Do they run some E90s without selling Row 1/2 as Biz?
 

Booked a flight SYD-Hervey Bay tonight on saver fares, and was given the option of selecting row #1 and it "stuck" to booking confirmation email.

Usually #3 is first row Plats can book.

Do they run some routes without selling Biz? (I'd be surprised!) I assume all planes in the fleet have Biz seats as first 2 rows?

Also booked a Bundaberg-BNE on a small plane, an all economy seat ATR TURBOPROP and could not book Row #1 without paying a $15 Exit row surcharge.

there seems to be zero preferential seats available for Plats on those planes -is that normal?

Yes, they do, but only for "regional" flights that use jets like the E90 and 738.

I've seen this happen on oversold flights. My friend booked a OOL-CBR last minute in economy, when he got to seat selection business popped up.

As for ATR, I'd avoid row 1 because it's the last passenger that gets off the flight (the doors are at the back), and it's far noisier (also more vibrations felt) in the front. The best seats reserved for Plat/Gold are the ones at the very back.

The E90 oddly was for mid September and when choosing seat the plane appeared empty apart from 2 already taken in middle!

So us getting row 1 will get us the Biz class seats just no biz class meals?

Interesting re ATR - never flown a Virgin one before but in the USA the front row is GOLD on these!

Seatguru shows Row 1 and BEST and last row as WORST!

http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Vir...ATR_72-500.php

http://i.imgur.com/gRtF53m.jpg

I've flown the VA ATRs a number of times now. The last 2 rows are the best in the plane. They are also the quietest.

All seats do not recline so it's down to leg room, but really I wouldn't waste a dollar for row 1 since:
- Need to wait until the very last to deplane.
- Vibrations/noise from the turboprops are strong.
- Legroom in row 1 isn't all that great, you still get a wall in front of you so can't really fully extend.
- Row 1 can be had at the airport for free. I was offered that couple times.

I was never a fan of seatguru nor of their seat rating system.

Ausbt claim that front rows are quieter, not quite in my experience. Can't say much about rows 9-11 as they claim to be the tightest, never sat in those.

http://www.ausbt.com.au/the-best-sea...ralia-s-atr-72

Did you read the user comments on the right? ;)

I was flying Hervey Bay to Sydney a couple of weeks ago and since I will be cutting back on flying soon plus I had booked a flexi Y fare, I called VA to ask if I could use one of my free upgrades on the flight. They told me that there was no J cabin on the E90 so I could get row 1. This was after I had done OLCI so my boarding pass still said row 3. When I checked in at the airport I told them about this and they told me oh this plane will have J so you will be on row 3, but then I asked if I could upgrade and they have me a FCNA upgrade in the end which was pretty nice. There was no catering ex-Hervey Bay so it was really just the bigger seat.

What's a FCNA upgrade?

So you used VA points to upgrade?

Edit: found it, FCNA= Flight Catering Not Available.

I've found that Virgin's BNE-GLT or BNE-ROK with 738 or E90 will have Rows 1 & 2 (or 1-3 in the 738's) available for Plat & Gold to allocate themselves to at check-in, but generally not before.

As for the ATR72, I generally go for Row 1 or 2 personally as I prefer being up the front, but will try the back end next time I go regional...I'd thought it would be noisier at the back. (happy to be proven wrong)

I think the official meaning is Full Catering Not Assured, but it's basically the same. I have had times when I got a FCNA upgrade and basically they only offered me drinks, including spirits. Another time I got an FCNA upgrade (actually ex-Hervey Bay), the unusually elder FA, who was absolutely fantastic, brought be a BOB sandwich and some chips, and a bottomless glass of rum and coke (too bad it was Bundaberg :td:).