"This will give customers greater choice and access to seats that offer more leg room. A similar service is offered by many other airlines," an airline spokesperson said in a statement.
Curious to know the "many" other airlines that offer this "service". Am aware it is a practice amongst LCCs but don't know which full service carriers "offer" it (not saying there aren't any...)
It has certainly annoyed me a lot - enough to vow that if this is indeed true, I shall take my business elsewhere.
To me, this is far more annoying than increasing the points required for points bookings etc.
No more preferential seating for platinums in this tough time - that's a really clever move - they'll be gaining a bit of extra dollars per aircraft operated, but even my business alone would lose them quite substantial sums of money and brand loyalty.
I can't believe they are doing this... It's basically only LCCs that charge extra for exit row seats - on many legacy carriers they're reserved for higher tier frequent flyers.
Is this one of the things that Alan Joyce has influenced because of his LCC background? Grrrrr
Curious to know the "many" other airlines that offer this "service". Am aware it is a practice amongst LCCs but don't know which full service carriers "offer" it (not saying there aren't any...)
As I understand it, Singapore Airlines offer a similar scheme known as "Preferred Seats"
This is an example of stort-term beancounting thinking that will probably produce a very different outcome for Qantas than expected.
In my example, I am 200cm tall and fly mostly for leisure, it was a real benefit of status to be able to usually get an exit row seat through checking-in early at the Business check-in and I was seriously considering making it (through flying Economy) to Platinum to be able to preselect those seats.
However, in the new setting, I will loose this major benefit of status and I do not really see the justification for paying extra for an exit row seat. The most likely result will be: When I fly, I will pay for the exit row seat, but I will fly much less with Qantas!
Sadly, Qantas seems to copy aspects of LCC such as Jetstar. When do we have to pay for entertainment or "premium" food in Economy?
I might sound peculiar, but I don't mind paying extra. What I REALLY don't want is the availability of those seats to me as a platinum to be reduced.
I have almost always been able to get the exit row aisle seat as a platinum, and if I can't get them because non-status members have already booked them in the future, why would I bother fly Qantas anyway then?
Exit row seat availability has been the main reason why I've been flying Qantas long haul.
The 'non-elite' part of this is interesting. Perhaps QF haven't given the full story (how much of the Y flying public - which generally includes me I hasten to add - would even know about Platinums and the existing exit row benefit). Maybe Plats will still be able to reserve unsold exit seats ahead of time at no charge. Or maybe not.
How does it work on UA/VS? If a status pax books a flight and asks for an exit row, is it just what is left available that they haven't already sold to a non-status pax? And if a non-status pax comes along later and wants to pay $$$ for an exit, I'm guessing they cannot displace the status pax already in that seat?
I would urge WPs and WPs-to-be to write to Qantas to protest this change.
WPs to be?? In reality, that is anyone with the cash (or company) willing to two to return trips to Europe in First. Probably not that worried about getting Exit Row seating in the first place.
If I have to pay for the extra space, I'll also be checking if DJ can offer extra space seating if QF have sold out. Previously, I wouldn't have given any thought to DJ's product. I'll still use the QF lounge though - even if it is before a DJ flight.
WPs to be?? In reality, that is anyone with the cash (or company) willing to two to return trips to Europe in First. Probably not that worried about getting Exit Row seating in the first place.
Not necessarily. There are more people than you might think who qualify for WP through sheer frequency of travel (overall, they would probably end up spending around the same amount to qualify for WP as they would if they booked a couple of F returns to Europe).
WPs to be?? In reality, that is anyone with the cash (or company) willing to two to return trips to Europe in First. Probably not that worried about getting Exit Row seating in the first place.
Let me assure you that there are many other ways to achieve WP other than two return trips in First. As my membername suggests, I fly almost exclusivly Economy and I am currently Gold and can make it comfortably to WP this year.
I also know of several other high-status QFF who (must) fly almost exclusivly in Economy. For sure it is nice to become WP when your company pays for Business or First, but there are also many Economy-flying WPs around.
