SQ flights and seat selection

[JR8]

I have some SQ flights coming up and tried to select the seats via their www.

It returns this:

'Specific seat selection is not available for bookings made through travel agents, ticket offices and call centres. Only paid preferred seat selection is offered for such bookings. Alternatively, you may request for your seat preference (window, aisle or middle) via the hyperlink below. For other specific seat request, please contact your travel agent or your nearest Singapore Airlines office.'

Has anyone else come across this? The service seems to be going backwards in terms of quality. It means I can check-in online, but have to turn up early enough at the airport to have a hope of sitting next to my wife. It is the sort of thing I'd expect from a budget airline!

[zzm9980]

Yeah, you have to pick your seats via whatever you used to buy the tickets is what they're saying.

Cathay isn't quite as bad, but if you didn't buy your tickets online, you're limited in what seats you can pick. I have notice (and had this confirmed by agents) that the closer you are to your travel date, the more seats 'open up' for you to select from. Basically, they're reserved blocks for specific agents that haven't been sold so they open up. I don't know all of the timings, except I'm told 72 hours before departure and again when online checks open.

As for SQ, I guess you can try again closer to departure. I've notice for corporate travel booked on SQ (it goes through a travel agent) that the flight will show up almost immediately when I log into my Kris Flyer acct, but I won't be able to select a seat until the ticket is "issued". This can actually take 5-7 days after my travel agent tells me everything is confirmed up. Maybe you can try again in a week?

Also, as long as your tickets were purchased together, you should have no trouble sitting next to your wife. They'll normally always put parties together and warn you if they might not be able to.

[JR8]

Ok thanks, I think part of the problem is that we have Lufthansa code-share feeder flights at start and end. That alone seems to cause all kinds of problems, as I don't think their systems talk to each other well.

The wife and I were on the same itinerary but she had to lave early for SG. SQ in their wisdom changed my reservation too to match my wife's. When I didn't fly my whole itinerary got canceled*. It then had to get rebooked again, which luckily worked out ok, but it means wife and I are now on two itineraries.



* We were at the airport at 6am trying to get my wife onto the domestic feeder to link into the SQ leg, as the previous night SQ could not change the former. LH ticketing told us that my ticket had also been changed, and then said to our faces 'But that is not my problem.' Haha.... classy customer service!

[zzm9980]

Luckily I'm usually able to avoid codeshares, everywhere I go usually has a direct flight on Cathay, then I can use Virgin to hop around the US. Such headaches with codeshares. And that customer service sounds like something I'd expect in the US... Wow. In the US you could have probably bitched about that comment enough to get her fired!

[JR8]

Luckily I'm usually able to avoid codeshares, everywhere I go usually has a direct flight on Cathay, then I can use Virgin to hop around the US. Such headaches with codeshares. And that customer service sounds like something I'd expect in the US... Wow. In the US you could have probably bitched about that comment enough to get her fired!

Lol.... I know, I couldn't believe it I thought CSO's only said things like that to customers in bad TV programmes, but here it really was in the flesh, I almost laughed out loud I was so surprised!

I certainly would have had something to say, but... when you're relying on them to help you out, what can you do...

Sigh!

[zzm9980]

If it was a US Airline, you'd surreptitiously record it from that point (try to get them to say it again!) and then email the video to consumerist.com, and watch the free stuff and apologies role in!

[BillyB]

Ok thanks, I think part of the problem is that we have Lufthansa code-share feeder flights at start and end. That alone seems to cause all kinds of problems, as I don't think their systems talk to each other well.

The wife and I were on the same itinerary but she had to lave early for SG. SQ in their wisdom changed my reservation too to match my wife's. When I didn't fly my whole itinerary got canceled*. It then had to get rebooked again, which luckily worked out ok, but it means wife and I are now on two itineraries.



* We were at the airport at 6am trying to get my wife onto the domestic feeder to link into the SQ leg, as the previous night SQ could not change the former. LH ticketing told us that my ticket had also been changed, and then said to our faces 'But that is not my problem.' Haha.... classy customer service!

I'd guess that you don't hold high enough status with SQ to be able to book your seat on ticket purchase, although with codeshare flights, there usually comes issues with using each airlines' online reservation systems.

Get your butler to do it next time.......

[JR8]

I'd guess that you don't hold high enough status with SQ to be able to book your seat on ticket purchase, although with codeshare flights, there usually comes issues with using each airlines' online reservation systems.

Get your butler to do it next time.......

Bwahahaha...

I've held no cards/status with SQ for 20 odd years, but I'd still expect to be able to select a seat for a flight with them.

I think the issue is the booking was made as a LH codeshare flight.... so everything is completely stone-age, LH 'It's not my problem' style ...

