Let me get this right. I pay $2000 for a ticket and THEN I get to choose my seats
Jul 20, 2015, 4:55 am
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP/LTG | UA P
Posts: 13,530
I do - especially if on Trans Pac UA or AC (if in Biz). For example, if only centre seats in the 2-4-2 UA 777 are available, I'll choose another date where feasible. But I have fairly good time flexibility and I acknowledge many don't.
Jul 20, 2015, 7:14 am
#17
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: SYD (YSSY)
Programs: QF QP
Posts: 173
We are not talking about SCL-XXX-ORD here, we are talking about qantas international. Usually only one flight a day and usually no choice of routes.
Most people book on price, then when they have a good deal they book and pay. Only later they sort out their seats. Of course after posting a few questions on here about which is the best side of the aircraft to see the best view.
Most people book on price, then when they have a good deal they book and pay. Only later they sort out their seats. Of course after posting a few questions on here about which is the best side of the aircraft to see the best view.
Jul 20, 2015, 7:24 am
#18
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: Double OWE (AA EXP, QF Plat), FI Gold
Posts: 1,887
We are not talking about SCL-XXX-ORD here, we are talking about qantas international. Usually only one flight a day and usually no choice of routes.
Most people book on price, then when they have a good deal they book and pay. Only later they sort out their seats. Of course after posting a few questions on here about which is the best side of the aircraft to see the best view.
Most people book on price, then when they have a good deal they book and pay. Only later they sort out their seats. Of course after posting a few questions on here about which is the best side of the aircraft to see the best view.
For the same price on the same date I had the following options:
LAX-MEL-PER (x2)
LAX-SYD-PER
LAX-BNE-PER
And for not much more they offered DFW-SYD-PER.
Even if you want to go to SYD, QF provide options via BNE and MEL (sometimes at lower fares), and similar permutations of those options for MEL and BNE. There's no reason to think that there's no choice of routes to get from North America to Australia with Qantas.
Last edited by zpaul; Jul 20, 2015 at 7:37 am
Jul 20, 2015, 12:02 pm
#19
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Here and there
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,551
Wow. That's amazing. I can't think of another high quality airline that does this. QANTAS must lose a lot of business with this practice. I'm searching to book a few flights and all the other airlines allow me to see the seats but not QANTAS.
I understand you can call up but by God its 2015. Why can't they put their available seats online!
I understand you can call up but by God its 2015. Why can't they put their available seats online!
Jul 20, 2015, 3:55 pm
#20
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Aberdeenshire
Programs: BA
Posts: 1,008
Of course BA will charge you for seat selection unless you're BAEC Silver (OWS) or above, or buying any F fare or a full-fare ticket in any other class.
Jul 20, 2015, 4:48 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
Of course BA will charge you for seat selection unless you're BAEC Silver (OWS) or above, or buying any F fare or a full-fare ticket in any other class.
Anyone who really is that concerned about where they sit, to the point of choosing a different route or different airline, should really be thinking of spending a relatively small amount of money wisely by an EF subscription or something similar.
Jul 20, 2015, 7:31 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: Double OWE (AA EXP, QF Plat), FI Gold
Posts: 1,887
+1. A "Basic" subscription at US$4.95 per month is nothing and gets you all of the seat map functionality of the "Pro" membership.
Jul 20, 2015, 7:46 pm
#23
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,088
Whilst I agree with you about the fare bucket bit, I am not sure that showing a seat map will make a huge difference.
Most casual travellers really won't care where they are sitting, they will base it on price. Those that do care will only really care about aisle or window. Those travelling with someone else won't really care either, they will take what they can get (together) as long as it isn't the dreaded "middle-middle" combination.
Everyone else, with any sort of status, will be getting what they want, and for me it basically comes down to an aisle seat reasonably close to the front.
I am not so DYKWIA that I *absolutely, positively, have to be in the first row that if I am not I will suffer a myocardial infarction for which I will sue the airline for every last dollar that they possess* brigade, as long as I am somewhere near the front, I am happy, and this has always been available to me.
(In fact, that is one of the things I liked about the dearly departed previous system, NO advanced seat selection for domestic flights, that a high status flyer could book a day or two in advance and still get a good seat, no longer the case).
Seriously, who is going to make a decision as to whether or not to book a flight based upon the seat availability map? I certainly won't, and I suspect that anyone who will make a decision to NOT fly on a certain flight based PURELY upon the seating map seriously needs a session with a counsellor.
Dave
Most casual travellers really won't care where they are sitting, they will base it on price. Those that do care will only really care about aisle or window. Those travelling with someone else won't really care either, they will take what they can get (together) as long as it isn't the dreaded "middle-middle" combination.
Everyone else, with any sort of status, will be getting what they want, and for me it basically comes down to an aisle seat reasonably close to the front.
I am not so DYKWIA that I *absolutely, positively, have to be in the first row that if I am not I will suffer a myocardial infarction for which I will sue the airline for every last dollar that they possess* brigade, as long as I am somewhere near the front, I am happy, and this has always been available to me.
