Qantas trials preferred seating for passengers wanting a speedy exit
By David Flynn, July 10 2019
Qantas will roll out preferred seating on domestic and international flights, setting aside a row of economy class seats near the front of the cabin for passengers who want to be among the first to step off their flight and be on their way.
This will, of course, come at a cost: charges will begin at a lowly $5 for short domestic hops such as Sydney-Melbourne and Sydney-Brisbane, $15 for east-west flights, $20 for trans-Tasman services to New Zealand, and $45 for longer international flights.
Qantas will trial preferred seating across the second half of this year, joining other airlines such as Emirates, Air New Zealand, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines which operate similar schemes.
However, the airline says that top-tier frequent flyers who can currently pre-select the front rows of economy won't find themselves booted out of those seats.
For example, on a Qantas Boeing 737 preferred seating will be found in row 9, while rows 4 though 8 remain earmarked for frequent flyers depending on their status. And yes, row 9 is the row without a window.
Row 4 remains the prized pick for Chairman's Lounge and Platinum One members due to its extra legroom.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
31 Mar 2014
Total posts 397
I really can't see this working well. Especially using row 9.
Jetstar Airways - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Feb 2018
Total posts 7
So Qantas want to charge people $45 to sit towards the front of the economy cabin in a long haul international flight but they'll still be a few rows behind premium frequent flyers anyway? Who would pay for that?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 May 2017
Total posts 3
Woot row 9 not! No really priority and no window either.
07 Mar 2017
Total posts 62
"passengers who want to be among the first to step off their flight "
Interesting definition, where "among the first" means having 42 other people ahead of you, and you're 43rd...
16 Nov 2011
Total posts 580
43rd is still in the first quarter if we are talking about a full 737.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Apr 2017
Total posts 132
Who doesn't love paying a premium for one the worst seats.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Nov 2018
Total posts 1
Who wants to pay to be first to step off the plane and then wait at the baggage carousel for up to 45 minutes (Sydney International airport) with everyone anyways?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Apr 2017
Total posts 32
Obviously not people who have checked in a bag. This is clearly aimed at HLO passengers.
08 Feb 2018
Total posts 166
Why different prices for different lengths? You can only get off once!
12 Sep 2014
Total posts 26
My first thought exactly! If the only benefit is disembarking "among the first" why would a long haul flight cost more?? Makes zero sense.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Nov 2016
Total posts 130
Does not make sense for paying extra for really no benefit. Can't see the uptake in this.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Aug 2014
Total posts 169
Imagine when they pay for row 9 thinking it's a great seat, then discover it has no window. Also, as stated above, it's almost one-third of the way down the aircraft.
31 Jan 2017
Total posts 9
Why pay extra to be cramped up towards the front when you can sit down the back with the usual empty seats to spread out in more comfort.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 May 2013
Total posts 381
What a joke! Row 9 is nearly a third of the way down a 737 cabin and it's also lacking a window to the disappointment of many.
QFF
19 Sep 2013
Total posts 205
Other overseas airlines appear to have preferred seating from the first row - often only the first two rows are preferred. Starting from Row 9 is plain crazy.
16 Nov 2018
Total posts 26
Now you know how much your Platinum status is worth, no more than $45 per flight. Top tier flyers should give way to paying customers on seating. Same rule here, paying first class passenger gets higher priority than rewarded first ticket.
29 Mar 2019
Total posts 11
You seem to forgotten all the other benefits of Platinum and why would you assume that a top tier flyer is not paying?? That's bizarre. And reward seats have value or are you also not aware of that? it's why the FF groups of each airline are valued - Qantas FF makes as much money as does the whole domestic fleet .... it sounds like you are just trying to diss tiered flyers
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 Jan 2018
Total posts 129
If they want to do something like this they should go the way of other carriers and charge on fare type, ie sale fare pays $X for a window or aisle seat, saver fares pays $Y, flex fares has $0, etc. They can easily unblock seats based on FF membership anyway. It’s nothing new really and if other airlines can do it and give people the chance to pick and choose any available seat, then why can’t QF?
