Same booking not seated together

[Oubline]

Hi and thank you for any help in advance.


My partner and I are travelling SYD-HNL on QF3 tomorrow evening on the same booking. We are both NB QFF, although I have been a QP member for a couple of years now.


I have just gone to check in to our MEL-SYD flight as it opens within 24 hours and at the same time have been prompted to check in for QF3 too. When I do so, the seats we have been allocated are 54F and 55F. The only other vacant seat visible on my lowly status is 57E!


Has anyone had any experience with QP staff reallocating seats for a couple so they can sit together? I was already dreading this flight on the old 767, I was hoping we could at least sit next to each other. In my inexperience I thought it was fair to assume passengers on the same booking would be seated together.


Happy new year to everyone.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Below is the seat map for QF 3 on 1/1/12:


Flight is pretty full, this is what's available for a Platinum FF.
Have you tried to call and ask if they can seat you together, it might be a better option than waiting until you get to the airport ?

 

[TheInsider]

Sometimes it just pays to pay the $20 seating fee.

 

[tuapekastar]

Sometimes it just pays to pay the $20 seating fee.

Possibly, but I don't think it is unreasonable for 2 pax travelling on the same PNR to expect to be seated together. I concur with PF's advice to ring and see if it can be sorted now. Better than waiting till arrival at airport, and if no luck the OP can have a second crack at the airport.

 

[LiamR]

If it's within 24hrs of departure the call centre can do nothing about it in my experience. Some have tried to allocate seats, but in the end they just direct you to the airport as the system 'locks out' call centre staff from making changes to seating at T-24

The best advice I can say is to checkin as early as you can, hopefully they can seat you togeter when you checkin at Melbourne.

 

[Oubline]

Thank you all for your replies.

I just got off the phone with the call centre , apparently the seat allocation is now down to 'airport control' and there is nothing they can do about it. I said that there are clearly unallocated seats but apparently the system just won't allow any changes, as you suggested LiamR.

We'll try our luck at the airport.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

My partner and I are travelling SYD-HNL on QF3 tomorrow evening on the same booking. We are both NB QFF, although I have been a QP member for a couple of years now.

I have just gone to check in to our MEL-SYD flight as it opens within 24 hours and at the same time have been prompted to check in for QF3 too. When I do so, the seats we have been allocated are 54F and 55F. The only other vacant seat visible on my lowly status is 57E!

Has anyone had any experience with QP staff reallocating seats for a couple so they can sit together? I was already dreading this flight on the old 767, I was hoping we could at least sit next to each other. In my inexperience I thought it was fair to assume passengers on the same booking would be seated together.

Happy new year to everyone.

Are you sure your QF Club number in the booking as those seats sound way too aft for a QP member?

Was it a paid ticket or a frequent flyer redemption?

I just got off the phone with the call centre , apparently the seat allocation is now down to 'airport control' and there is nothing they can do about it. I said that there are clearly unallocated seats but apparently the system just won't allow any changes, as you suggested LiamR.

We'll try our luck at the airport.

The advantage here is that you will both be checking in early afternoon in MEL so you will get a head start over pax who are checking in locally in SYD which they can only do 3 hours prior to departure.

Each international flight is assigned to a person in PCU (passenger control unit) so when you check in at MEL Airport ask the checkin person there to firstly enter your QP number into the booking & see if that displays better seating options to enable you to sit together.

If it still doesn't, ask them if they can call the person in PCU who has the ability to override the seating protocols if need be to get you both seated together. The contact name and extension number are visible in the comment sections of the flight ie QF3 so very easy for the checkin person to find. Hopefully they are willing to make the call.