Why do we have to pay extra to Qantas to secure the ordinary seats we want?

[drewbles]

What's an OP? Yes, paying $20 for something I never paid for before, didn't even know about it except for exit row, which is understandable - if you are tall the economy seating would be torture. Before, I just picked the seat when I booked, always. I usually book months in advance, so that might be why I never knew about this. I just thought that Qantas had suddenly changed the rules to gouge more money out of people for no real reason, I suppose. Anyway, I have read all the comments, and I suppose I am just not as diligent as I used to be when booking airfares; things have changed a lot recently..... it is probably the beginning of the end of the era of mass air-travel, another 20 years and there will be a lot of unused mega-airports around the world I expect.

OP = Original Poster (as in the person that posted the first post in the thread).

Passenger numbers are not expected to do anything but go up. With the rise and rise of LCC's (low cost carriers), the whole a la carte thing is growing. Jetstar is following this method and they're (unfortunately!) getting big. The future will be buy a seat, then add on everything else like Ryanair.

There will be a place for the full service carrier, but it's going to be a lot smaller than the days of luxury air travel gone by unfortunately

 

[mannej]

I am now thinking it should be in the price as an optional extra? I will re-iterate here, I have never paid this before, I always book the seat I want when I book the ticket, or as soon as it is possible to do so. I just didn't know about it before.

As stated, without any status;

If you want to select a seat before Online Check-in, you pay the $20 seat selection fee.

If you have status, this is complimentary.

However, you do not pay for seat selection domestically.

It has been in place for about 2 years now, and the information is on the QF website.
Qantas Seat Selection | Advance Seat Selection

 

[harvyk]

it is probably the beginning of the end of the era of mass air-travel, another 20 years and there will be a lot of unused mega-airports around the world I expect.

Disagree to a degree... This is not the end of mass air-travel by any stretch of the imagination. It's just the beginning of the end of air-travel where a ticket includes everything you could possibly want. In 20 years time I expect just as many people will be travelling, but the only thing which will be expected is a seat. From there everything will be an added extra. You want a meal? That's an extra $x... It'll be much like buying a new car, you can get the base model, or you can start ticking a few boxes and get added extra's like window tinting, leather seats and a sunroof. Both cars will get you from A to B, but one will be more comfortable than the other and the other will be more cheap than the first.

You can already see it with other airlines like AirNZ where a trans-Tasman ticket provides just a seat, but for a little extra you can start purchasing little extras all the way until your ticket gets the traditional full service experience.

 

[yohy?!]

With all due respect, a sample size of three is not very large at all.

It is funny as one of the examples you have given has restrictions on the seat selection.

3 of QF's biggest competitors works for me in terms of market share. I don't see a need to go into every last carrier as it really doesnt matte.

CX may restrict but they don't try to charge for it which is very LCC-ish. Thank god we aren't in LOTFAP where it would be accepted...

 

[FierceDinosaur]

What about the cost of fuel - it will not last forever especially at the cheap price of today..... peak oil has already come and gone.

 

[FierceDinosaur]

Ah, we have done lots of domestic travel in the last two years, but only the one overseas trip to Hawaii since the last round the world trip we did about 3 years ago; that explains it. I just have to be more aware and more vigilant. I don't have "status" but I think my husband does. I have to check.

 

[FierceDinosaur]

Yes, I see all that now.... in the US a few years ago it was like that, I suppose we just copy them.

 

[opusman]

Woah comic sans!

 

[oliverd]

I love the fact that as a non-status member of SQ and MH, I can pay a very small fee (around 3-4% of the ticket price) and secure an exit / bulkhead seat / premium seat.
For normal seats it's reasonable to extend free seat selection to status members only a a benefit of loyalty - $20 to guarantee a specific seat for non-status-flyers is hardly extortionate.

 

[FierceDinosaur]

Didn't Alan Joyce run Ryanair at one time? Jetting around Europe one wouldn't mind the no frills approach, the flights are short. Our flight was to Hawaii - international - 10 hours, and it cost quite a bit although it was economy; I suppose I think that a long flight should include seatback video. We went to Europe about 6 years ago on a clapped out converted plane with Royal Brunei air, and it was one of the best flights we ever did: plenty of leg room (like it used to be); seat back video, yummy food so good my husband asked for more (and got it) and the cost was about $1300 per person return to UK, all inclusive; and we had a 3 day stopover in BSB, where we did a camping trip to the Borneo jungle to see wildlife... Only problem was no alcohol on board (Moslem airline), but of course due to this we arrived fresher than usual!!!!!

 

[FierceDinosaur]

For normal seats it's reasonable to extend free seat selection to status members only a a benefit of loyalty - $20 to guarantee a specific seat for non-status-flyers is hardly extortionate.

But it adds up - it was $80 in the end for 2 people both ways. And we are loyal!!!

 

[FierceDinosaur]

I LOVE comic sans!!!!

 

[simongr]

[-][FNT=comic sans ms][/-]I LOVE comic sans!!!![-][/FONT][/-]

The rest of the inter web hates it.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Didn't Alan Joyce run Ryanair at one time? Jetting around Europe one wouldn't mind the no frills approach, the flights are short. Our flight was to Hawaii - international - 10 hours, and it cost quite a bit although it was economy; I suppose I think that a long flight should include seatback video. We went to Europe about 6 years ago on a clapped out converted plane with Royal Brunei air, and it was one of the best flights we ever did: plenty of leg room (like it used to be); seat back video, yummy food so good my husband asked for more (and got it) and the cost was about $1300 per person return to UK, all inclusive; and we had a 3 day stopover in BSB, where we did a camping trip to the Borneo jungle to see wildlife... Only problem was no alcohol on board (Moslem airline), but of course due to this we arrived fresher than usual!!!!!

Joyce did not run Ryanair or even work for them - common misconception.

I agree (as most would) that you should get personal IFE...it's unfortunate that the 767 is still doing this run.

 

[extracta]

But it adds up - it was $80 in the end for 2 people both ways. And we are loyal!!!

Nobody forced you to pay it and if you had waited until 24 hours before departure you could have checked in on line and selected the seats for free.

 

[nlagalle]

Ah, we have done lots of domestic travel in the last two years, but only the one overseas trip to Hawaii since the last round the world trip we did about 3 years ago; that explains it. I just have to be more aware and more vigilant. I don't have "status" but I think my husband does. I have to check.

If your husband had status then he wouldn't have been charged for seat selection..

 

[AVC]

Not sure how long you have been travelling, but there was a time I was just happy for a succesful landing.

I still am!

. I used to pay $2 USD in the early ´80s to rent the double plastic tube that used to pipe the music

What are these pnuematic headphones you speak of? *cough cough*

Woah comic sans!

It wasn't so much the font as the font plus the bolding.

 

[FierceDinosaur]

Er, why? It's rather jolly, don't you think?

 

[oliverd]

I'm missing out... Comic Sans doesn't render on my iPad

 

[FierceDinosaur]

Just wanted to be seen, to see if there was anyone out there in cyberland - and Yes, there sure was!