flyerbutnotfearless

I'm flying business class soon from Doha to Singapore (Qatar flight 942) on a connection, with final destination of SIN. Apparently I cannot choose my business class seat until the day I fly. I can't even see what aircraft Qatar is using for seat selection on that flight. I know most business class seats are good, but I'd prefer to pick my seats, as there are two of us and we'd prefer to be together. I went on the flightaware site and it appears that most of the time recently, Qatar has been using an A359, with occasional use of an A35K (not sure what that is) and very occasionally a B77W. I've looked at Aerolopa, SeatGuru, etc. and still am not sure what seats I should hope to be able to request last-minute. Can anyone tell me what seats might be good on all 3 aircraft? We want to be more or less seated together (at least can talk to each other without turning around or yelling), with at least one person on an aisle. When I look up our seats on the Qatar website there is a comment that I must go to the counter to obtain seats. But it also lists, or at least did at one point, seats 5A and 6B as chosen seats. And also, just out of curiosity, I thought just about all people who purchased a business class seat on any airline would be able to choose a seat, though I realize that a change in aircraft could change things in a heartbeat. So I'm curious why my other 3 flights have assigned seats but not this one. Thanks for any info you can give me.

mikeyfly

What’s the date so we can help?

flyerbutnotfearless

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

mikeyfly

Here’s the seat map, it’s set to be a A359

YVR Cockroach

Did you buy a lite (P) or classic (R) fare? Seat selection available only at online check-in.

https://www.qatarairways.com/tradepo...eFamilies.html

James Wyatt

Seems a bit odd but some business class fares do not include a seat choice - BUT if this is the case, you can buy your seat reservation. Telephone Qatar.

flyerbutnotfearless

I bought through a travel agency, so I suppose that's why I have no choice in seating until online check-in. But it's kind of strange, as at one point I thought I saw that my reserved ticket had a different fare code for the U.S. to Doha flight from that of the connecting flight. So I guess the company booked me on lite or classic for one flight and another for the other flight. And now I can't find what I saw, so I'm not sure what the fare codes are for the return flights. When I asked the travel agent why I couldn't reserve seats for one or two of the flights, he told me it may have been a system glitch. I'm skeptical In any case, I suppose as long as I end up in a business class seat, I'll be OK, as will my spouse. But the last time I flew (last year Air Portugal to Barcelona in economy), seats were changed by TAP and I ended up next to a woman who was coughing a lot and my spouse sitting 3 or 4 rows away from me. I know seat changes happen, but it seemed a little odd, given TAP's family policy and everything. Perhaps frequent flyers have better privileges than families or something.

But thank you, Cockroach, Mikefly, and James, for your help.

YVR Cockroach

I'm quite sure the TA sold you the lowest available fare. Sometimes fare code on the TA itinerary statement is just a generic (such as J for BC when the airline's code could be that, or C, D, I, O, etc.) I guess you'll find out soon enough whether you were sold a no-lounge-access-included fare or not.

It could well be that QR doesn't sell lite/classic fares from the U.S. but does from anywhere else such as your return leg.

flyerbutnotfearless

Well, the longest flights (U.S. to Doha) look like they actually have seats assigned, if I can believe what's on QR's website under my booking. But the Doha to Singapore and Bangkok to Doha have the message re approaching the airline counter. So I'm sure they only have whatever the travel agent wanted to put there. One has a seat listed that doesn't exist in business class on the diagram I looked at (Seat Guru, Aeroplopa, or the .dot fr site; I forget which). So I'm just planning to do online check-in when I can, and see what I come up with. (Does that open up 48 hours pre-flight time, or 24 or what? I can adjust the time difference.)

And the lounge use appears to be available for everyone, but for at least one category, it appears to be available only after final payment, or something unusual like that.

YVR Cockroach

TA might have booked you in different fare classes out and back. Guess you'll find out on the return. Do let us know.

Edit. If you go to QR's MYB, it'll display the fare class.

flyerbutnotfearless

OK, for anyone who's curious: looked at my ticket info, and called Qatar. I gave wrong email address and they told me they couldn't try a second one, so I'd have to call the TA. Called the TA company, and they at least answered some questions. I think I've figured out all but one thing, and that's why I can't pick seats for one flight where I have a booking code of D (Comfort) which supposedly comes with the ability to choose seats. (Is business class ever overbooked?)

Anyway, yes, both my outgoing (home to DOH to SIN) are booked as R - Classic, which only gets seat selection privileges at online check-in time. But the flights back (BKK to home via DOH) are booked under D - Comfort. But if this were true, I would expect to have NO assigned seats on the long haul flight to DOH, but I would also expect to be able to get an assigned seat on the BKK to DOH flight. Oh well. I'll contact my TA (an airline booking company) and see what, if anything is possible. At least he told me a couple things I asked about, and at least I have good seats on both long haul flights. And he says he thinks the configuration he's seeing for those is Q suite, which sounds good to me. I just wish I had a better idea of what configuration I'm likely to get on the 2 shorter flights. I can't see a seating plan for those, and I think there are multiple configurations for that.

Anyway, thanks for your help. And I'll try to report back once I'm able to get some seats!

flyerbutnotfearless

Getting there slowly. Thanks for the help.

YVR Cockroach

When is the BKK-DOH-home flight?

flyerbutnotfearless

Feb. 13, 2024 at 02:10 AM, QR837 I'm guessing it will be a B777-300 ER (B77W) but not sure, and there appear to be different configurations.

YVR Cockroach

I'm booked on that flight a few weeks later. Showing 77W with 24 Q-suites for me. There are a few (4?) ex-CX a/c not reconfigured (have 6 FC seats) but these are said to be used for the HKG runs.

Seems the window side seats go first as that's preferred by solo travellers (11 of 12 reserved). We're the only ones booked in the 3 EF pairs, and actually only seats booked in the whole centre section. Similar situation for the connecting 35K (A350-1000).