traveler60657

Hey everybody,
I am flying QF for the first time next month for a 2 week trip Australia and wanted to know a couple things. For my flights involving the 747 (QF 12 LAX-SYD) and QF 155 (SYD-AKL-LAX), for people travelling solo in coach, what is your preferred seating? I know about seatguur.com but was wondering if maybe some bulkhead rows are preferred over others, or exit rows, etc. While on that subject, the AA platinum rep I spoke with (I am travelling on a coach award), was unable to book any bulkhead for me and I'm in 70K for my flights. Is that a decent seat? Should I call QF and ask about booking a better seat? Also, do each of the coah seats have individual tv's. I'm nearsighted and have a hard time seeing the tv screens at the front of each cabin.

Thanks for listening.

Aaron

Globaliser

As it happens, I'm odd - I like window seats because I don't want to get out and don't want anyone disturbing me when they get out, and I dislike bulkhead seats for a number of reasons. QF tends to auto-allocate seats at the front of the cabin for me as QF Gold/OW Sapphire (ie equivalent level to AA Platinum).

70K is towards the rear of the cabin, but it has the advantage of being the first row of the 2-4-2 layout at the rear, rather than the normal 3-4-3, because of the fuselage tapering in towards the tail. So you only have one person to climb out over if you want to get out. Because 70's the first such row, it also has the most elbow space between the seat and the sidewall. But it'll be noisier down the back, and it'll take longer to get out at the destination - one of my top priorities.

GoldFlyer

Can't help with info about the WHY cabin other than all 747-400's (the one you will be flying) have in seat PTV's.

eamus

I am with Globaliser on the window seat thing.

As to row 70 I have sat there LAX-MEL and it is fine but less than ideal, only because of the noise - but that is easily fixed. The extra room on the window seat in Row 70 is nice, as mentioned, but do yourself a favor and wear earplugs/noise cancelling headphones. Row 70 is noticeably louder than, say, row 40 but a $0.95 investment in a pair of ear plugs can sort that out very quickly, especially if the IFE is not for you (because of sight reasons or personal preference). Otherwise seatguru and some commonsense (like Row 70 will be one of the last getting off) will tell you pretty much all you need to know.

QF will pre-allocate seats as you have found but you cannot self-select seats like you can on AA. The best you can do is (i) ask your travel agent to try to reserve you a seat you'd like better (other than exit rows and bulkheads), (ii) turn up at the airport early and ask for another seat, or (iii) if you have special needs, ask for them to be noted in your PNR. QF weeds through PNR notations the day before each flight.

og

QF have been happy to change seat allocation with a quick phone call (except for bulkheads and exit rows).

The 70s seats being down the back of WHY will get more aircraft movement as the tail "wags". This will be an obvious problem in constant turbulance. Most injuries from turbulance when pax and crew are not strapped in happen down the back.

GoldFlyer

Now that's something I didn't know. So if the "taill wags" does the nose "twitch"?

og

No, the collective inertia of F and J absorbs all movement and ensures a pleasant flight for the twitchy nose end mob. That's WHY Krug is not served to those down the back - too much wastage in steerage.

NM

If I am not mistaken, your return flight on QF155 will be sold as two-class, and QF155 is often operated by a 3-class aircraft. That means that if you cna score a seat in rows 23-27 (and prob 28-29 also for Pacific config), you will get a J dreamtime seat with WHY service. now that would be way better than wagging along down the back .

NM

Oh yes, and if you are booked on the QF flight number (and not the AA codeshare) you can call QF reservations, ask them to ensure your AA FF details are included correctly in the reservation, and would they please be able to look at seat allocations for you. They should be able to submit a seating request for the unallocated seats that are reserved for elite FF's.

eamus

I'd be interested to know if this works because none of the seats I want (admittedly exit rows, or 35H when 34H is not installed) come available this way.

thadocta

Exit rows are difficult to get for non QF elites. They need to know whether or not you are able bodied, and they have a pretty good idea for QF elites (something added to the profile I believe if you aren't).

Bulkheads are also hard to get as that is where the bassinets are located, and those requiring bassinets understandably get more priority to those rows than an elite.

Dave

ozzie

Maybe that's because it's a plane and not a coach ??

Dave Noble

Well said

Dave

traveler60657

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies.

NM, just so I understand you correctly, I should call QF and put in a request for seat 23-26 on QF 155? I am booked on the Qantas flights and not the AA codeshares. Also, what phone number is best for me to use?

One more question I have that is slightly off topic but I was wondering what hotel people recommend staying the night before I leave Sydney? I want to stay as close as possible to SYD. Thanks.

GoldFlyer

It's an early flight but if you want to be in the city it's only a 20 minute cab ride in anycase. That leaves you with plenty of hotel options.