Bad trip with Qatar No Reasonable fix for flight home
 

Just flew Perth to Doha, economy with Qatar. Both thought the flight excruciating for a number of reasons, some self inflicted, others airline inflicted.
The main self inflicted problem was not researching how uncomfortable 10 abreast seating is in a Qatar 777, and how much discomfort is caused by having a fully reclined seat ahead in ones face for 12 hours. The airline added to the discomfort by moving me from my pre-selected window seat to the centre of the three seat block.
Anyway, the flights home seem to have plenty of spare seats at this stage, so to avoid a re-run I contacted the airline to find:
1. Buying a third seat for a three seat block was not permitted;
2. Buying an upgrade to BC is not permitted;
3. Buying an extra ticket for my wife or myself (on a new booking) is not permitted (to gain a three seat block);
4. Cancelling our non refundable economy booking and re-booking in business class is permitted.
While I am pretty well over air travel, I thought that this was a new level of perversity inflicted by the airline, on passengers, just because they can.
Or am I missing something in that it is better for the airline to fly an empty seat than accept cash from a long suffering pax who would really like to have the seat?

zzuf, unfortunately if you are in the cheaper Y fare category your ticket will not be valid for upgrade. You will find this with most if not all carriers and certainly not confined to Qatar. Indeed, the only avenue you can take is to cancel your Y fare (with no refund except perhaps certain taxes) and rebook in Business. They are the rules and they are indicated to you in the conditions of carriage.

Ahh, pity the travel agent didn't point this out.
Doesn't explain why I was shunted from my selected seat.
Doesn't seem to explain why I can't buy an extra Y seat on a new booking.
Seems a strange business model to refuse an offer of thousands of dollars for an available seat (either BC or Y) because I apparently bought a "cheapy".
Having upgraded in the past, with a different airline, I must have, unknowingly, bought a "better" Y class ticket on those occasions
Anyway, expensive point plotted on my learning curve, thanks.

Sit at or near back of the plane as they usually load up front to back so seats at back have less folk so more chance of sitting next to an empty seat.

ChrisJ, You read my mind, new seat allocations, two rows from last, block of 3 in the centre of the cabin. Left the middle seat empty, hoping no solo pax will choose it.

Unfortunately you were unlucky and got one of the new B777s in 10 across, the older ones are 9 across. Et-ihad and Emirates are also 10 across which is the configuration most operators have gone for. Mercifully SIA, BA and Thai are 9 across for the moment. A look on SeatGuru.com will show you which aircraft will be operating your flight.

As for not being able to upgrade on a cheaper ticker, that's normal. I bought Malaysia Airlines promo tickets earlier this year which were dirt cheap but specifically stated non upgradable. Airlines want their business travellers to continue purchasing full fare tickets rather than cheap ones and then buying an upgrade. The target candidate for the airline is an infrequent traveller who might pay a bit extra to move up but wouldn't normally purchase business class. The airline gets to sell a premium seat which would otherwise stay empty and possibly resells the original economy seat at a higher price to a last minute buyer. They do not want people who "should" be paying full price taking advantage of these offers to upgrade and may not even make the offer if you are doing it too often.

A350 is good in economy as is the A380, B787 in 9 across is another nightmare.

If you were willing to do that, it makes me wonder why you didn't buy a Biz Class ticket from the outset?

Simple, the B777and A380 were on my list of tolerable to fly long haul Y class. The B787 was on the intolerable list, which now includes 10 abreast B777's.
Anyway, seems Qatar have relented and offered BC home from Europe for a little less than the half the original BC return fare (including the unused part of the Y class return fare).
Still leaves me wondering how one buys two seats for one person, apparently not an unusual situation.
Thanks to the contributors to the thread who pointed out the intricacies of Y class fares (and some aircraft types which may be tolerable), I realize that it is only luck that I haven't previously been caught out - over very many years of long haul air travel.

Tell them you are booking the seat for a musical instrument. Procedures are well established for this as fragile and valuable pieces don't travel well in the baggage hold.

zzuf, long haul Y class became intolerable for me quite some years ago. I found that with learning a few little tricks, and not needing to book at short notice, there were some very reasonable C Class fares about. My personal maximum tolerance of Y class is 4.5 hours. Anything over that and it's C Class for me. Sure, it's still not cheap but it takes so much stress away from air travel these days. My sons have adopted the same principle and even convinced friends to do so too. ;)

bc
 

dont speak tickets languages but
being 6 6 and tired of killing myself on American Airlines decided to spend the money and get BC on Lufthansa from dallas to budapest via frankfurt
what a shame, the BC seat just a mockup of a bed, shoulders hitting the sides, no room for the feet, toes red from contact with the very closed end. Where are we going?
I am planning to just retire and fly my rv8 back and forth across the Atlantic and be more comfortable with 4 hrs flights

I must say I am glad I read these posts. I did not know carriers were now going to 10 abreast in the B777. Never come across that thank goodness but forewarned is definitely forearmed.
As for the B787, in Y it is a disaster from a passenger point of view. I've done 6 hours Bangkok to Muscat on Oman Air. Never again. Quite simply not enough room for an ordinary size bloke like me. So last January me and Mrs GDI flew to Miami on Virgin on a B787 in premium. She thought I was being fussy but went along with it. On boarding I told her to just try out a Y seat. She immediately agreed it was intolerable for a 10 hour flight.
Good to hear the new A350 is ok as I'm on a Bangkok to Heathrow Thai flight in Y.

Thai 350 Y class
 

gdiphil,
would appreciate to hear of your experience, as I fly to/from
Bangkok from time to time.

In May I flew Oman Air MAN-MCT-BKK and return, Airbus 332 on the MAN sectors, 787 on the BKK sectors. The 332 was much more comfortable, with I believe a 34 inch seat pitch in Y compared with 32 or maybe it was 31 inch on the 787.

So is this the way forward for carriers with 787 equipment? Seat pitches with unrealistic room for long haul travel? Meals that are inadequate for long haul? Paying extra for specific seats? What has aviation come to these days?

I'm amazed people think it acceptable for someone to book a seat they have no intention of using!
I might have an urgent need to travel on that flight and be prepared to pay a full 'Y' fare, but be denied travel because someone else has booked an extra cheap 'Y' ticket, that will remain empty, just so that they can be more comfortable!
How selfish is that!

That's capitalism for you ;)

With the comments about 9 abreast 78s and ten abreast triples maybe Airbus should make something of their better width , I know they call the 350 XWb but Joe Public is never going to see that or understand it. of course the 320 series is a lot more comfy than the ageing 73 for the same reason . Boeing can be forgiven for the 73 problem as the design is so old and maybe the triple but to build the 78 so you can squeeze in 9 abreast but not actually properly seems bit of cock up to me. especially if you call it Dreamliner

Airliners are purchased for reasons of economics, not passenger comfort.

Up to the point when they become so uncomfortable that passengers won't fly in them.