The WP shadow

[JohnK]

I was once given an entire row of 4 seats near the back on a ex-HKG CX flight that was 90% full. Ended up giving it up to another pax who started his trip from somewhere in Europe, and clearly could've used an extra few hours of sleep.

I was coming back CHC-SYD on a QF767 and the front cabin was fairly full. When I went down the back for a walk I realised there was hardly anyone back there so I moved myself down the back. What a great flight and had a lovel chat with the CSM who ended up giving me a bottle of champagne.

 

[crum]

QF439 yesterday had a shadow in 23A, when I was 23B on a fairly full flight. QF442 today I was 23D but no shadow.

 

[Danger]

I have three A330 transcons over the next four weeks. The shadow is present for the soonest flight, but is absent for the other two which is very, very unusual for me. One of the two where it is missing has a MEL-SYD 737 flight on the same PNR where the shadow is present. I can't work it out. I've tried changing seats and hoping the shadow reappears but it hasn't.

One of the flights my shadow was absent on has appeared with less than 48 hours to go. The flight is showing Y3 and 0 in all other buckets.

 

[Danger]

One of the flights my shadow was absent on has appeared with less than 48 hours to go. The flight is showing Y3 and 0 in all other buckets.

Now it's Y4 and the shadow has gone again!

 

[JohnK]

Now it's Y4 and the shadow has gone again!

Relax. It is not a published benefit and it is outside your control.

 

[Danger]

Relax. It is not a published benefit and it is outside your control.

Indeed. There are plenty of threads where published benefits aren't offered or upheld.

 

[JohnK]

Indeed. There are plenty of threads where published benefits aren't offered or upheld.

Happens on a lot of airlines.

 

[Mr_Orange]

As a newly minted WP, I am looking forward to the shadow working for me (hopefully, I know it is an unpublished benefit). Mrs_O and I are travelling to ZQN later in the year in whY and I have snagged row 4. I've picked the A and C seats in the hope that my shadow protects B and we get three seats for the two of us.

Has anyone else tried this and had any success?

TIA.

 

[amaroo]

As a newly minted WP, I am looking forward to the shadow working for me (hopefully, I know it is an unpublished benefit). Mrs_O and I are travelling to ZQN later in the year in whY and I have snagged row 4. I've picked the A and C seats in the hope that my shadow protects B and we get three seats for the two of us.

Has anyone else tried this and had any success?

TIA.

I've done it many times. Works, however I couldn't say if it was the shadow or simply midday flight with low numbers. I wouldn't do it for a peak hour flying....

 

[danny09]

As a newly minted WP, I am looking forward to the shadow working for me (hopefully, I know it is an unpublished benefit). Mrs_O and I are travelling to ZQN later in the year in whY and I have snagged row 4. I've picked the A and C seats in the hope that my shadow protects B and we get three seats for the two of us.

Has anyone else tried this and had any success?

TIA.

In this situation (happens regulary with SWMBO), I always do the fail safe option, put the lower status pax in the window (WP SWMBO) & the higher status pax (Me WP1) in the middle seat & if the shadow is still there, once the door has closed, I move to the aisle seat. Has worked for me everytime.

 

[Mr_Orange]

I've done it many times. Works, however I couldn't say if it was the shadow or simply midday flight with low numbers. I wouldn't do it for a peak hour flying....

In this situation (happens regulary with SWMBO), I always do the fail safe option, put the lower status pax in the window (WP SWMBO) & the higher status pax (Me WP1) in the middle seat & if the shadow is still there, once the door has closed, I move to the aisle seat. Has worked for me everytime.

Thanks for the responses . Mrs_O prefers aisle seats, so I might put her in the aisle and me in the middle and hope that the shadow protects the window seat.

Erghhh, the thought of a middle seat sends a shiver down my spine .

 

[boomy]

As a newly minted WP, I am looking forward to the shadow working for me (hopefully, I know it is an unpublished benefit). Mrs_O and I are travelling to ZQN later in the year in whY and I have snagged row 4. I've picked the A and C seats in the hope that my shadow protects B and we get three seats for the two of us.

Has anyone else tried this and had any success?

TIA.

I do it all the time when flying with the missus. I put her (Gold) in 4A and myself (P1) in 4C. It works well because she likes the window seat, I prefer aisle and none of us want to be in the middle seat
So far, never had anyone allocated in 4B.
Just make sure both bookings are linked under your name and it should be fine.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

The a and c trick works often even without status and on lcc's too. I use it a bit and if you really want to sit together the person allocated the middle will be happy to move

 

[pjm99au]

Thanks for the responses . Mrs_O prefers aisle seats, so I might put her in the aisle and me in the middle and hope that the shadow protects the window seat.

Erghhh, the thought of a middle seat sends a shiver down my spine .

I would definitely pick window and aisle with the view that most others will then not select the middle seat and if they do then they are almost always willing to swap. Leaving the window or aisle free is too risky as it could be allocated automatically on the basis of preferences nominated in people's profiles I.e. Forward aisle or forward window

 

[Mr_Orange]

I do it all the time when flying with the missus. I put her (Gold) in 4A and myself (P1) in 4C. It works well because she likes the window seat, I prefer aisle and none of us want to be in the middle seat
So far, never had anyone allocated in 4B.
Just make sure both bookings are linked under your name and it should be fine.

The a and c trick works often even without status and on lcc's too. I use it a bit and if you really want to sit together the person allocated the middle will be happy to move

I would definitely pick window and aisle with the view that most others will then not select the middle seat and if they do then they are almost always willing to swap. Leaving the window or aisle free is too risky as it could be allocated automatically on the basis of preferences nominated in people's profiles I.e. Forward aisle or forward window

Thanks again all. Fixed now with A and C picked for both outbound and return.

 

[Danger]

I lost my shadow, apparently permanently, several months ago. In more than 25 flights with Qantas since, the seat next to me has never been blocked.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I lost my shadow, apparently permanently, several months ago. In more than 25 flights with Qantas since, the seat next to me has never been blocked.

Is that because you credit the QF flights to AA as a OWE?

 

[Danger]

Is that because you credit the QF flights to AA as a OWE?

I have wondered that.

For the first many flights where I credited to AA the shadow remained but it has long gone. It would be a logical explanation but it would be based on historical earnings. That is, each time I book a flight, my QF number is in there, right up until about 20 minutes before boarding when I change it (often will great hassle involving more than one agent and a phone call to the call centre). So perhaps it takes into account historical crediting and determines that even though I'm QF Platinum I'm not that important so they've done away with the shadow altogether.

If so, the big )rhetorical) question is, how many flights would I have to fly and credit to QF for the shadow to return?

 

[Mr_Orange]

Well, I guess my first two shadows worked. They worked insofar as nobody sat in 4B between Mrs_O and I, but then the flights were far from full. I did make a point of asking at check in whether 4B was blocked and was told on both occasions that it was, so I would have been unlucky to end up losing the shadow given the loads.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Flying HKG-BNE this Friday and EF (with my QF number removed) is showing the seat next to me as available and not blocked. What gives? I would have expected to see it blocked as certain other seats are on EF and to me in seat selection in MMB.