Qantas Frequent Flyer - Cost of buying a second (or third) seat but no pax travelling?

With the current very cheap semi-'RTWs' (like $1365 BA/QF for a routing SYD-JFK-LHR-SYD) I was just wondering how it works if I wanted to buy a couple of extra seats for the space (ie to lie down on)?

How does it price out? Adult fare of child fare? Is the unoccupied seat exempt from taxes?

Regards

WG

I do not believe the airlines are set-up to permit such purchases very easily. You need to nominate a name for the ticket purchase. And when that person fails to check-in, the seat will be released and available for allocation to anyone on standby at the time the flight check-in closes.

So you may end up forfeiting the fare you paid for that extra seat, as it would be considered a no-show customer.

I suggest you call the airlines and ask. There must be some way to do this as it is possible for very large people to book two seats, as well as some people who travel regularly with large and fragile items such as musical instruments to book a second seat for their precious item. So there must be some way of doing it in their system

I don't know how you would do it, although I know airlines allow obese people to purchase an extra seat--the question is, will you get points+SC's x2 ? :D

On LH you can do this w/o problem and you get the additional EQM as well. No taxes to be paid on the second seat. I haven't heard whether people were able to book 3 seats which you would need to do if you want to lie down and get some sleep.

Interesting question though. Let us know when you found out...

Interesting question though. Let us know when you found out...

Just got off the phone to QF - the agent hadn't booked a spare seat before but there were rules which took a couple of seconds to look up.

Basically it's all there - second (or multiple seat) purchase is permitted at the prevailing fare at the time - discounts and promotions are applicable - however it seems to be that if you are an adult, you have to buy an adult fare - the interesting bit however is (and this was read out) - taxes and fees are applicable ONLY on the travelling passenger's fare - the extra seats do not attract these. We couldn't work out about the fuel surcharge, but the exclusion seems to apply only to taxes and fees, so we figured we would have to pay the fuel surcharge.

Very helpful they were at QF! So folllwing ozstamp's post of the $1999 fares for RTW, I figure the second seat would only cost about $1599 (maybe a tad more).

GST is payable however for domestic second / third seats.

So there you go!

Regards

WG

Very helpful they were at QF! So folllwing ozstamp's post of the $1999 fares for RTW, I figure the second seat would only cost about $1599 (maybe a tad more).



But remember that $1,999 with tax ALSO includes a $200 land fare component, (which you would get twice) so you really have a ~$A1300 type deal true cost, as you use the $200 for Hotels at one stop. :)

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=476333

If they give that one pax both EQM and SC there is QF Plat plus change right there surely, for a few $1000? ;)

Not to mention a ton of miles into the account. Maybe 2nd seat accrues no miles?

But remember that $1,999 with tax ALSO includes a $200 land fare component, (which you would get twice) so you really have a ~$A1300 type deal true cost, as you use the $200 for Hotels at one stop. :)If they give that one pax both EQM and SC there is QF Plat plus change right there surely, for a few $1000? ;)

Not to mention a ton of miles into the account. Maybe 2nd seat accrues no miles?

Yes - quite right oz - the base fare would be around $1500, of which you would get back the $200 towards land I guess.

QF does not give miles or tier credits for additional seats - only for the passenger travelling (I guess on the same basis that if you buy a non-ref fare and miss the flight you don't get the miles either).

As for plat - a big no to that. I think the fare of 1999 is limited to QF/BA - so no AA for multip-hopping around the States? (unless they allowed code shares on AA you would be limited to flying SFO/LAX/JFK to LHR or vv).

A RTW would net you maybe 200 or 250 Tier Credits (maybe a tad more with a creative use of stopovers such as LHR/SIN/SYD as two separate flights) - not even enough for silver! (even if they DID allow you to accrue on two seats - not enough for gold which needs 600 to requalify - plat is 1200 credits). If you could use AA - only add about 10-20 TCs per segment - so still wouldn't get there!

Regards

WG

QF does not give miles or tier credits for additional seats - only for the passenger travelling (I guess on the same basis that if you buy a non-ref fare and miss the flight you don't get the miles either).



Out if interest I posted this question on the UA Forum - you may like to chime in:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4647283#post4647283

Seems like if you start up a SEPERATE account for the Cello or Guitar on the 2nd seat "it" gets miles - and elite miles too if the Guitar flies often.

The guitar then "gifts" you his points/upgrades. ;)

Seems like if you start up a SEPERATE account for the Cello or Guitar on the 2nd seat "it" gets miles - and elite miles too if the Guitar flies often.

The guitar then "gifts" you his points/upgrades. ;)
but in the QF program, you can only transfer the points between eligible family members, or redeem for an award for an eligible family member. I know some musicians are very close to their instruments, but I don't see "Cello-in-law" or "Grand-Guitar" in the list of eligible family members. So not likely to work for QF FF program. So you will have to join the Cello up for the AA Plat Challenge :D .

Well we all know how RIGOROUSLY Qantas polices the "relative" rule, don't we? Coff. :)

What to stop Meil Noodie signing up Cello Noodie as a new account? Same address.

When it comes time to transfer who at QF is going to even look twice at the transaction? Could be a daughter for all they know. :cool:

Well we all know how RIGOROUSLY Qantas polices the "relative" rule, don't we? Coff. :)

What to stop Meil Noodie signing up Cello Noodie as a new account? Same address.

