I am curious. Why do you find PE seats so uncomfortable while a Y exit row seat is a good option? Is it the shape of the seat or something else?

Shape of the QF PE seat does not suit me. Bits of the seat dig into various parts of my body in PE somehow (and it is quite painful!), whereas QF economy seat doesn't.

I'm as narrow as a healthy adult can be, so the seat width is not an issue.

I don't recline fully even when sleeping in long haul economy (except in the event of having no-one behind me, which is rare - then I recline further because I have no-one to be considerate towards), so the further recline provided in PE does not benefit me a lot, either.

So, overall, economy class exit row is a much better option for me than PE.

I too am confused.

If, as has already been mentioned, exit rows can't be assigned today over the phone because of 'safety reasons', how will this ever work?

Seriously, I too see this as a huge killer in terms of my loyalty to Qantas. As a WP I rank the benefits as follows:

• access to exit rows (almost joint equal with...) instant phone answering
• double points
• a priority queue at check-in
• F lounge access
• anytime lounge access

But lose the exit rows and nothing else up there (except maybe the instant phone answering) would be enough to make me fly Qantas rather than another airline.

In the same way that it already works for Platinum members

Dave

It seems to have died down a bit but recently Qantas and all the other major long haul carriers were being hauled into the courts to defend claims relating to DVT or �economy class syndrome�. Passengers claimed the condition was a result of their legs being immobile and cramped for an extended period of time. In the case of Qantas many passengers would argue that they had no option and Qantas were liable since requests for additional legroom were denied and exit rows were the exclusive reserve of elites.

If passengers now decline the extra legroom offered (at a price) and ignore the inflight health suggestions I think the chances of succeeding in a legal case against Qantas are lessened. It may not be popular with elites but from a shareholders perspective I think there is a lot to recommend in this strategy.

But how can that be? Passengers are given an option to travel in first class cabin (as an extreme example) much as if they would be given an option to travel in exit row - choosing not to pay for a seat in first class cabin would be the same as choosing not to pay for the exit row, would it not?

This idea is so sad. Why keep status for economy travelers...

As a gold member ( as per FT profile ) wouldn't it be a benefit to be able to get the seats rather than at the moment having to gamble at check in?

Regardless, never expect unpublished benefits to remain

Dave

Wonder what QF would do if they sold all the seats on the plane, and nobody forked out the $$$ for the exit row seats (unlikely I guess)?

One way of looking at the situation is that QF is going to charge you for the privilege of volunteering your services to assist the crew in case of an emergency...

A question here...does the exit row have to be occupied? What if there is an emergency and it is not?

I don't think that is a valid argument. Only a tiny % of seats are exit row seats so clearly they are not available to all passengers.

If the flight is full and no-one pays for exit row then someone gets lucky. Whether that is the last pax to check in, or based on status, or check in actively solicits people to pay it (as LH does to reduce the need for op-ups) I couldn't say.

Exit rows do not have to be occupied. In the event of an emergency and no pax in the row then cabin crew can instruct someone on the spot if needed.

Interesting statement there Kiwi Flyer, I was recently on a jet flight (instead of the usual Dash 8) from SYD-CBR which was lightly loaded. I was in the seat behind the exit row and when a pax failed to board it meant there was only one pax in the row.

The FA asked if I would mind moving one row forward because "there must be at least two people in exit row".

I didn't mind and we took off on time.

The answer is yes. It is a requirement that exit rows have to be occupied at least for take off and landing.

On a recent flight from BNE-SYD on a B73H, a cabin crew asked the pax in 15C to sit in the vacant 14D during takeoff and landing as there were only three pax in row 14 and they need to have at least two pax per exit.

737 require passengers in exit row seats

747/767/A330/A380 do not require passengers in exit row seats

Hmm.....this is odd. Am I correct in saying 737 requires passengers in exit row seats because no crew is seated nearby (near the exits)?