SkyTeam Elite+ - AF no longer opening up seat maps?

Old Dec 26, 2018, 3:37 pm
  #16  
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Originally Posted by skycruiserNL
Last week, CDG-LYS on a “mini” fare. Nothing available in front of row 11 for me (A321). Also during check-in, not became available. The seats in front (row 4-10) got occupied by -from my own judgement- a very random selection of passengers incl. small children/families.
So maybe there is an Ultimate effect, as I flew the exact same route (CDG-LYS) last week and return, also on a Mini fare, and at check-in I was assigned at row 1 for both flights
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Old Dec 26, 2018, 4:00 pm
  #17  
 
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I booked a CDG - LHR for mid april on a mini fare yesterday. I'm Platinum and I could select row 3 and 5, which are both right after the curtain.
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Old Dec 30, 2018, 1:45 pm
  #18  
 
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I keep taking the cheapest fares. On Domestic AF and Hop flights, I am almost always in row 1. I am a regular platinum.
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Old Jan 16, 2019, 1:00 am
  #19  
 
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Non-FB STE+ - Mini fare - Front seat available?

[QUOTE=AirCub1;30552762]
Hi Everyone

I have SkyTeam Elite Plus status through Alitalia, I currently travel with AF every couple of weeks on European flights to and from Paris. I have noticed in the last three weeks that when I go to check-in online, the full seat map is not now available for me as it used to be, to select a seat, and I am often placed in row 12 or further back. Has something changed recently with AF and the ability to select a seat for SkyTeam Elite Plus members of other programmes?
[/QUOTE​​​​​​]

Hello,
As a soon to be UX STE+, I would like to know if by chance any Fréquent flyer here under a non-FB STE+ Status travelling with a Mini fare (G or Q) was able to reserve a front of cabin seat on AF medium-haul flights?



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Old Jan 16, 2019, 3:42 am
  #20  
 
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Plat, waiting to become Plat4Life in April and it has happened to me last week, for the first time in the last 10 years +. A regular "la navette" flight, inbound in Flex, return in Smart. Row 1 for the first flight, no option to get better than row 10 for the return (far from being full at the end) :-(
Ultimate is (I hope) probably helping in maintaining that perk. But if they want to run the company only counting on Ultimate profile, they'll be a bit short...

Tonin
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Old Jan 16, 2019, 4:04 am
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by Tonin
Plat, waiting to become Plat4Life in April and it has happened to me last week, for the first time in the last 10 years +. A regular "la navette" flight, inbound in Flex, return in Smart. Row 1 for the first flight, no option to get better than row 10 for the return (far from being full at the end) :-(
Ultimate is (I hope) probably helping in maintaining that perk. But if they want to run the company only counting on Ultimate profile, they'll be a bit short...

Tonin
Any way to get this seating restrictions waived by calling AF hotline for Any STE+?
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Old Jan 16, 2019, 5:12 am
  #22  
 
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Originally Posted by catsniper75

Any way to get this seating restrictions waived by calling AF hotline for Any STE+?
Probably... but I don't want to beg, yet another reason for me to move away when possible. With my flying pattern, award miles very limited compared to the cost for getting a free ticket, no seat in front anymore (cost 10€ on EZY), lounge overcrowded (I prefer to pay a good beer in a pub than being squeezed to get a tepid heiXXken), priority boarding is totally useless as we are all Elite+ nowadays, sky priority for security is already included when taking business. Their strategy is clearly to focus on very high contributors so no contradiction here, I'm just not part of them, despite 25k-30k€ spent on average per year, since almost 20 years... Most important perks for me are the one related to a smooth experience in the airport: fast track, getting out of the aircraft quickly, passport check. In that way the Ultimate vision is really aligned (on the paper) but too high for me to even think about it.
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Old Jan 16, 2019, 5:32 am
  #23  
 
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This week-end I took a CDG - TLS flight with my girlfriend, both Platinum, and the best option offered was.... Row 17. The last time I was this far back on a flight was Transavia the week before (row 22), but with them you can board by the rear
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Old Jan 16, 2019, 8:58 am
  #24  
 
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2 PAX / one non status / seat plus for free

Just flew CDG/PRG/CDG with a dirt cheap OK ticket AF metal. 2 PAX / one PNR. OLCI on AF website.

CDG/PRG. Full A321.

