Etihad - bidding for empty seats

[Brown1950 67]

Understand Etihad are looking at the idea of allowing passengers to bid to keep adjacent seats empty in economy.

Could be an interesting development !

[lounge_lizard 108]

Could be good for tose of us who are a bit broader than average across shoulders (or across the middle), but I wonder what the cost would be.

[ttk 236]

Just when would the airline accept a bid? I would suspect that as the flight fills, the amount bid would have to increase and low bids would not be accepted until the airline is almost certain they could not sell them. At say 50% full, you would expect a low bid to be accepted. At 90% full it would need to be close to the full price. Once on the plane, how would you feel seeing most people not travelling as a group having an empty seat that you just paid for.

 

Another problem would be the possibilty of someone in a full row wanting to move to a row with only 1 person in it ( but paid for 2 empty seats). With the problems already seen like fights over reclining , i could see this being an issue

[short 215]

Iceland Air designates some front row coach seats as semi-first class by making the middle seat unavailable. They have a little table they place across the middle seat arm rests.

 

They also take bids on upgrades to first class (which is crap) and not worth it.

[graymatter 153]

I usually fly JetStar which is because they offer the cheapest fare on my routes. They also have newer airplanes which equates to safer conditions in my mind.

 

Can't say that the service is better than anyone else but it is acceptable.

 

I have a few choices in seat selection which includes paying $9 to choose a seat, $19 to choose an up front seat and $39 to sit in the exit row which have extra leg room. Unfortunately, the flight has a stop in Singapore so they charge a further $25 for extra leg room on the Singapore to BKK section which makes a total of $74 extra on a flight that might only cost $180. The budget conscious traveler is usually reluctant to invest the extra so these seats are often vacant.

 

In the past, there was a rule which meant that the exit row seats (row 12 or 13) had to be occupied because these passengers needed to be instructed on opening the doors in case of an emergency so I would sit in the row 11 aisle seat and just before take off would be asked to move to comply with these rules. This worked on 9 out of 10 flights.

 

One day the flight attendant changed the rules and just before take off decided to auction the seats, starting at $35 for the long flights and $20 for the short flights. This spoiled my plans so I came up with another option. I would select an aisle seat in a position that someone already had selected a window seat. It is rare that a lone traveler would choose to sit in a middle seat so my chances of a vacant middle seat were pretty good unless the plane was nearly full. Travelling at night time meant that the plane often had spare capacity, Just to be sure I would log on a few hours before departure and check my seat allocation and change positions if necessary.

 

While talking about night flights you might notice that he last 2 rows on the plane get are blanked out in seat selection. These seats get used by the flight attendants for a 2 hour kip on the long flights. The point is that they usually only use the last row so there is a full 3 seat row available. I have managed to get one of these on 4 occasions by simply being very nice to the attendants and sitting in the aisle of the 3rd last row, I am a little naughty because I often "lean" into the aisle with my shoulders which blocks access for the flight attendants so they are encouraged to move me to make their job easier. You need to be very subtle to get away with this and smile while apologizing a lot.

 

If all else fails I just spend the flight thinking about the massage waiting at the other end.

[Goldpanner 399]

While talking about night flights you might notice that he last 2 rows on the plane get are blanked out in seat selection. These seats get used by the flight attendants for a 2 hour kip on the long flights. The point is that they usually only use the last row so there is a full 3 seat row available. I have managed to get one of these on 4 occasions by simply being very nice to the attendants and sitting in the aisle of the 3rd last row, I am a little naughty because I often "lean" into the aisle with my shoulders which blocks access for the flight attendants so they are encouraged to move me to make their job easier. You need to be very subtle to get away with this and smile while apologizing a lot.

 

If all else fails I just spend the flight thinking about the massage waiting at the other end.

On most Long Haul flights from the UK there are beds for the waitresses. Even back in the 80's Phillippine Airlines had beds for their waitresses on their 747's

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3619416/Inside-hidden-bedrooms-cabin-crew-sleep-Flight-attendants-lie-flat-beds-relax-say-s-like-coffin.html

[Bullfrog 2,224]

On most Long Haul flights from the UK there are beds for the waitresses. Even back in the 80's Phillippine Airlines had beds for their waitresses on their 747's

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3619416/Inside-hidden-bedrooms-cabin-crew-sleep-Flight-attendants-lie-flat-beds-relax-say-s-like-coffin.html

 

Fuck me upto the mid 90s the rear 6 seats were smoking seats (the last 2 rows didn't have lift up arms though) which is where I sat even as a non smoker just to get a lay down..

 

BA Jumbos had business non smoking "upstairs" so thats where I sat when I could afford it...

[Goldpanner 399]

 

Fuck me upto the mid 90s the rear 6 seats were smoking seats (the last 2 rows didn't have lift up arms though) which is where I sat even as a non smoker just to get a lay down..

 

BA Jumbos had business non smoking "upstairs" so thats where I sat when I could afford it...