When it comes time to transfer who at QF is going to even look twice at the transaction? Could be a daughter for all they know. :cool:

But if the seat is to earn miles and SC's, it will also have to attract TLC's, won't it?

Dave

Unless you are very short - three seats is not nearly enough to strectch out. You will need four seats which pretty much negates any cost savings. In addition, if flights are overbooked they are liable to 'confiscate' one (or more) of your seats - and there is no iron-clad guarantee that all seats are in one row - though this is not usually a problem if you pre-book the entire row.

Unless you are very short - three seats is not nearly enough to strectch out. You will need four seats which pretty much negates any cost savings. In addition, if flights are overbooked they are liable to 'confiscate' one (or more) of your seats - and there is no iron-clad guarantee that all seats are in one row - though this is not usually a problem if you pre-book the entire row.

From memory - and it is more than a few years since I worked for QF - if you book extra seats for the SOLE PURPOSE of using those seats yourself - then those seats are protected. If the SLC gets bumped, so do the extra seats, which carry over to the new seat, and the extra seats cannot be "confiscated" - so if an "extra seat" is bumped so is the SLC, and their entourage.

Dave

And we are talking about QF, not EI (http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:JzPvff7kfZEJ:www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_526260.html%3Fmenu%3D+opposite%20sides%20of%20t he%20aisle&hl=en). :D

Unless you are very short - three seats is not nearly enough to strectch out. You will need four seats which pretty much negates any cost savings.

Yeah - four is better, but three gives you (at 18" each seat) around 54" total - which is not too bad - might have to bend the knees a little, but hey, what's the difference in bending the knees there or on a BA flat bed? (ok, I know, but I'm paying 1/2 the price).

54" compares ok to std biz class pitch, and at least you can lie completely flat (no danger of falling off the seat if you put the cabin baggage on the floor in front at seat level).

WG

Yeah - four is better, but three gives you (at 18" each seat) around 54" total - which is not too bad - might have to bend the knees a little, but hey, what's the difference in bending the knees there or on a BA flat bed? (ok, I know, but I'm paying 1/2 the price). When I've been lucky to have three seats to myself, I've always found it more comfortable and better for sleep to sit in the middle seat and use the seats either side for lots of elbow room. Lying down just produces agony after a while, particularly as the seat cushions are not entirely flat and there are gaps between them.

Seems like if you start up a SEPERATE account for the Cello or Guitar on the 2nd seat "it" gets miles - and elite miles too if the Guitar flies often.

The guitar then "gifts" you his points/upgrades. ;)

Originally I thought this was tongue in cheek, but reading on I see you are serious.

Unfortunately Miss Cello cannot be a member of QFF...

5.1 Membership of Qantas Frequent Flyer is open only to individuals. Membership is not open to families, groups, companies, trusts, partnerships, other entities, government departments, agencies, animals or inanimate objects.
(emphasis added)

I've had three and four seats multiple times and I can tell you that if you are average length and up three seats does not make a comfortable bed (at all). Though it is much superior to just a single seat. I very much doubt it is worth the additional fare.

As a test I would try and sleep in a 53 inch box for an evening and see if you can get up in the morning without being in agonizing pain.

Speaking of cello's...and being an ex pro musician (and still sometimes travel with a guitar or two) I've never booked a seat for an instrument. I just upgrade to "J" and ask the CSO weather it's fine at check-in to take an oversized piece of luggage on board - never a problem - even on the odd time I can't afford to upgrade. ^ Of course this has nothing to do with buying extra seats to sleep on..... ;) no chance of that ever being comfortable...YMMV.

Best sleep ive had in Y is having 3 seats on the side, putting all the pillows against the window, stretching my legs accross the 3, using a seatbelt on the end seat to make sure i didnt roll over onto the floor.

With 5-6 pillows, 3 blankets, and a few drinks and/or pills before you can easilly get a good sleep in Y ;)

Best sleep I had was across 3 seats in the middle of an AA 767 between LGW and RDU. Twas the week after the Sydney Olympics and the only seat I could get on any plane out of Australia was heading west, and I had to get to RDU. So ended up on a OneWorld Explorer in economy, heading BNE-SYD-SIN-FRA-LGW-RDU. That was not a MR, just the only combination that could be found at short notice at that time.

I met up with a UK colleague at LGW for the last leg to RDU. He was booked in J, me down the back - I hate companies with different travel policies for different countries :mad: . Asked the AA check-in agent at LGW about the possibility of upgrading to J (willing to pay). She said there was no space and if there was it would cost 1000 pounds - more than my entire RTW fare. She looked at my itinerary and said she would have upgraded me for free if there was a spare seat.

So she blocked the 3 seats in a row for me in the centre section of coach on the 767. I told me colleague to come back to me once we were airborne and we could discuss the project. He said he came back three times and each time I was horizontal and unconscious so he left me sleep.

It took me 44 hours to get from my home in BNE to the hotel at RDU and that was the only sleep I got along the way.

(Anybody done this recently? Was just curious as to any rule changes on QF...I don't suppose you get extra bag allowance with your extra seat ;))

(Anybody done this recently? Was just curious as to any rule changes on QF...I don't suppose you get extra bag allowance with your extra seat ;))

I am having problem understanding why would anyone spend time and effort doing it, considering that for just little more, one can buy such trip with LH or LX in business without all the fuss around. One such trip in business on LH or LX gives comfortably *S status through M&M on top of that and enough miles for some nice travel...