[BillyB]

I'd guess that you don't hold high enough status with SQ to be able to book your seat on ticket purchase, although with codeshare flights, there usually comes issues with using each airlines' online reservation systems.

Get your butler to do it next time.......

Bwahahaha...

I've held no cards/status with SQ for 20 odd years, but I'd still expect to be able to select a seat for a flight with them.

I think the issue is the booking was made as a LH codeshare flight.... so everything is completely stone-age, LH 'It's not my problem' style ...

I've been fiercely (Stupidly) loyal to BA / Qantas and oneworld, but now I'm silver status - there is no way I'll hit gold - I was looking for another airline to spread the love with.

Would you recommend SQ? I guess there isn't many alternatives with routes to Aus, HK, London and NY......

[JR8]

I've been fiercely (Stupidly) loyal to BA / Qantas and oneworld, but now I'm silver status - there is no way I'll hit gold - I was looking for another airline to spread the love with.

Yep I was too. Got to BA silver too and was on-track for gold when my co imposed a travel ban. What I later came to realise though was rather than looking with jealousy at people with gold tags on their bags, is that these people have no lives. To hit gold you have to work and travel that much...


Would you recommend SQ? I guess there isn't many alternatives with routes to Aus, HK, London and NY.....

I don't like SQ, think the crew are up themselves.... but that's just me... Ultimately is doesn't seem to matter. Go to airport have a couple of glasses of vino, sleep as much as possible, wait for the flight nightmare to be over ASAP. To me it is little different from say taking a coach to KL, just it is in the air, utility rather than pleasure.




.

[zzm9980]

I'd guess that you don't hold high enough status with SQ to be able to book your seat on ticket purchase, although with codeshare flights, there usually comes issues with using each airlines' online reservation systems.

Get your butler to do it next time.......

Bwahahaha...

I've held no cards/status with SQ for 20 odd years, but I'd still expect to be able to select a seat for a flight with them.

I think the issue is the booking was made as a LH codeshare flight.... so everything is completely stone-age, LH 'It's not my problem' style ...

I've been fiercely (Stupidly) loyal to BA / Qantas and oneworld, but now I'm silver status - there is no way I'll hit gold - I was looking for another airline to spread the love with.

Would you recommend SQ? I guess there isn't many alternatives with routes to Aus, HK, London and NY......

What about Cathay? They go all of those places, and they're in the BA/Qantas alliance so you'd keep the status. You'd just have to hit HK first, which might be a hassle for Australia.

[BillyB]

Bwahahaha...

I've held no cards/status with SQ for 20 odd years, but I'd still expect to be able to select a seat for a flight with them.

I think the issue is the booking was made as a LH codeshare flight.... so everything is completely stone-age, LH 'It's not my problem' style ...

I've been fiercely (Stupidly) loyal to BA / Qantas and oneworld, but now I'm silver status - there is no way I'll hit gold - I was looking for another airline to spread the love with.

Would you recommend SQ? I guess there isn't many alternatives with routes to Aus, HK, London and NY......

What about Cathay? They go all of those places, and they're in the BA/Qantas alliance so you'd keep the status. You'd just have to hit HK first, which might be a hassle for Australia.

I wanted to get away from one world and try someone else. Plus it's like a pig pen with all sorts of noise on some of the HK flights.........

[zzm9980]

Ahh, if you want to get away, not much help then.

I've had that trouble on Cathay and SQ whenever I fly economy. The one thing I've learned is if in Economy, avoid those "extra leg room" seats, and the ones near the front of the cabin. The reason is they're also near the baby basinets, and that is where most of the odd noises seem to emanate from. This tends to be worst on the flights between the US and India, but unfortunately CX/SQ via HKG and/or SIN is very popular for those.

[BillyB]

Ahh, if you want to get away, not much help then.

I've had that trouble on Cathay and SQ whenever I fly economy. The one thing I've learned is if in Economy, avoid those "extra leg room" seats, and the ones near the front of the cabin. The reason is they're also near the baby basinets, and that is where most of the odd noises seem to emanate from. This tends to be worst on the flights between the US and India, but unfortunately CX/SQ via HKG and/or SIN is very popular for those.

Quite the contrary old boy. I find most of the noise emanates from the adults on the plane!

[nakatago]

Ahh, if you want to get away, not much help then.

I've had that trouble on Cathay and SQ whenever I fly economy. The one thing I've learned is if in Economy, avoid those "extra leg room" seats, and the ones near the front of the cabin. The reason is they're also near the baby basinets, and that is where most of the odd noises seem to emanate from. This tends to be worst on the flights between the US and India, but unfortunately CX/SQ via HKG and/or SIN is very popular for those.

Quite the contrary old boy. I find most of the noise emanates from the adults on the plane!

I thought it was the engines...

...and babies/toddlers not "seated" in the bassinet seats throwing tantrums from Melbourne all the way to Singapore.