Seat change post check-in

[Daver6]

Had an interesting/annoying experience yesterday flying SIN - PER on QF72.

Had previously selected 4F as a place holder selection as 4C and 4D were taken. I checked in just under 24 hours prior to departure online. During the check-in process you aren't given an option for seat selection, so I went to MMB and 4C was now free (probably upgraded) and so was the middle seat, so I chose it. Went out and back to MMB to confirm it had stuck and it had.

At the airport when checking in I was back in 4F and 4C was now taken by someone else. I queried why I was moved back. Check-in agent went away, made a phone call and came back to tell me that my seat change didn't "stick". Yeah right.

On the aircraft I'm stuck in the window seat with a big bloke in the middle. Mr 4C is comfy with a free seat next to him. I don't believe he was a WP (or higher) as he wasn't given an express path ticket.

Queried Qantas on Twitter about this. Again the spiel about not sticking which doesn't make sense because I confirmed it. Then told that if you want to change seats post check-in you need to call up. Again, sounds suss.

I queried why the website a) allows you to make changes if it won't stick b) why it showed as changed.

All seems like they're trying to annoy their customers here.

Anyway, if this is true and the new lay of the lined, be warned all.

 

[eminere]

Interesting. Did you check in on desktop web site, mobile version of web site, or Qantas app? From memory I seem to recall being presented with the option to change seats during the check-in process on desktop.

 

[Pleb Status]

Had an interesting/annoying experience yesterday flying SIN - PER on QF72.

Had previously selected 4F as a place holder selection as 4C and 4D were taken. I checked in just under 24 hours prior to departure online. During the check-in process you aren't given an option for seat selection, so I went to MMB and 4C was now free (probably upgraded) and so was the middle seat, so I chose it. Went out and back to MMB to confirm it had stuck and it had.

At the airport when checking in I was back in 4F and 4C was now taken by someone else. I queried why I was moved back. Check-in agent went away, made a phone call and came back to tell me that my seat change didn't "stick". Yeah right.

On the aircraft I'm stuck in the window seat with a big bloke in the middle. Mr 4C is comfy with a free seat next to him. I don't believe he was a WP (or higher) as he wasn't given an express path ticket.

Queried Qantas on Twitter about this. Again the spiel about not sticking which doesn't make sense because I confirmed it. Then told that if you want to change seats post check-in you need to call up. Again, sounds suss.

I queried why the website a) allows you to make changes if it won't stick b) why it showed as changed.

All seems like they're trying to annoy their customers here.

Anyway, if this is true and the new lay of the lined, be warned all.

Why are QFi (still) giving out express path tickets when arriving into PER? Have we ever had any sort of express path immigration/customs?

VA YX has to be one of the best things introduced to limit rouge front row middle seat pax...

 

[mannej]

Perhaps someone with experience with both Amadeus and Altea can provide a reason as to why 4C didn't stick.

I am guessing that once check in opened, that MMB doesn't necessarily talk to the live seatmap under airport control.

Interesting. Did you check in on desktop web site, mobile version of web site, or Qantas app? From memory I seem to recall being presented with the option to change seats during the check-in process on desktop.

I recall the same from memory.

 

[Daver6]

Interesting. Did you check in on desktop web site, mobile version of web site, or Qantas app? From memory I seem to recall being presented with the option to change seats during the check-in process on desktop.

Desktop. You used to be presented with an option to select seats during check-in, but no longer.

Why are QFi (still) giving out express path tickets when arriving into PER? Have we ever had any sort of express path immigration/customs?

VA YX has to be one of the best things introduced to limit rouge front row middle seat pax...

I have no idea. I think Sydney is the only place they are sometimes useful. Guy in front of me at the immigration like was totally confused on what it was for. I had to explain Qantas was just annoying him with false expectations

 

[eminere]

Desktop. You used to be presented with an option to select seats during check-in, but no longer.

How odd they'd decide to remove that functionality. I'll keep a look-out during the check-in process as I have a couple of flights coming up over Easter weekend.

 

[Daver6]

If I recall correctly after the check-in screen another screen mentioned something about clicking on a button to change seat selections, but no such button existed. I should add I was incredibly tired and busy at the time, so every chance I just missed it though.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Wouldn't be of help in your situation OP, but maybe next time on that route, buy a comfort seat request if not flying J.
Lift up hand rest if not in QF row 4, and you have quasi J.

