Summary
- Qantas is expanding its Neighbor Free seating choice to international flights, allowing passengers to pay a fee to dam the seat next to them for a more comfortable journey.
- Prices range from $45 to $225 depending on the flight length, with the upper. This cost will be cheaper than buying an additional ticket or upgrading.
- The Neighbor Free seating option is barely available on fully sold or more likely to be sold flights, and passengers are given the choice to submit their seat request and payment details. The seat is confirmed closer to the flight, and refunds are provided if the request is unsuccessful.
Qantas is taking its Neighbor Free seating choice to international routes, including on ultra-long-haul services to the US. The carrier will permit you to pay a fee, starting from $45 to $225 depending on the length of the flight, to dam the seat next to you. Popularized during COVID, airlines have quickly spotted one other opportunity so as to add revenue on empty seats and are pushing passengers to make their journey a bit more comfortable.
A bit more elbow room
Anyone who has flown long-haul knows that having a free seat (or two) makes a large difference, letting you store items or simply stretch out somewhat bit more. For the longest time this has been an easy lottery, with some suggestions like booking a seat within the back to extend your probability. Nonetheless, Qantas has been offering paid Neighbor Free seating on its domestic flights for some time now, and is expanding a trial to 19 international routes, in line with Executive Traveller.
From Brisbane you may try the service to Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Singapore, and Los Angeles. Out of Melbourne you get all the identical routes plus Dallas, while from Perth it’s to Singapore. Finally, from Sydney you are trying this on the entire above plus Honolulu and San Francisco.
Photo: Qantas
So how much does it cost? Qantas said said prices start from US$45 on trans-Tasman services, rising to $100 on flights to Singapore, and a whopping $225 for US flights. This can be a hefty amount of change, one which may be used toward booking an emergency exit rows for higher legroom as an alternative, but when you would like to block out a seat it’s cheaper than buying one other ticket.
How it really works
Neighbor Free seating is barely available on flights which are fully sold or are more likely to achieve this. As a substitute passengers on flights with lower loads will receive an email inside 48 of departure offering the choice. Here, you may submit your seat request and payment details. Nonetheless, your latest seat shouldn’t be confirmed until closer to the flight, at which point you’re charged and boarding pass updated to reflect two seats. In case your request doesn’t undergo, you may get a refund.
This permits Qantas the possibility to sell tickets and upgrade until the last minute after which go all the way down to Neighbor Free seating preference. You may’t use points or credits to pay as an alternative of money, not less than for now, so expect to pay out of pocket. You can at all times attempt to play the percentages and hope nobody selects a middle seat by the lavatory, but it is a semi-confirmed method to get some space.
Photo: Qantas
Considering the service has been popular on domestic routes, it would likely be rolled out across the network once the initial international test is accomplished. For now, getting a bit more comfortable in economy just got possible, and expect to see passengers clamoring for this service on Qantas’ 19 hour Project Sunrise flights in two years.
What do you consider Neighbor Free seating? Would you pay for a free seat? Tell us within the comments!