Qantas trials neighbor-free seating on some international flights, including 7 US routes
Oct. 22, 2023
•
3 min read
Soon enough, you may be able to reserve some extra space on your next Qantas flight — even in economy.
The Australian carrier is experimenting with the concept of neighbor-free seating on 19 international flights, allowing customers flying economy to keep the seat next to them free.
Neighbor-free seating starts at $45 each way between Australia and New Zealand, $100 each way between Australia and Singapore, and $225 each way between Australia and the U.S.
Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG’s free biweekly Aviation newsletter.
For flights not at full capacity, Qantas will email customers 48 hours before to give them the option to select a neighbor-free seat. However, such seating is not guaranteed until departure, and customers will receive a refund if the seat is instead sold.
Passengers who bought seats with extra legroom, requested an upgrade or are traveling with an infant or unaccompanied minor are not eligible for the program. Group bookings also do not qualify for neighbor-free seating.
The novel seating concept started with Qantas’ domestic flights, but the Australian carrier decided to trial the seating option for international flights after seeing success with its domestic network.
“The data shows it’s most popular with customers on our longer flights between the east and west coasts, so rolling it out to our international flights makes a lot of sense,” Catriona Larritt, Qantas’ chief customer and digital officer, said in a statement.
Larritt said that given the complexities that come with international bookings, Qantas is trialing the neighbor-free seating concept on select international flights before expanding the program in the coming months.
Here is a list of routes that will include neighbor-free seating for economy passengers:
– Dallas-Melbourne, Australia
– Dallas-Sydney
– Honolulu-Sydney
– Los Angeles-Brisbane, Australia
– Los Angeles-Melbourne
– Los Angeles-Sydney
– San Francisco-Sydney
– Brisbane-Auckland
– Brisbane-Christchurch, New Zealand
– Brisbane-Singapore
– Brisbane-Wellington, New Zealand (available from Oct. 29)
– Melbourne-Auckland
– Melbourne-Christchurch
– Melbourne-Singapore
– Melbourne-Wellington
– Perth, Australia-Singapore
– Sydney-Auckland
– Sydney-Christchurch
– Sydney-Wellington
Related reading:
Featured image by ALEXI ROSENFELD/GETTY IMAGES FOR QANTAS
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Qantas, the Australian carrier, is exploring the idea of neighbor-free seating on select international flights, including 7 routes to the United States. This new concept allows customers flying in the economy class to reserve the seat next to them, ensuring additional personal space. The initiative was initially introduced on domestic flights and has proven to be popular, prompting Qantas to expand the program internationally.
The neighbor-free seating option will be available on 19 international flights, with prices starting at $45 each way between Australia and New Zealand, $100 each way between Australia and Singapore, and $225 each way between Australia and the United States. However, the availability of neighbor-free seating is not guaranteed until departure, as it is dependent on the flight’s capacity. Qantas will email customers 48 hours before the flight to offer them the option to select a neighbor-free seat. If the seat is sold before departure, customers will receive a refund.
Certain passengers are not eligible for the neighbor-free seating program, including those who have purchased seats with extra legroom, requested an upgrade, or are traveling with an infant or unaccompanied minor. Group bookings also do not qualify for the program.
Qantas’ chief customer and digital officer, Catriona Larritt, explained that the decision to trial neighbor-free seating on international flights was based on customer demand and the success of the program on domestic flights. The data showed that it was most popular on longer flights between the east and west coasts of Australia. Larritt also mentioned that due to the complexities of international bookings, Qantas will be testing the concept on select international flights before expanding the program further.
The 7 US routes that will offer neighbor-free seating for economy passengers are Dallas-Melbourne, Dallas-Sydney, Honolulu-Sydney, Los Angeles-Brisbane, Los Angeles-Melbourne, Los Angeles-Sydney, and San Francisco-Sydney. Additionally, there are several routes to New Zealand and Singapore that will also feature neighbor-free seating.
In conclusion, Qantas is introducing neighbor-free seating on select international flights, providing customers with the opportunity to reserve additional space next to them in the economy class. The program has already been successful on domestic flights and will now be trialed on 19 international routes, including 7 to the United States. This initiative aims to enhance the travel experience for passengers and meet the demand for more personal space during flights.