(In fact, that is one of the things I liked about the dearly departed previous system, NO advanced seat selection for domestic flights, that a high status flyer could book a day or two in advance and still get a good seat, no longer the case).
Seriously, who is going to make a decision as to whether or not to book a flight based upon the seat availability map? I certainly won't, and I suspect that anyone who will make a decision to NOT fly on a certain flight based PURELY upon the seating map seriously needs a session with a counsellor.
Dave
I suspect a great number of people choose a particular flight based upon seat availability, especially if there are several flights that day or they have flexibility to go another day. Given the choice, I certainly would not book a flight that would stick me in a middle seat in the back of the plane, for example. Not my idea of a good time on a transoceanic flight.
Jul 21, 2015, 9:22 pm
#24
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Goshen,New York
Programs: AA 2 Million-miler , SPG Platinum, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,000
I have been flying with various airlines for more than 50 years and have held high status levels with many of the airlines.
I absolutely without question would never purchase an airline ticket without knowing seat availability and being able to preselect my seat
I absolutely without question would never purchase an airline ticket without knowing seat availability and being able to preselect my seat
Jul 22, 2015, 10:48 am
#25
In Memoriam
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Katoomba (Blue Mountains)
Programs: Mucci
Posts: 8,083
I fly because I need to get from A to B, and because I either can't leave A before a certain time OR I need to be at B by a certain time.
I am pretty flexible about where I sit, prefer an aisle, don't really care where it is, but closer to the back is better for me, but I am not going to boycott a flight purely because of the seating map availability.
The very thought of choosing a flight based *purely* on what seats are available is anathema to me, in fact it smacks of DYKWIA - "You won't fly on such a flight unless you can get the exact seat you want" smacks of arrogance.
I take pity on you.
Dave
Jul 22, 2015, 1:05 pm
#26
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: Double OWE (AA EXP, QF Plat), FI Gold
Posts: 1,887
In some cases I fly for work, and many things are beyond my control. No problem, I can live with it.
But many times I fly because I love it. Sometimes I fly just to fly, and don't really care about the destination - maybe it's to try out a different type of aircraft that I've never flown before, sometimes it's a new or unique route, and sometimes it's just to be somewhere else.
Given that I don't view it as a "just get from A to B and nothing more" experience, I do base the entire process around the things I prefer, including my preferred seats. I certainly need no pity because of this - you may not understand it, but there's no need to pity it. People who pity others usually think that they're better than them, and you're certainly not my better. Different from me, definitely. Richer than me, probably. But certainly not better than me. And without knowing more about me and the others on this board who share my point of view, you're in no position to pity anyone.
Regardless, why do other people's preferences bother you so much? Live and let live - we'll all be happier that way.
But many times I fly because I love it. Sometimes I fly just to fly, and don't really care about the destination - maybe it's to try out a different type of aircraft that I've never flown before, sometimes it's a new or unique route, and sometimes it's just to be somewhere else.
Given that I don't view it as a "just get from A to B and nothing more" experience, I do base the entire process around the things I prefer, including my preferred seats. I certainly need no pity because of this - you may not understand it, but there's no need to pity it. People who pity others usually think that they're better than them, and you're certainly not my better. Different from me, definitely. Richer than me, probably. But certainly not better than me. And without knowing more about me and the others on this board who share my point of view, you're in no position to pity anyone.
Regardless, why do other people's preferences bother you so much? Live and let live - we'll all be happier that way.
Last edited by zpaul; Jul 22, 2015 at 3:05 pm
Jul 24, 2015, 8:52 pm
#27
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: London
Programs: AA Executive Platinum
Posts: 779
I tried to do the seat selection on a BA flight only yesterday, with my AA FF number, which is OWS status and I would have had to pay to select seats had I actually done it.
Jul 24, 2015, 9:00 pm
#28
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: London
Programs: AA Executive Platinum
Posts: 779
Anyway, I can't recall ever looking at a seat map before buying a ticket. Unless you buy at the last moment, it (IMHO) really is not necessary to look at the seat map. Airplanes are full of people who don't use computers, don't fly regularly, don't belong to FF programs and don't bother choosing their seat. Just by actively picking a seat, you can be almost guaranteed that you will avoid centre seats. Of hundreds of flights, I can remember only 1 flight where I got stuck in a centre seat.
Jul 25, 2015, 1:41 am
#29
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Aberdeenshire
Programs: BA
Posts: 1,008
Originally Posted by ba.com
Membership of the Executive Club, and equivalent oneworld partner frequent flyer programmes, includes seat selection at certain tiers.
Jul 28, 2015, 9:44 am
#30
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: NUE,MUC,INN,FDH
Programs: QF LTG, LH (SEN*** till 02/26), AF, AA, AB-G†
Posts: 2,076
My travel agent can select seats before ticketing. He can make optional bookings without a charge. He is able to find nice fares that are hard to get online. I am happy to pay him a service charge for my bookings.