Originally Posted by Antiqantas
Come to think of it, why do Australian airlines make a big deal about showing them your boarding pass as you enter the aircraft, and then telling you your seat is x rows down on the right or left? Once you've been through the boarding formality at the gate, why is a further check needed? And even if there is some reason for doing it, why do they cloak it with that silly practice of telling you the coordinates of your seat?
Quite a lot of PAX out there are quite clueless when it comes to boarding aircraft. I suspect that has a lot to do with it. Remember not everyone is an FTer and knows the intimate details of airline operations.