06 Mar 2019
Total posts 2
Ah ha! found that today when booking flights to Hong Kong.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 May 2018
Total posts 28
Just run when you get off the plane I am sure you’ll overtake everyone in front of you
Jetstar Airways - Qantas Frequent Flyer
03 Jul 2018
Total posts 50
This is a bean-counter's idea. It may bring in extra revenue, but it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
Jetstar Airways - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Jan 2017
Total posts 67
Some potential issues.
22 Dec 2017
Total posts 4
So row 9 on a 737 with a short hop to MEL =$5 x 6 = $30
05 Mar 2015
Total posts 418
Where do you get $30 from? SYD-MEL preferred seating is $5 each way.
31 Mar 2014
Total posts 397
6 seats in the row. $5x6=$30
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Sep 2012
Total posts 382
Honestly and truly, what is so important that you can’t just....oh you know....wait for a bit.
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1428
This is for people like me with usually only Carry-on baggage who would prefer to be at the front of the immigration queue at Dallas or LA. Now I am platinum so the idea doesn’t affect me but otherwise it might be attractive depending if it was aisle and the connection was tight-ish such as 90mins. As usual it won’t suit everyone but it will suit some, especially those who hate queues.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
13 Feb 2016
Total posts 8
Passengers de-boarding always fascinate me, especially in Asia. As soon as that seatbelt sign goes off (if not before), they're up in the aisle, bag out of the overhead, standing there (for ages usually) chomping at the bit ready to push on out. Later on you see them at the carousel waiting for their bags just like me.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
14 Jun 2017
Total posts 48
It’s champing at the bit. Fun fact. 🐎
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
13 Feb 2016
Total posts 8
Yes it is. Should've checked the post after spell checker changed it to chomping haha. One of my late Dad's favourite quotes.
01 Jul 2011
Total posts 11
Row 9? lol on the 737's it doesn't even have a window!
NZ
13 Aug 2016
Total posts 64
If so they really want to make an go off it on the 738s they should be doing something more like NZ with the frequent flyer seats on the ABC side, then preferred on the DEF side at the front.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Feb 2016
Total posts 49
So paying to get off early from 737 row 9, tell him he’s dreaming. Being one of those types who can select R4 at anytime the chance of a R9 PAX getting off before us is unlikely.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Sep 2018
Total posts 1
Qantas could get priority baggage and priority boarding right first?? Something VA do very well!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Nov 2018
Total posts 118
Agreed. My priority bags have arrived last for every flight in MEL over the last year. I may as well wait for the entire plane to deplane before getting up out of my seat.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Jul 2013
Total posts 203
This will be a handy little opportunity to upsell something of no real value to the inexperienced and naive occasional flyers who wont have a clue that they're paying to get nothing of value.
16 Nov 2011
Total posts 580
Yet frequent flyers seem to think those forward seats have value hence why Qantas blocks them out for them. Hmmmm
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jul 2018
Total posts 26
Seriously? ... This is a thing? I always opt for an exit seat or even a bulkhead where I can access extra legroom when travelling Y but if business people NEED to save any of the 10 minutes it takes to empty your average domestic flight then I feel they need to have a long hard look at their time management plans.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
12 Feb 2016
Total posts 3
This site should be called Australian Business Whiners. It’s like a race to see who can crap on any innovation first. This is a pretty standard option on many airlines. If you are a status flyer, it doesn’t effect you and if you are an infrequent flyer that’s happy to be in the back half of the plane, you don’t have to buy it. Not sure why so many of you seem offended by the option....
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
14 Jun 2017
Total posts 48
We’re whinging because it’s a cheap buck and is basically a lie to the naive. You’re paying money to “disembark first” when in fact you’re in the 9th, windowless row. Time savings will be negligible and potentially non-existent - and I agree with others - if you think your time, not measured in hours but quite possibly in seconds, is so much more valuable than everyone else’s but somehow only worth five dollars, you need to take a long hard look at your time management skills / life.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
12 Feb 2016
Total posts 3
Your point is still redundant and your job is irrelevant. The choice not to buy this option is firmly in your scope of influence, as it is for those who see value and wish to buy it. To your final point, people have the right to assign whatever personal value they choose to their time.
