Originally Posted by AAaLot
Some day, as it has happened in its international segment, Qantas domestic will have less aircraft changes. At that point Qantas will go to the traditional seat selection method [because it will cost them less] and its FFs will also accept it.
I hope you are wrong with this prediction.
I still see issues with allowing pre-allocation based on status and seating preference. For example, if we have an aircraft (eg Boeing 797) with an economy cabin of say 3x3 seating. Elite FF members want to sit with their preference for aisle or window and typically forward in the cabin. Lets say by way of example that economy begins at row 4 on this imaginary aircraft.
6 months before the flight, a Gold FF member books a ticket and wants to reserve his preferred forward window seat. QF know that there will be lots of bookings closer to the departure date made by Platinum FF members since this is a popular business travel route (say TPR-PBO or maybe SYD-MEL). So how many rows should they block out for their Plat members before making a forward window seat available for this Gold elite member? Say they assume they need to retain 5 rows for Plats, then they permit this Gold FF member to have seat 9A.
Now 5 more Gold members also book tickets on this same flight during the next 5.5 months, and reserve 9F, 10A, 10F, 11A, and 11F. In the same period, some Plats have also booked and pre-allocated their preferred forward window seats at 4A, 4F, 5A, 5F etc until all 5 rows of window seats through to row 8 have been booked by plats.
We have also has 6 window-preference Qantas Club members who have booked seats and they have pre-allocated the next block of window seats from rows 12-14, because the system decided their elite status should give then the ability to preallocate but not the best seats.
Also over the last 6 months, 20 flyonceayear people have booked tickets on this flight for their once a year trip to visit relatives. They are non-elite and offered seating from rows 15 onwards. They all like window seats, so have consumed all the window seats from rows 15-25.
Now our last minute platinum flyers make their bookings because their corp travel policy and red-tape means last minute bookings. So the day before travel 4 more Plats book and want their forward window seats. But by now we have all windows down to row 15 already allocated, so the best they can get is row 16 and 17. They are less than impressed by this new pre-allocation system.
The way it works today, the system knows exactly how many Plats, Golds, QC members etc need to be seated and their preferences. All the plats, no matter if they booked 6 months ahead or 1 day ahead, get allocated to the first x rows as required. Then the Golds, then the QC members etc.
As a last minute booker, knowing my preference will be met and I am likely to be in rows 4-8 is an advantage. With pre-allocation I could have been in row 18, behind the Gold and QC members who have less status but booked earlier.
To me, going to what you call the "traditional method" would be a big step backwards.
I would not be concerned if they used the same process for international seating allocations. If domestic and international have to be done the same, then I would prefer to see international change to the current domestic method.