 

[mviy]

Wouldn't be of help in your situation OP, but maybe next time on that route, buy a comfort seat request if not flying J.
Lift up hand rest if not in QF row 4, and you have quasi J.

While a comfort seat is a lot better than not having one, it's still far short of J.

Buying a comfort seat isn't cheap. I think most WP would probably rather take the chance that they might get a shadow and if not the flight will be over in some hours anyway.

 

[kermatu]

Does sound suspect. Having been burned on seat selection on QF before (admittedly when flying other carriers) I now use expertflyer to confirm my seats have in fact stuck, including on actual QF flights.

 

[burmans]

This whole logic on seat selection not sticking is IMO a whole pile of BS. So the argument is effectively that our IT systems are cough but sorry, that's your problem?

 

[madrooster]

Perhaps someone with experience with both Amadeus and Altea can provide a reason as to why 4C didn't stick.

I am guessing that once check in opened, that MMB doesn't necessarily talk to the live seatmap under airport control.

That's correct, and is true for all Amadeus carriers. Once control of the booking passes to Altea airport control (that is, when you check in), seat changes in MMB do not stick and also will not actually confirm.

Unfortunately QF's OLCI implementation doesn't allow seating changes and reprinting of boarding passes unlike other Amadeus carriers. The functionality does exist, QF just needs to implement it.

If you check in and then make a seating change on MMB afterwards, it generally will go to unconfirmed status in the PNR but not reflect accordingly in MMB.

Calling QF to offload you to allow you to make a seating change also doesn't really help either, as you then generally won't be allowed to re-check in online.

 

[cwd]

I recall a similar experience where changing my seat in MMB didn't stick after check-in had opened. In that case I think I wasn't able to do online check-in, so I ended up in my original seat.

When checking in using the phone app, it does give the option to change seats afterwards, and the interface looks different, so I guess this is using a different system and would stick.

 

[Daver6]

That's correct, and is true for all Amadeus carriers. Once control of the booking passes to Altea airport control (that is, when you check in), seat changes in MMB do not stick and also will not actually confirm.

Unfortunately QF's OLCI implementation doesn't allow seating changes and reprinting of boarding passes unlike other Amadeus carriers. The functionality does exist, QF just needs to implement it.

If you check in and then make a seating change on MMB afterwards, it generally will go to unconfirmed status in the PNR but not reflect accordingly in MMB.

Calling QF to offload you to allow you to make a seating change also doesn't really help either, as you then generally won't be allowed to re-check in online.

What you say makes sense. Where Qantas have totally failed is managing customer expectations. The ability to change your seat via MMB should be disabled post check-in. If that had been the case I wouldn't have been so annoyed with Qantas.

 

[Pleb Status]

What you say makes sense. Where Qantas have totally failed is managing customer expectations. The ability to change your seat via MMB should be disabled post check-in. If that had been the case I wouldn't have been so annoyed with Qantas.

Both SQ and VA work that way...

 

[JohnK]

I've known about this glitch for a long time after being burned a few times. And one of the reasons I no longer use OLCI.

 

[JohnK]

Interesting thing happened to me yesterday.

Travelling SYD-BNE and I had 6D pre-allocated long time. Arrive at check-in ~7:15pm for 8:30pm flight and handed boarding pass for 6D seq #170. So very full flight and they did have some cancellations earlier due to BNE weather.

One of the last to board and boarding pass beeped. Wouldn't you be excited? "There's been a seat change!" I'm told. Handed a boarding pass for 7C. What the? I'm confused.

Aerobridge full and slowly make our way down. No one knows why I was moved when one of the gate staff mentions they had to winch someone into their seat. Ok not a problem.

On boarding there was a couple in 7DE who were the people I'd seen at check-in earlier in a wheelchair. Some sportsperson too if I'm not mistaken but they're not in my 6D. A youngish lass not travelling with anyone is sitting in my 6D.

My seat change does not make sense. Why move 2 people for 1 seat change? If wheelchair assistance is in 7D why move me from 6D? Is it possible I had an op-up but then given to someone else? Strange.