07 Jul 2019
Total posts 2
I like the Virgin eco X system. You pay a bit more, sit at the front, have better legroom and more overhead locker space. I wish Qantas would do a similar thing. Then that would be worth a few extra $$
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Nov 2018
Total posts 118
Did anyone notice that this is a trial? Surely the uptake will be very low (except by the very stupid) and it’ll just quietly disappear...
Etihad - Etihad Guest
11 Jul 2019
Total posts 1
So I pay my money and end up in row 9-11 somewhere, then arrive in Adelaide and find that, because QF sometimes disembarks from the rear in Adelaide, I am - in fact - one of the last people to get off the aircraft?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 Nov 2017
Total posts 13
As a newly minted Gold FF, and considering many if not most of my flights have been on 737's, I was looking forward to seeing if, on my next booking I can select my seat closer to the exit at booking. As a Silver member whilst booking 737 flights, rows 14 and below weren't even on the screen to be selected. Although my habit was to look for a seat closer to the front at or after check-in which was almost always successful. On one or two occasions I found myself in row 4 (which imo definitely does offer extra legroom, but not as much as an extra legroom seat.) It also makes no sense that QF intend on increasing the price of a hastier exit according to sector length, which makes little sense. (The only thing I can think of is that people are more eager to disembark after a long haul flight on a larger aircraft.)
16 Nov 2011
Total posts 580
Firstly as qantas gold you will be able to select a more forward seat without cost.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 Nov 2017
Total posts 13
Your message is fair (Although the thumbs down not.) But hey life isn't about fair. I have never travelled SQ or TG, so my bad. But the whole point was missed. If this was allowed to happen, more competition would ensue and thus forcing Qantas (One would think) to up their game. As there would be at least 6 airlines vying for business on Aus - US routes. This would result in the airlines to attempt to outdo each other in terms of the many aspects of service that I outlined in my previous post.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 Nov 2017
Total posts 13
Have just checked 2 domestic routes ex MEL on a 737 (PER and SYD) Looking at the available seats, rows 8 and forward are all blocked, which leaves the first available row on a 737 at row 9, the very row they want to charge extra for. The PER-MEL flight i checked isn't until June next year.
16 Nov 2011
Total posts 580
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 Nov 2017
Total posts 13
I agree with you. You obviously do a heck load more Intl travel than I do and evidently, you have tons more experiences regarding non OW airlines. Over the last year I have earned 700 SC's so far; 175 from flying economy domestic and 475 from a return PE trip to London, a return J trip to AKL, 2 economy BA flights into and out of Germany plus the 50 SC Bonus. The critical side of me comes from my days as an Aviation Consultant, my job was to be critical. This side of me probably also extends way back to my university days when I spent 4 years learning about all aspects of aviation. I probably haven't shaken this off. Adding to this, I only travel to the USA every 2 years. However, there isn't anything wrong with a negative post. Qantas needs to be accountable for their typical patterns of overpromising and under-delivering. Accountable to whom you ask? Any QFF that flies QF/OW and is more on the critical side of QF than not. Qantas is a great business and airlines are businesses with razor-thin margins, we all know that. If my post came off as negative and irrelevant, It is definitely because of two things. One is my lack of Intl flying over long periods of time and the other would be my overall disappointment with QF, particularly on my J trip to AKL where I was travelling on the only one of 28 QF A330s that had not been refurbished. The whole Cabin was unhappy on both legs. So why do I fly them you would probably ask? I can only put it down to brand bias. The highest Status I have ever had is Gold, and I really only have experience with OW airlines. If my negative view of the services, product and value for money that QF provides slips, I will choose to fly with another carrier/Alliance. Simple. Lastly, over the last year or so I have seen so many critical posts of bad experiences in the QF and JQ section of the ausbt community, so it is not just me who is critical. I have gone way off-topic and do not wish to change the discussion. End Of.
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