FriendlySkies

The Q400s have a front and back door. Some stations board from the front and back, while others just use the front.

JIMCHI

Can anyone tell me why row 19 on this aircraft is never made available for seat selection? Is there a row 19 ? Also, all the seats in rows 5-9 are consistently blocked out. We'd definitely prefer to sit as far forward as possible, but are not elite members.

jsguyrus

Flying for Fun

The foward rows are blocked for Elites and full fare passengers but you can select any seat available at check-in. What route are you flying? With the Q400 in many cities they open both the front and back doors for boarding and deplaning so it never takes long to deplane 76 passengers.

There are 76 seats in a 2x2, A,B D,E configuration. Rows are numbered 1 to 20 on the door side of the aircraft and 2 to 19 on the other side. AS has 39 of these aircraft. Details can be found here.

James in Phoenix

ashill

JIMCHI

Thanks for the info. Still curious why row 19 is blocked on every flight- even checking flights in 2020. Also, will be flying from SMF and into PDX and PDX-BOI. Are jetbridges used at these stations for this aircraft? If so, sitting in the back means I'll have to get into the terminals by climbing stairs, something I'd like to avoid.

NoLaGent

Jetbridges aren't used at any station for this aircraft type and the only way to get in/out of it (whether the front or the back) is via stairs.

Flying for Fun

Me too! A request from the pilot to have "'x" passengers move from one side to the other for weight and balance consideration is not unheard of too. Rows 5-9 represent 20 seats which is over 25% of capacity so they are occupied on fuller flights.

Interestingly, I was on one SEA-YLW flight that was at capacity with 20 children plus 5 lap infants.

For the OP these aircraft sit low to the ground and do not use a jet bridge. The doors have intergrated steps so there will be about 5 steps to/from the ground and some walking between the plane and terminal.

James in Phoenix, YLW tonight.

ashill

I don't know specifically, but it's common on many airlines to block the last row for crew use unless it's needed. That would be my guess here.

I did have a jetbridge the first time I flew into YLW in 2007 or so. (May have been a Q200 rather than a Q400 at the time; I don't remember.) But I certainly haven't encountered a jetbridge on a Q400 at any airport on any airline since.

They fairly often don't use the rear doors at YLW for deplaning, and they often don't use them when we arrive at the remote stand bus gate near the Delta hanger in SEA for Customs. But for domestic arrivals at most stations, I think they pretty much always use both doors. The exception may be when the plane is parking overnight or otherwise not turning around for a departure.

sltlyamusd

Technically you can use a jetbridge if it goes low enough. I'm pretty sure I boarded a Q400 via jetbridge in YYC once, and I know they used the jetbridge on the ANC-FAI route before that ill-fated experiment was canceled.

JacksonFlyer

Flown quite a bit through the years on the Q400 and the only time I remember a jet bridge was at one station where the bridge was lowered almost to the tarmac but at the end of the bridge where one would normally enter the aircraft, there were a set of stairs to the tarmac, a couple of feet to the aircraft then the usual stairs onto the aircraft.

To the OP, almost all the stations (and haven't been to them all) are either single level or there or ramps/elevators that negate the need to climb stairs.

jsguyrus

JIMCHI

Thanks for all your help. I'm only mildly handicapped so getting on and off the plane is not a problem. But I will have a carryon bag plus a laptop. Climbing quite a few stairs from the ramp into the terminal is what concerns me.

rustykettel

Disembarked via jet bridge at YYC last year (and used it at FAI when that was a Q). It was still freezing cold inside waiting for the a la Carte bags to be placed there!

ashill