Qantas rolls out new seat allocation system that puts budget passengers and early-birders between a rock and an aisle.
My good friend Cheryl over at molt:n learned on a recent flight to the US that the flying kangaroo has quietly instituted a new seat allocation program that is both deplorable from a passenger experience perspective, and fair in a "Hey, ya pay for what ya get" kind of way.
The new system took effect in October apparently, and since then, your seat allocation has been based entirely on the fare you've paid for your ticket. Show up at the airport as early as you like, friends, but if your flight was a bargain you can bet your bottom dollar you'll be given a middle seat.
Complicated algorithms pre-assign seats so hot-deal holders get slotted in the middle, and premium prices earn priority seating. Check-in staff claim they aren't able to override the system, which was put into place because of abuse dished out by passengers upon learning they got the short straw.
While the system might be deemed "more fair" by some, it exempts Qantas staff from any customer service responsibility when it comes to seat allocation. The check-in clerk might be sympathetic if you're two-metres high and show up four hours early for your flight, but they won't be able to help you.
What do you think of this new system? Is it fair to get what you pay for, or do you think passengers arriving early deserve some sort of priority?
That isn't the full story on how CM or Customer Managements works. While it's true the fare you pay has some impact on where you sit the system also take into account each paxs "worth" to the airline a a whole. So if you happen to be a super duper platinum who for some reason has grabbed an internet cheapy to go from SYD to MEL but also spends a big amount with QF say for business travel then you will get a good seat according to the seating preference in your profile.
If you are someone who travel infrequently and has no particular loyalty to QF then your choice of seats will be limited. It is true that check in agents cant really override the seats that show available for allocation.
So essentially the new system looks after the most valuable pax first, which really isn't a bad idea at all. Hope that helps clear some mis-information up about the system.
Cheers