Had been assigned 2 exit row seats 10 B & C. I do not like the middle seat. I could change to 25 C&D, but thought it was too far to the back. There were plenty of available seats at the back, but the front of the cabin was showing very few available seats and no 2 aisle. A call to the Plat line solved the problem. I got 16 C&D.

PRG/CDG. Full A320

Had been assigned 2 exit row seats 11 E & F. This is the first exit row of 2 (seats don't recline / middle seat is bad). 2nd exit row 12 was free. I could move to 12 C & D but the system was asking for 18 € for the no status pax. A call to Plat line solved the problem. She managed to assign him 12 D at no extra cost.

P.S. unrelated, but worth mentioning. As I got to my seat, I noticed a red pillow with a hand written note and a bottle of water. The note had been written by the chief purser and was wishing me a good flight and a nice day.
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Old Feb 22, 2019, 6:37 am
  #25  
 
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AF - CDG - PRG - Sunday PM - Seat 2-6 min avail - STE+ - Mini

Hello,

Recently became a STE+ pax (UX Gold) and from my new experience, I am able to select a seat before check-in starting row 2-6 (Same seating map as Flex fares on Medium-haul tickets).
Flight In 3 months: row 2
Flight in 1 month: row 6
So it depends of how big is J class, the availabilities maybe and proportion of status pax on some routes maybe?
There is no particular blockage (just middle of the plane and some seat at the back on the left side).



AF MH



Last edited by catsniper75; Feb 22, 2019 at 9:10 am
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Old Feb 23, 2019, 1:42 am
  #26  
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Originally Posted by catsniper75
Hello,

Recently became a STE+ pax (UX Gold) and from my new experience, I am able to select a seat before check-in starting row 2-6 (Same seating map as Flex fares on Medium-haul tickets).
Flight In 3 months: row 2
Flight in 1 month: row 6
So it depends of how big is J class, the availabilities maybe and proportion of status pax on some routes maybe?
There is no particular blockage (just middle of the plane and some seat at the back on the left side).



AF MH
You gave the answer : the size of the J cabin varies for each route and each flight from 1 row to 10 or maybe more. And it can change several times until the day before the flight.
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Old Feb 25, 2019, 3:42 am
  #27  
 
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I next fly to PVG from CDG and return in F
The return seat map is not available on the AF website, same on AF mobile app.
I phoned to Plat line and the (charming voice) told me it is perhaps there will be a plane change (A380 to B777), but she confirmed my return seat (2L) on A380
So, I have a big issue: should I be downgraded to biz as there are only 4 seats in B777 First vs 9 in A380.

Last edited by delanotre; Feb 25, 2019 at 3:45 am Reason: precision
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Old Feb 25, 2019, 5:35 am
  #28  
 
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Nice experience today: I booked a CDG - MAN - CDG with my gf (also plat) and my parents (no status at all), and I was able to select 4 seats at row 4 of the aircraft for free on both flights! Nice perk for once!
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Old Feb 25, 2019, 6:22 am
  #29  
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Originally Posted by lynxy
Nice experience today: I booked a CDG - MAN - CDG with my gf (also plat) and my parents (no status at all), and I was able to select 4 seats at row 4 of the aircraft for free on both flights! Nice perk for once!
Sorry, but I don't see what's nice about this perk - row 4 are just normal seats but in the front of the plane - I don't think they are Siege+ seats or any additional leg room seats. (or are these seats normally also for an upcharge?)

If it was for the Eco+ seats like those on KLM, that would be a nice perk.

Cheers!
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Old Feb 25, 2019, 6:29 am
  #30  
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Originally Posted by delanotre
I next fly to PVG from CDG and return in F
The return seat map is not available on the AF website, same on AF mobile app.
I phoned to Plat line and the (charming voice) told me it is perhaps there will be a plane change (A380 to B777), but she confirmed my return seat (2L) on A380
So, I have a big issue: should I be downgraded to biz as there are only 4 seats in B777 First vs 9 in A380.
First, check how busy your flight is in F.

Originally Posted by nldogbert
Sorry, but I don't see what's nice about this perk - row 4 are just normal seats but in the front of the plane - I don't think they are Siege+ seats or any additional leg room seats. (or are these seats normally also for an upcharge?)

If it was for the Eco+ seats like those on KLM, that would be a nice perk.

Cheers!
Because non-status pax often get the choice of a handful of seats towards the rear.
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