SQ and MI to charge for seat selection in Y

[SQfanatic]

Whether you purchase a ticket on SQ's website or through a travel agent, fare conditions are still the same. If the agent sells you a ticket that doesn't include seat selection, then it's not included. If it's a fare that does offer it, then you can go into your booking and select a seat.

The fares we purchase always allow seat selection. My father's fare from SQ website also allowed. Makes perfect sense so I guess for future trips I'm good then (unless I have to pay).

[tth_ben]

The fares we purchase always allow seat selection. My father's fare from SQ website also allowed. Makes perfect sense so I guess for future trips I'm good then (unless I have to pay).

That can only be based on the assumption that with the new fares, your father and/or your travel agent will purchase the more expensive fare that allows selection of all kinds of seats.

SQ228 is just telling you that the ROUTE via which you purchase SQ tickets does not affect your benefits, it is the FARE TYPE, which can be purchased whether through a travel agent or a website, or from Komala's if it becomes an authorized SQ ticket distributor.

And by the way, it's "my parents and I" not "me and my parents".

[SQfanatic]

That can only be based on the assumption that with the new fares, your father and/or your travel agent will purchase the more expensive fare that allows selection of all kinds of seats.

SQ228 is just telling you that the ROUTE via which you purchase SQ tickets does not affect your benefits, it is the FARE TYPE, which can be purchased whether through a travel agent or a website, or from Komala's if it becomes an authorized SQ ticket distributor.

And by the way, it's "my parents and I" not "me and my parents".

Understood now.

[EWR]

So the new fare structure is loaded. The cheapest tickets don't seem any cheaper or more expensive. seat selection to Europe is priced at US$15 (per sector?). Doesn't seem too bad after all? I noticed Economy standard fares seem to have come down compared to flexi saver fares somewhat

[kevin-sg]

Booked my tickets this week (N, Q fares) and selected my seats before the new fare structure comes into effect. But now I am not able to change/re-select by seats. Is it because my N, Q fares are now classed into the Economy Light category?

[EWR]

Booked my tickets this week (N, Q fares) and selected my seats before the new fare structure comes into effect. But now I am not able to change/re-select by seats. Is it because my N, Q fares are now classed into the Economy Light category?

No. They are doing maintenance on the seat selection module. Nobody can select seats now till midnight tonight

[LeisureFlyer]

So the new fare structure is loaded. The cheapest tickets don't seem any cheaper or more expensive. seat selection to Europe is priced at US$15 (per sector?). Doesn't seem too bad after all? I noticed Economy standard fares seem to have come down compared to flexi saver fares somewhat

It doesn't seem too bad for the lowest fares. No seat selection, but 50% miles instead of 10%. With the complementary advanced seat selection there were only a few seats available, so that wasn't a big advantage. However, I booked a multiple flight from AMS to SE Asia before the change and during the promotion period. The sale period (super deal fare) from AMS ended a few days ago and prices have risen but you don't receive more miles with the new lite fare. You actually did before the change (you received 10% miles with the super deal and 50% with economy saver which was the lowest fare after the sale period had ended).
In Germany the sale period is still ongoing, with the previously super deal fares which are now shifted to lite fares, without price changes. You will receive 50% miles with the very low fares. That's quite a good deal!

Overall, I still don't feel comfortable with the change. How many changes will follow? I think of KLM which started charging for checked baggage (in EU) about 5 years ago for non-flying blue members, after a few years they started charging for checked baggage (in EU) for flying blue members with the lowest status, then they started charging for seat selection and they also have ridiculous booking fees and additional credit card fees if you book a flight from AMS. While we do complain about these cost cutting measures, flying nowadays is dirt-cheap (also due to the low oil price).

[SQ228]

So the new fare structure is loaded. The cheapest tickets don't seem any cheaper or more expensive. seat selection to Europe is priced at US$15 (per sector?). Doesn't seem too bad after all? I noticed Economy standard fares seem to have come down compared to flexi saver fares somewhat

So to be sure I've got this correct, have you observed that the new full fares which are the only way to still earn 100% miles are not as insanely priced as the previous full Flexi fares were?

[a340-313x]

So to be sure I've got this correct, have you observed that the new full fares which are the only way to still earn 100% miles are not as insanely priced as the previous full Flexi fares were?

They appear to be exactly the same price as the fully flexi fares were before, as far as I can see.

[LeisureFlyer]

It doesn't seem too bad for the lowest fares. No seat selection, but 50% miles instead of 10%. With the complementary advanced seat selection there were only a few seats available, so that wasn't a big advantage. However, I booked a multiple flight from AMS to SE Asia before the change and during the promotion period. The sale period (super deal fare) from AMS ended a few days ago and prices have risen but you don't receive more miles with the new lite fare. You actually did before the change (you received 10% miles with the super deal and 50% with economy saver which was the lowest fare after the sale period had ended).
In Germany the sale period is still ongoing, with the previously super deal fares which are now shifted to lite fares, without price changes. You will receive 50% miles with the very low fares. That's quite a good deal!

Overall, I still don't feel comfortable with the change. How many changes will follow? I think of KLM which started charging for checked baggage (in EU) about 5 years ago for non-flying blue members, after a few years they started charging for checked baggage (in EU) for flying blue members with the lowest status, then they started charging for seat selection and they also have ridiculous booking fees and additional credit card fees if you book a flight from AMS. While we do complain about these cost cutting measures, flying nowadays is dirt-cheap (also due to the low oil price).

Well, actually it's not entirely true that flying nowadays is cheaper than ever before. Five years ago KLM offered the same fares from AMS to EU-destinations as today (many cities for 99 Euros return) with checked baggage included. So these flights are actually more expensive than before.

[kevin-sg]

No. They are doing maintenance on the seat selection module. Nobody can select seats now till midnight tonight

ahhh...ok thanks!

[EWR]

They appear to be exactly the same price as the fully flexi fares were before, as far as I can see.

Yes YBE fares have remained the same overnight. The only drop I saw was the flexi saver, by about S$100 for some European flights. But you earn fewer miles now

[EWR]

ahhh...ok thanks!

In a way, the charged seat selection roots out a perverse situation where the cheapest fliers get to select seats first - cos these usually book far in advance. Now they either have to pay up or wait till 48 hrs before flight. In a way, it is fairer, although I still think Q and N classes shouldn't be included. These are not exactly cheap economy tickets, and they are still highly restricted (no cancellation, hefty change fees from USD100 to USD200 now).

One other thing to note is that SQ has always traditionally blocked seat selection for forward seats. these were only open to YBE class passengers and elites (gold). So all along, other passengers could not have reserved these seats. Now they can price themselves in with a seat fee.

[SQfanatic]

I did a dummy booking of fares from SFO-MAA-SFO and also TRV for the Summer peak season. I find it not only ridiculous they charge $15 USD for seat selection but to not have that charge, the next tier of Y class can sometimes be $100-$500 more.

Even Premium Economy has a few tiers as well. I guess best to keep booking from a travel agent unless these are cheaper than the TA option.

[LeisureFlyer]

I have booked some SQ flights in Y-class (lowest fare) before the change. At that time I could only select a couple of seats, the others were blocked. However, today I discovered that there are a lot more seats available for selection.