Ahh the days when you could smoke on a plane and when they had ashtrays in the armrests. Also a time when the toilet cubicles were a decent size

[Bullfrog 2,224]

Also a time when the toilet cubicles were a decent size

 

Big enough to enjoy the Mile High club in comfort...

[Steptoe 429]

Mention of toilet cubicles has reminded me of a flight years ago where the rear of the plane under the tail was fitted with a semi-circle of toilet cubicles, about five of them I recollect.

 

The advantage was that they could all be easily accessed from either aisle, you could enter and leave with some degree of privacy (the mention of the mile-high club prompted this recollection!) and there were never any queues as there was always one free.

 

I can't remember what airline or plane but it was a much better arrangement than nowadays, but then perhaps everything was.....

[Goldpanner 399]

Mention of toilet cubicles has reminded me of a flight years ago where the rear of the plane under the tail was fitted with a semi-circle of toilet cubicles, about five of them I recollect.

 

The advantage was that they could all be easily accessed from either aisle, you could enter and leave with some degree of privacy (the mention of the mile-high club prompted this recollection!) and there were never any queues as there was always one free.

 

I can't remember what airline or plane but it was a much better arrangement than nowadays, but then perhaps everything was.....

Me thinks it was the Gulf Air Tristars. I also remember thos planes.

[jacko 8,815]

Me thinks it was the Gulf Air Tristars. I also remember thos planes.

My first ride to The Middle East......

[graymatter 153]

Just read this on a Scoot website, ....

 

If you are a Guest of Size who requires 2 seats, please make your booking via our Call Centre at least 3 days before departure. Failure to do so may result in you being denied transportation. Fares and fees for 2 guests apply.

 

The question is what constitutes a "Guest of Size who requires 2 seats"....it is an Asian airline so they may not be catering for my 135 kg frame/

[Regyai 415]

Just read this on a Scoot website, ....

 

If you are a Guest of Size who requires 2 seats, please make your booking via our Call Centre at least 3 days before departure. Failure to do so may result in you being denied transportation. Fares and fees for 2 guests apply.

 

The question is what constitutes a "Guest of Size who requires 2 seats"....it is an Asian airline so they may not be catering for my 135 kg frame/

 

 

Seems you have to be some kind of geta wearing Godzilla packing a tureen of noodles:

 

 

[Bullfrog 2,224]

 

 

Seems you have to be some kind of geta wearing Godzilla packing a tureen of noodles:

 

 

 

 

Do you get to eat 2 meals ????

[Goldpanner 399]

Well Im 21 stone and I can still easily fit into a standard seat with no problem.

But my days of flying are coming to an end shortly

[jacko 8,815]

Well Im 21 stone and I can still easily fit into a standard seat with no problem.

But my days of flying are coming to an end shortly

Sorry to hear that.

[Bullfrog 2,224]

But my days of flying are coming to an end shortly

 

 

After my next trip I shall be facing the same predicament after flying around the world all my adult life.... and jumping out of a few too...

[torrenova 644]

If you hold business class on Etihad they allow you to bid for first class and per sector (LHR-AUH) they take bids from around £650 to £1250.

 

As it is a shade over 6 hours, that is £100 to £200 per hour more than business class and for only have a one way trip (no first on AUH-BKK).

 

They do not confirm whether you are successful until very near to flight time so they can still sell out of first class and then no-one would win.

 

I suspect this economy bidding for another seat would be similar and you might find no-one wins on busy flights.

[torrenova 644]

Well Im 21 stone and I can still easily fit into a standard seat with no problem.

But my days of flying are coming to an end shortly

 

If you are 21 stone then whilst you may think you fit into a basic economy seat I can virtually assure you that those unfortunate enough to sit either side of you will not feel as if you do as your body sprawls over the edges of your seat and the shared arm rests become solely yours etc.

 

I sat next to a fatty in economy one time and insisted on a move as he was seriously encroaching into my space making my journey uncomfortable.

 

Fat people should be made to pay more, just as extra baggage costs more and they should not be allowed to squash themselves into small seats and inconvenience others.

[Regyai 415]

I must admit wondering to myself

 

when people watching in airports

 

as to just what seat type some of the blubber mountains shoe horn into.

 

As even business nor first would accommodate some

 

 

 

 

Maybe they get palletised

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

[4wheels 119]

I'm just happy some carriers allow you to bid on an upgrade. My current experience is with AC between YYZ & BOM. They will let me know 48-96 hours prior to departure.

[MrMango 671]

On most Long Haul flights from the UK there are beds for the waitresses. Even back in the 80's Phillippine Airlines had beds for their waitresses on their 747's

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3619416/Inside-hidden-bedrooms-cabin-crew-sleep-Flight-attendants-lie-flat-beds-relax-say-s-like-coffin.html

As I remember, 747's had a upstairs area in the back for crew to lay down in,