Blocked seats

[RCTP]

Hi all,

Have booked 2 economy tix SIN-HKG return at fully flexible rates.

16Apr SQ890
20Apr SQ865

On the seat selection page I see that almost all seats are selected. As we are travelling as a couple we hoped to get the 2 seats by the window and so called SQ customer service to request for those seats. (I've seen on EF that they were actually blocked and not selected)

The lady picked up and mentioned that on SQ890 it will be a B777, so no 2 seats by the window at all. I corrected her and informed her the EXACT rows with 2 seats. She put me on hold to check, returned and said yes those are 2 seats by the window but they've been blocked. She guessed that I have a similar request for my return flight on SQ865 on the upper deck and have also informed me that those window seats on the upper deck have been blocked too.

I tried my luck and mentioned that since I've purchased fully-flexible tickets, why are there restrictions on which seats I can choose. So I asked her to check what are the reasons for the blocked seats.

She put me on hold to see if there were any remarks on those blocked seats.

She returned and I quote, "Sir, the reason is that those seats are blocked."

I shit you not. I asked her for the reasons as to why the seats are blocked and her reply was "Sir, the reason is that those seats are blocked"

So anyway, she did mention she'll leave a remark that I've requested for those 2 seats by the window and I can hear her typing away. She also advised me to do OLCI as early as possible to secure those seats.

Is there anyway to secure those seats w/o having to go to the extent of "quickest fingers first?"

[kevin-sg]

They open up most of the blocked seats about 1-week before the flight. Therefore, I suggest you logged into your booking and start to check everyday about 10-days before.

[stargold]

SQ should have taken QF's implementation of Altea which gives different assignable seat availability based on fare and status. I suspect a lot of the complaints from status passengers would be alleviated this way.

[SQ228]

This has been a real hot topic lately.

I suspect SQ made things worse for themselves by introducing the previous form of advance seat selection, where anyone making an online booking could pretty much select any seat anywhere they wanted, to reducing it to the current system where we get thrown a handful of seats, pretty much just as an illusion that we are getting to choose.

What I don't get is why often some of the least popular sections of the plane are the ones they "block", e.g. right down the back.

The call centre has seemingly less options to offer than the website, however. After my flight out of MEL next week was cancelled a couple of months back, I requested as a kind of compensation, that I could be placed in a seat I wanted, since my old selection had obviously evaporated. The only window seat I was able to be assigned by the call centre was without full recline and in front of a toilet on the opposite side to what I wanted. Went online and had a choice of about 7 window seats in very attractive areas of the plane. Go figure.

[RCTP]

Thanks all for the input. Shall start logging in everyday to take a look at the seat selections and pray to be able to get the seats that I want.

My blood did boil when the call centre staff told me that the seats are blocked because they are blocked.

Will it help if I, like for example, called once every week and pray that I'll get a staff that is more than willing to help me with the seat selections?

[bent]

This has been a real hot topic lately.

I suspect SQ made things worse for themselves by introducing the previous form of advance seat selection, where anyone making an online booking could pretty much select any seat anywhere they wanted, to reducing it to the current system where we get thrown a handful of seats, pretty much just as an illusion that we are getting to choose.

What I don't get is why often some of the least popular sections of the plane are the ones they "block", e.g. right down the back.

The call centre has seemingly less options to offer than the website, however. After my flight out of MEL next week was cancelled a couple of months back, I requested as a kind of compensation, that I could be placed in a seat I wanted, since my old selection had obviously evaporated. The only window seat I was able to be assigned by the call centre was without full recline and in front of a toilet on the opposite side to what I wanted. Went online and had a choice of about 7 window seats in very attractive areas of the plane. Go figure.

back seats are usually blocked as they are usually reserved for tour groups.

and the seats available for online selection are usually different from what at the call centre, not sure for what reasons though.

[SQ228]

Thanks all for the input. Shall start logging in everyday to take a look at the seat selections and pray to be able to get the seats that I want.

My blood did boil when the call centre staff told me that the seats are blocked because they are blocked.

Will it help if I, like for example, called once every week and pray that I'll get a staff that is more than willing to help me with the seat selections?

I wouldn't waste my time, really. As kevin sg has said, there is a specific time when they open up the seats and that is when you might get somewhere. The frontline call centre staff don't seem to be really authorised to do a great deal without first checking with a supervisor who will no doubt tell them to give the same response. I would recommend using the website rather than the call centre.

If in the end, for whatever reason you don't end up getting those two seats, try this as a remedy: Imagine a horrible screaming child sitting in the seat immediately in front of the one you want that constantly slams their whole body against the back of the seat and throws pencils and toys through the gap between seats in your direction. Then picture their parent sitting next to them and doing nothing about it, but refusing to put their own seat upright for meal service. Still want those seats?

[RCTP]

Well, not that much of a time-waster actually. Just log in once everyday to have a look-see. Heh.

But yeah, SQ228 does have a point with the screaming kid/non-caring parent. It's just that it'll be good to be able to get a "couple seat".

[RCTP]

Well earlier today went down to Changing to send off a friend so tried my luck and strolled over to SQ's counter and enquired on the seats.

Was told that my SQ865 request for upper deck seats have gone through but the SQ890 is still pending as there might be other passengers making similar requests.

In this case any idea who's got priority? E.g. a PPS pax who purchased the cheapest and most restricted tix or a no status pax who purchased a fully flexible tix?

Edit:

Just occurred to me that the flexibility of a ticket has no effect on seat selection/availability.