QANTAS: Extra legroom costs more from 18 April

Expect to pay between AU$5 and AU$15 more to reserve an extra legroom seat, and forget free access to booking Row 4 80 hours before departure. In changes announced by Qantas through ET, Row 4, will no longer be the subject of the T-80 rule, but will be classified as an extra Legroom row and will incur a charge accordingly.

Increased extra legroom changes

From April 18 there will be an increase in the charge for seats classified as ‘Extra Legroom’. The seats making this clasification change according to the aircraft used, so are different for domestic and international flights.

Usually on domestic flights these include Exit Rows, but will now include row 4, the first row of economy.

Regional and Domestic

• Regional Flights – on B717 or E190 – price up from AU$15 to AU$20 (no pricing yet for A220s)
• Domestic Flights – under 750 milies – price up from AU$30 to AU$35
• Domestic Flights – over 750 milies but under 1,500 miles – price up from AU$40 to AU$45
• Domestic Flights – over 1,500 milies – price up from AU$70 to AU$75

For under 750 miles think trips like Sydney to Brisbane or Sydney to Melbourne. Between 750 and 1,500, exampes are Sydney or Brisbane to Adelaide, or Melbourne to Brisbane. For the longest domestic routes, its the transcontinental flights like Sydney Perth, or Adelaide to Darwin.

International

• International Flights – short haul – price up from AU$30 to AU$35 (east coast to NZ, Fiji etc)
• International Flights – medium haul – price up from AU$80 to AU$85 (Asia and Hawaii)
• International Flights – long haul – price up from AU$180 to AU$195 (UK, Europe, USA & South Africa)

Bad news for Platinums like me

When members of the Chairman’s lounge or Platinum One frequent flyers book, they can choose to seat themselves in row 4, on domestic flights. Under the new rules and charges they will still be able to do this at no additional charge.

For Platinum members, things are different. Currently they have access 80 hours before the flight, known as T-80. Up until now access to row 4 (and 5) on Boeing 737 flights has been free. But after 18 April, they too will need to pay the Extra Legroom charge applicable.

Row 4 has been desireable because of its position near the front of the plane and the additional leg room, but there is a downside, as the seats have rigid armrest dividers

2PAXfly Takeout

I view this as nothing more than a money grab. It gives Qantas anothe row of 6 seats for which it can gain additional income per flight, if those Row 4 seats aren’t taken by top tier frequent flyers.

It is also a downgrade in the priveleges for Platinum catogory frequent flyers, who can no longer select these seats 80 hours before the flight at no cost. There was a time, when Row 4 was available to Platinums at the time of booking – those were the days!

Qantas is apparently spinning this as a greater advantage to Chairmans Lounge and Platinum One’s, but actually its no change for them. It’s only a downgrade in privileges for Platinums and below who previously had access to the seats 80 hours before the flight at no additional cost.