Random last minute seat changes

[1022]

So I'm just about to board QF2060 which I checked in for soon after OLCI opened. Q400 service that looks moderately loaded - maybe 60% of seats filled according to seat map. I had 6D until 5 minutes ago and just looked at the seat map to see if 6C was still vacant. Lo and behold I've been shunted down to 17D. 6D still looks vacant but the aisle has filled. Maybe there's some DYKWIA who needed two seats to them self close to the front and I was the sucker who got punted down the back...but there's no shortage of window seats in forward rows left, including some with empty adjacent aisle seats. Any changes I attempt to make don't stick though because it's too close to boarding time.
I can't be assed going up to the service desk to try to change it...but blegh! QF is giving me the pips these days. (Still drinking from paper cups in the SYD QP as well....)

 

[dylarr]

I notice this on Dash-8 flights fairly regularly. I've always assumed it was the airport team shuffling people around and blocking seats close to departure for weight and balance reasons

 

[1022]

I’d get it with weight and balance if the flight didn’t already have 2 - 4 pax in each row…I tried not to sneer at 6C and their shadow as I walked past on my way to the nosebleeds

 

[dylarr]

I’d get it with weight and balance if the flight didn’t already have 2 - 4 pax in each row…I tried not to sneer at 6C and their shadow as I walked past on my way to the nosebleeds

Sometimes it may not be a shadow... they seem to block seats pretty aggressively on Dash-8's. I've selected seats next to other seats that appeared to be occupied on the seat map right up to departure only to find they had actually just been blocked because they end up being vacant.

 

[TheInsider]

I’d get it with weight and balance if the flight didn’t already have 2 - 4 pax in each row…I tried not to sneer at 6C and their shadow as I walked past on my way to the nosebleeds

Highly doubt there will be someone there. Highly likely it's just blocked off for weight and balance.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Do you have the boarding pass that says 6D? I'd just board with that!

 

[TheInsider]

Do you have the boarding pass that says 6D? I'd just board with that!

Yeah. That doesn't work. Even if you did try, it would print off another boarding slip with the correct seat number.

 

[TomYagher]

Yeah. That doesn't work. Even if you did try, it would print off another boarding slip with the correct seat number.

Actually what you do is keep the boarding pass that says 6D, scan your qff card and they print off the little slip which you promptly tear up and then just show the attendant the already printed 6D card.

 

[AIRwin]

Actually what you do is keep the boarding pass that says 6D, scan your qff card and they print off the little slip which you promptly tear up and then just show the attendant the already printed 6D card.

Wouldn't they have the final manifest?

 

[RooFlyer]

Maybe there's some DYKWIA who needed two seats to them self close to the front and I was the sucker who got punted down the back...but there's no shortage of window seats in forward rows left, including some with empty adjacent aisle se

There used to be a certain Australian Rugby Union executive notorious for being found having his cough parked in a pre-booked up-front seat, after seat assignment was changed for the losing pax at check-in.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

There used to be a certain Australian Rugby Union executive notorious for being found having his cough parked in a pre-booked up-front seat, after seat assignment was changed for the losing pax at check-in.

I'm not too concerned about the executive (which we shall call Mr. Rugby) taking up that front row seat. I'm more concerned that Mr. Rugby might forget his iPhone on the plane, necessitating an international phone hunt!

-RooFlyer88

 

[TomYagher]

Wouldn't they have the final manifest?

The only time it didn't work was when someone was in my seat that was printed on my original boarding pass. Which is even more annoying because at the gate they had told me the same stupid "weight and balance" excuse and then someone was there anyway. Very frustrating and definitely lends more 'weight' to the argument that someone more important was moved rather than the plane being out of balance.

 

[1022]

Do you have the boarding pass that says 6D? I'd just board with that!

OLCI so my boarding pass updated its self, both in the Qantas App and the Apple Wallet version. This was about 10 minutes prior to boarding. When I scanned at the gate it spat out a shopper docket BP which was handed to me with a curt “here’s your new BP”. Curt was order of the day with every QF staff member I encountered today. Morale seems low!

Highly doubt there will be someone there. Highly likely it's just blocked off for weight and balance.

There was indeed someone there in 6C with “my” 6D vacant beside them

 

[TheInsider]

OLCI so my boarding pass updated its self, both in the Qantas App and the Apple Wallet version. This was about 10 minutes prior to boarding. When I scanned at the gate it spat out a shopper docket BP which was handed to me with a curt “here’s your new BP”. Curt was order of the day with every QF staff member I encountered today. Morale seems low!


There was indeed someone there in 6C with “my” 6D vacant beside them

QF Link dash 8 do a staggered seat block. Like 1A,C 2B,D and so on if it's not a full flight.
Like zigzag pattern below.

Gate staff being 'curt' and giving you the new seat, wouldn't have a clue why you have a new seat. They wouldn't have changed it.

 

[TomYagher]

QF Link dash 8 do a staggered seat block. Like 1A,C 2B,D and so on if it's not a full flight.
Like zigzag pattern below.

Does make sense, can actually see it sometimes when selecting a seat after OLCI. And weight and balance is obviously important too. But I’d rather just complain that qantas has favoured someone else over me so I can wallow in my own self pity.

OLCI so my boarding pass updated its self, both in the Qantas App and the Apple Wallet version.

Exactly why I always request a physical boarding pass at a counter or lounge, even when using OLCI.