NM

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.

QF WP

Gee, I don't post for a couple of days and look what I miss.

Unfortunately, you are definitely in the minority, AAaLot and I doubt your view will force a change by QF any time soon. So you'll have to accept QF's system for what it offers and make sure that each of your bookings are linked to the others...that's not hard to do via telephone and will make for less hassles at check-in. (i.e. in booking A, reference bookings B & C; in booking B, reference bookings A & C, I'm sure yuo get the idea).

Ignore our wise counsel at your own peril. Make sure the travellers FF numbers are in the booking and the QF system should pick them up and allocate you accordingly. We don't mind where you sit on your domestic flights, just that your fly QF and give our economy some of your hard earned. Hey, I'm reciprocating in Dec/Jan; so fair's fair ^ .

alect

AAalot i see both your and the other side of the argument. But although you do state that you would rather have control of your own seat assignemtn rather than leave it to the system, the AA protocol depends on some system or group having decided that a certain set of seats on a certain set of a/c with a certain type of config are reserved for premium seats (this differs by a/c type) - usually exit rows and the first couple/few rows. Outside of those system define premium seats it's first come first served. So there is some system determination in the AA model too.

RichardMEL

Someone here needs to build a bridge....

I don't know about AA, but just try this on UA and see how you like it - ask anyone why they should NEVER select row 3 in F on a flight scheduled for an A320. Yes, that's right... guess what? UA can sub in an A319 at short notice.. your row 3 F seat turns into Y. bang! Thanks for playing the game of Russian Roulette.

Sure, AA has no 319/320's, but they do have all kinda of M80's.. some ex TW.. some I think with 14F, some with 20F or somesuch.. I can't remember.. the point is that it doesn't really matter. Aircraft swaps can and do happen.

As others have said aircraft configurations are far more stable on long haul routes than on domestics where anything can and will happen.. we've all shown a preference for the QF domestic system (and I'm not even a high status elite, so I actually have less "incentive" than the Plats and SG's to like it).. but I think it works..

and for heaven's sake... it's a domestic flight. It really doesn't matter that much. You will still get to enjoy the Multi-V no matter where you sit!

Now, if only I don't get row 7 or 10 on Saturday's MEL-ADL I'll be happy

spotwelder

I am completely against allocation of the exit row to muppets that have not been assessed for their competency in opening the over/underwing exit, understanding of the language in use by the cabin crew, their physical ability to pop the door and throw it out and so on.

For example, AA at Little Rock had several people sitting in the exit row that did not realise it and certainly had no idea about opening the door.

However, as a QF WP, I am entirely glad that I can have the exit row preallocated to me. As for my abilities to open the door etc, well, Eastern Australia failed an audit carried out by me for their cabin safety last week on a Dash 8 SYD CBR return. Even when the new exit instruction cards come in, there were still some problems.

Happy landings and just pray that you do not follow the instructions on any AA MD80 as to what to do with the overwing exit door, CO 737 classics blah blah blah.

Wongo

Platinum are Emerald,
Sapphire are Gold,
If you got no Status.
I probably won't be sitting with you

NM

Another point of difference is the policy for catering in the aircraft. When I travel on AA, I have to remember FEBO when I call AA to reserve a specific seat, because if I get it wrong and end up in the front row on an odd numbered flight I know I won't get a choice of meal (obviously in the front cabin - I won't even get any meal in the back cabin). On Qantas it is very rare for a premium cabin passenger to be restricted in their meal choice. It can happen, but its certainly not common. I can't remember ever having it happen to me on Qantas, but have had it happen many times on AA. So seat selection on AA is more important than on QF.

thadocta

I will jump on the bandwagon here and say that the QF system for domestic ROCKS!

Aircraft changes happen often, and I will relate my favourite story (those who have heard it can bypass it).

Aircraft changes happen at short notice, and an advance seat allocation can be worse than taking what you are given.

I checked in four hours in advance, saw it was a 767, and selected 23B. Wandered off to the QP, got some sleep in a far corner, and woke up to see VH-VXB (Yananyi Dreaming - a 73H) sitting at the gate I was due to be flying out of. Wandered off to the departures monitor to check my new gate, only to see that the gate had not changed. My flight had been changed from a 763 to a 73H.

I do not need to tell you that 23B on a 763 is VASTLY different to 23B on a 73H. Scurried off to the service desk to get it changed (successfully - which is why I argued recently that they should change the seat numbers across the board so that seat numbers have identical properties, regardless of aircraft type, along the lines of making all 767's AC-DEG-HK, so that a 23H on a 763 will still be a 23H on a 737 if they change aircraft type, but that is all on another thread).

QF *DO* change aircraft type depending on loadings, and confirming individual seat numbers in advance would create all sorts of problems when the anally retentive's get there and protest when their boarding pass says 27B when their pritout says 26B.

Leave it as it is, I say.

Dave

clifford

Sounds like a bit of a cop out to me.

However, I once had seat 1A on a 2-class a/c and it was changed to a 3-class a/c. It was very nice!

NM

I wonder how the poor fellow allocated 1B felt about the change .

stewardo

It wouldn't have been too difficult to get those pre-assigned seats - Air NZ let you choose seats even on the smallest 17 seater...

AAaLot

I did not know this. I thought Qantas and Air New Zealand were the same

We ended up getting ABABA on the way there (stranger sat next to one of my kids...kid on window) and ABABC on the way back.

In surmmary for non-status I would claim the system did not work as good as pre-assigining seats on the way there and as good as pre-assigned seats on the way back.

I have been thinking more of this and I could see that for a last minute status single flyer the current system works well, but for a long-term planning status five flyer it 'may' not.

thadocta

The upshot is that for those paying the big $$$$ (like I did yesterday for my flight tonight SYD-MEL) we get the seats that we want, even though we book the night before. Those of us paying the big $$$$ are worth more to QF than Mr & Mrs Flyonceayear.

Dave

AAaLot

I can see this "that for a last minute status single flyer the current system works well, but for a long-term planning status five flyer it 'may' not." My 'problem' is that most of our travel is planned ahead, everyone in my family has status, and five people put us in a disadvantage over singles or couples with status. Just more chances of stuff not working out.

NM

If you have OneWorld status, your profile reflects your seating preference, and your PNRs are linked so the system knows you are a single group, you will be seated as a group accordng to the seating preference of the first person listed on the PNR. So make sure your seating preference is identfied for the first person on the PNR.

It has worked for my family.