will impact the availability of business class seat upgrades on that route? Seems likely. I've never not got an upgrade when requested.

I contacted qantas via facebook, however they stated categorically that it was only on A330 east/west services. See image below as concrete proof this is bs. OR that their new system isnt very good.


Offending comment removed from second post. The opinion that two companies are colluding, is just that an opinion. This is a place for expressing opinions. I've reviewed the terms of service and only one word was against the TOS.

 

[Kendall Roy]

Re: Qantas Domestic charging for exit row seats now?!

Charging WP/SG for exit rows on ANY domestic leg is piss poor at best! The current system worked fine!

 

[aaflyer]

Re: QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - Domestic Exit & International 80A/K,71D

There's that word again!!

"Fairer" is the new "Enhanced"

This sealed the deal for me. No more QF to the USA, and they lost me to Europe when they moved to DXB.

Work has a 'Y Only' policy, and will not pay for anything other than best fare of day and a checked bag. I do 2-3 trips to the USA a year which up until now were in these seats.

Another enhancement. Sigh.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Re: QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - Domestic Exit & International 80A/K,71D

What about 71d which until now has been free? My daughter and her friend are travelling to the USA next year and I helped them select that seat and the one next to it both ways. Can they make them pay or take the seat away now? Doesn't seem fair if that is the case.

I'm sure you'll be fine but as a precaution I would set a seat alert in Expert in case that seat suddenly becomes available.

Definitely take a print out of the seat confirmation receipt so you have proof you paid for that particular seat.

 

[therudies86]

Re: QF selling more "extra legroom" Y seats - Domestic Exit & International 80A/K,71D

I've got a SYD-LAX booking in Feb on A380 - my seat selection in 80K hasn't changed. As WP no cost up front, so relieved there's no change.