Jetstar re-invents the wheel
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Most passengers don't like unallocated seating. Those that generally dislike it the most are the frequent flyers who don't arrive excitedly at the airport hours before the plane departs. Most of the revenue comes from these passengers.
There's a balancing act between the cost of processing seat allocations, the impact upon timearound times, and the positive impact upon revenue from attracting passengers who would prefer to travel on an airline that offers allocated seating. That is something the airlines need to review periodically.
Although Southwest Airlines, Easyjet and Ryanair successfully operate low-cost models with unallocated seating, even they need to reassess this decision from time-to-time. According to this article Southwest Airlines are currently doing just that.
Jetstar isn't a stand alone like Ryanair etc. As the frequent flyer passengers have access to the Qantas lounges and will not to champing at the bit by the gate for boarding, they are likely to be some of the last to board. Ryanair would tell these passengers to
off and accept the middle seat in the last row. As an integral part of the Qantas group Jetstar can't afford to do that.
There's a balancing act between the cost of processing seat allocations, the impact upon timearound times, and the positive impact upon revenue from attracting passengers who would prefer to travel on an airline that offers allocated seating. That is something the airlines need to review periodically.
Although Southwest Airlines, Easyjet and Ryanair successfully operate low-cost models with unallocated seating, even they need to reassess this decision from time-to-time. According to this article Southwest Airlines are currently doing just that.
Jetstar isn't a stand alone like Ryanair etc. As the frequent flyer passengers have access to the Qantas lounges and will not to champing at the bit by the gate for boarding, they are likely to be some of the last to board. Ryanair would tell these passengers to
off and accept the middle seat in the last row. As an integral part of the Qantas group Jetstar can't afford to do that.
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Jetstar have shocking turn around times in Darwin. They plan for 30 minutes but it's not uncommon to see them take over an hour.
The biggest problem is if the Melbourne and Brisbane flights arrive around the same time, they will normally only use gate 2 (which is set up as the Jetstar gate in the terminal) so whoever arrives second has to sit on the apron until the other one has pushed back and started taxiing for departure.
I saw one of them wait 25 minutes on the apron just the other week.
The biggest problem is if the Melbourne and Brisbane flights arrive around the same time, they will normally only use gate 2 (which is set up as the Jetstar gate in the terminal) so whoever arrives second has to sit on the apron until the other one has pushed back and started taxiing for departure.
I saw one of them wait 25 minutes on the apron just the other week.
The real reason for allocated seating is to accomodate the QF passengers travelling on Jetstar flights via codeshare. I'd be impressed if I hopped on a DRW-Southbound flight only to find it was Jetstar, and that all the good seats were taken by the ferals barging in in front of me.
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Originally Posted by Capn Bloggs
The real reason for allocated seating is to accomodate the QF passengers travelling on Jetstar flights via codeshare. I'd be impressed if I hopped on a DRW-Southbound flight only to find it was Jetstar, and that all the good seats were taken by the ferals barging in in front of me.
Join Date: Jan 2005
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How times change
It is interesting to reflect on comments made by Alan Joyce in his speech to the National Aviation Press Club in Sydney on 22nd July 2004. Amongst other things, this is what he said:
"The policies of unallocated or freestyle seating, no connectivity of passenger through baggage and our flight close out policy at 30 minutes. I’d like to briefly reflect on their introduction since the arrival of Jetstar – and how these policies are both pro-customer and reflect good service practice. I believe that the unallocated seating policy been well accepted by both passengers and our local aviation authorities alike. It is an efficient, customer friendly process that is also contributing to our solid on-time performance which was the highest domestically in the month of May, albeit off a smaller flying base than Qantas mainline and Virgin Blue. We anticipate an even better performance in June when the next round of figures is soon released. Privately our figures show this to be similar to May."
If unallocated seating was so good in 2004, what has changed to make it so undesirable less than two years later? Where are the spin-doctors?
"The policies of unallocated or freestyle seating, no connectivity of passenger through baggage and our flight close out policy at 30 minutes. I’d like to briefly reflect on their introduction since the arrival of Jetstar – and how these policies are both pro-customer and reflect good service practice. I believe that the unallocated seating policy been well accepted by both passengers and our local aviation authorities alike. It is an efficient, customer friendly process that is also contributing to our solid on-time performance which was the highest domestically in the month of May, albeit off a smaller flying base than Qantas mainline and Virgin Blue. We anticipate an even better performance in June when the next round of figures is soon released. Privately our figures show this to be similar to May."
If unallocated seating was so good in 2004, what has changed to make it so undesirable less than two years later? Where are the spin-doctors?
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The world needs more LERTS,
what has changed I believe, as announced, is the international flying equation, both cross tasman and the new wide-body international. The company has decided in the interests of a seamless product, along with a reduction in the cost of pre-allocation technology, (at booking stage) that it will now offer that product.
That is what has changed since 2004.
Is it not a good thing to see an outfit willing to change with changing times?
what has changed I believe, as announced, is the international flying equation, both cross tasman and the new wide-body international. The company has decided in the interests of a seamless product, along with a reduction in the cost of pre-allocation technology, (at booking stage) that it will now offer that product.
That is what has changed since 2004.
Is it not a good thing to see an outfit willing to change with changing times?
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Originally Posted by fistfokker
Is it not a good thing to see an outfit willing to change with changing times?
Having experienced free seating on Jetstar, I can only say that it's not only inefficient as passengers run all over the aircraft looking for seats and slowing the boarding process, it was also quite a circus. The airline could have done just as well in a more orderly fashion what they are now planning to do. I can put up with fools and the ignorant stuffing things up but I cannot tolerate hypocrisy when things are stuffed up because of bad decisions and policy and spin is used to put out a 'better' side of the story when change is introduced
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Originally Posted by B A Lert
Having experienced free seating on Jetstar, I can only say that it's not only inefficient as passengers run all over the aircraft looking for seats and slowing the boarding process
As someone who has experienced boarding both the QF 738 and JQ 320 as cabin crew I can tell you categorically that Jetstar's free seating system means boarding a full 320 is so much quicker. It never took more than 10 minutes. I recently operated a 738 flight SYD-PER where boarding took almost 45 minutes! It was a total debacle and circus. I have never seen a bunch of more agro customers.
I am neither for nor against the circus was sometimes Jetstar boarding (much of the time it wasn't, however) just you cannot deny boarding full flights is over in less than half the time - always.
Agreed about the spin doctoring... I guess Jetstar is part of the QF Group, after all!
