Seat Plan/Map

[blu]

Is there a site/tool that lets you check the seat plan (ie: as to vacant seats). Alternatively, is it available on Qantas or BA sites. Thanks.

 

[QFTravel]

If your referring to getting a seat on the plane. I suggest using www.qantas.com.au, to book and check availabities. The site will show all flights that still have available seats left.

For seat allocation on domestic flights, its done based on when you check-in (ie: first-in, first served).

Hope this helps.

 

[NM]

Is there a site/tool that lets you check the seat plan (ie: as to vacant seats). Alternatively, is it available on Qantas or BA sites. Thanks.

Remembering that Qantas do not pre-allocate seats on domestic flights with flight numbers QF400 and above, you can see the currently allocated and reserved seats for some flights (international and domestic sectors of international flights) by making a partial booking on ITN.

But be aware that the view of allocated and reserved seats is not necessarily a freflection of the number of seats sold or available for the flight. Qantas only permit pre-allocation up to a certain percentage of the cabin on international flights. So once that limit has been reached, no further pre-allocations are permitted, except for high status FF members.

Qantas also block out highly desirable seats (exit rows and the front section of the economy cabin) for their high status FF members. So these will show as reserved even though thay may not have been allocated yet.

Once pre-allocation closes, the best thing is to check-in early for the flight and make your request. It can help if you have a connecting domestic flight since you may be able to check-in for a longhaul international flight before the flight is generally available for checkin at the departing airport desks.

 

[alien]

My partner and I booked a QANTAS holiday package to the Melbourne Cup with 2 others and we were able to group the seatings together at the time of booking which was 8 weeks before we flew out. So I'm assuming they would have had to pre allocate our seats???

 

[thadocta]

My partner and I booked a QANTAS holiday package to the Melbourne Cup with 2 others and we were able to group the seatings together at the time of booking which was 8 weeks before we flew out. So I'm assuming they would have had to pre allocate our seats???

Not necesselery. All they do is put a comment in known as a TCP - Total Customrs in Party - which includes the names of all in the party.

Something like (from memory):

TCP4 ALIEN/AMR/JMRS ALIENFRIEND/SMR/RMRS

This tells the computer when allocating overnight that Mr A Alien and Mrs J Alien on one PNR are travelling with Mr S Alienfriend and Mrs R Aliendfriend on a totally seperate PNR, and will therefore seat you all together.

Dave

 

[serfty]

ITN

I followed the ITN link and had a look. I have a good idea but rather then conject, can I have some advice on what the following indicates (QF):

Cabin class: J8 C2 D2 I0 U0 Y9 B9 H9 K1 M0 R0 L0 V0 S0

or

Cabin class: J9 C9 D9 I0 U0 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 R9 L9 V3 S0

This is the same MEL - AKL on a 763 flight 2 month apart.

 

[thadocta]

Re: ITN

I followed the ITN link and had a look. I have a good idea but rather then conject, can I have some advice on what the following indicates (QF):

Cabin class: J8 C2 D2 I0 U0 Y9 B9 H9 K1 M0 R0 L0 V0 S0

8 seats in full Business Class, 2 seats in discounted Business Class (both D and C), and plenty of seats - 9 or more - in the pricier steerage seats (Y, B, H), but only 1 seat in K class - no discount steerage seats available.

Cabin class: J9 C9 D9 I0 U0 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 R9 L9 V3 S0

Wide open in all classes, apart from V (3) and S (sold out for now).

Dave

 

[The Pope]

But be aware that the view of allocated and reserved seats is not necessarily a freflection of the number of seats sold or available for the flight.

If a A330 flight shows only 2 seats in J blocked out, 28 available, would you assume that they have only sold 2 seats? It's a midweek HKG-MEL flight mid next year. The text is J9C9D9I0U0.
If it is, then you can guess how many U seats they allocate to each flight!

 

[NM]

Can only assume that U seats will be taken by people with an FF profile that includes seating preference. So I think it is fair to assume that U seats will also have pre-assignments noted. U seats could also be taken by people from non-QF FF program (eg BA, AA, US, CO etc) who may not have an FF profile registered with QF. But many of these folks will be familiar with the pre-allocation of seats and likely to have already requested and reserved seats.

 

[AlwaysUpThere]

Ah, Revenue Management - its a wonderful thing.

The availability you see at this site comes from a Global Distribution System - a company that provides IT platforms to travel agents to access multiple airline's reservation computers - the original middleware. The airline only shows the GDS what they want them to see. Eg, you can't see the actual availability, only the fact that the airline is willing to sell another 9 seats in J, C, D and I etc. You don't see "E" class there which is used for the business class cabin. There are also 6 or more categories missing from the economy cabin. These would be available only to specific wholesale agents, for example, and not for sale by anyone.

As to the availability, it is used in a very dynamic way to match the history of booking patterns, seasonality, special events, competitor pricing etc etc etc. So, while there are no seats available in I or U, it doesn't mean they are all sold. There may not have been any inventory allocated to these "sub-classes" in the first place. However, as the departure draws near, the computer system (most airlines don't have peoople making these decisions these day) will adjust the "spread" of the availability and if sales have been slow, may open seats in D & I. Likewise, if they've heard that a competitor has picked up a big group movement, they may actually reduce inventory allocated to the lower "sub-classes" of each cabin as they would expect to capitalise on higher demand for their flight as ther competitor will already be full.

The analogy is going to the harware store to buy white paint and you're told that its deaer than blue paint (eventhough blue has to be tinted, shaken etc) just because white paint is popular! And, if you want to buy it on Saturday, it will be more expensive again because that's the day that most people have time to buy paint! However, white paint is cheaper on Tuesdays but mid-priced on Thursday night unless its raining when nobody paints and so its discounted.

Got it?

 

[AlwaysUpThere]

In reply to the original post here, QF make you pay for your ticket online first and then let you choose a seat.

If you go to the SQ site, they actually allow you to view the cabin (F&J only) to see what seat assignments are avaiable BEFORE purchase. I look at this and immediately send my specific seat request to our company's travel agent to get confirmation.

I travel so much that "window" or "aisle" preferences just don't cut it for me.

 

[ozmuzz]

Seat Allocation on Qantas

I was told by Qantas in Sth Africa that pre-checkin seat allocation is closed when the number of seats allocated reaches 20%. However, a lot of US booking systems allow seat selection on QF flights so I don't know how this works from the US.

I like the Singapore system, where FF in economy are allowed to select their seats from the available seats 48 hours prior to flight using a seat map on the internet. Leaves Qantas for dead in this department.

If only Singapore would again make the offer they did in September 03 to transfer Gold membership to their program - I would be off like a shot. Qantas is losing the plot.

 

[GoldCoastGuy]

I'm gunna ask what might appear to be a dumb question in relation to the ITN site.

What class are freebie QFF travellers (those who spend their points for their flight) put in?

Might make it easier to use this site rather than the "hit & miss" on the Qantas website.


Evan :->

 

[thadocta]

I'm gunna ask what might appear to be a dumb question in relation to the ITN site.

What class are freebie QFF travellers (those who spend their points for their flight) put in?

Might make it easier to use this site rather than the "hit & miss" on the Qantas website.

Z for First, U for Business and X for steerage (also T for steerage for Gold and Plats).

Not all of these classes show up on ITN, and the Qantas site will always be far more accurate.

Dave

 

[topender]

babys in arms

I am always amazed at the allocation of infants not occupying a seat. You'd think if there was a spare seat anywhere on the plane they would put the parent and infant next to it for the benefit of everyone.
On one flight my wife and I with our infant were next to another lady with infant so across 3 seats there were 5 people.!!!