The free-seat, the passenger and the ticket office
Thanks to Lufthansa, I’ve almost three hours time to write this post. I’m at one of the many cafés in Geneva airport, waiting for my flight. Because work went fine, I did reach the airport well in advance – more than 3 hours in advance indeed – and I stupidly hoped that I could change my ticket for an earlier flight. I’m used to do that and it usually works fine… Usually.
Today is another story, and when I first asked to change my flight at the check-in counter, I was answered that it was not possible. I did check-in for the latest flight, knowing that two others would depart in between. My plan was to try again at the gate. Flying without checked luggage usually make changes easy.
Changing flight at the gate revealed impossible, but I got more information from the sympathetic person in charge of boarding. The first part did sound good: there were many free seats in the earlier flight I wanted to take. It sometimes happen that passengers do not show-up for a flight (known to ground staff as no-shows), thus making seats free for passengers having the possibility to fly earlier. As there were free seats, I would not have to wait for the end of boarding, hoping for a no-show.
Then came the bad news. My ticket being a low-fare one (not low cost, just low price), it was not possible to change it for free. The price for a change would even be many times the ticket price. I can understand why some less wanted flights are less expensive, or why early bookings make lower prices possible. What I can’t understand is why an airline can decide to operate a flight with empty seats. If no one bought a ticket for the remaining seat once the boarding is started, why not take someone ? When flights are departing four hours apart or more, the possibility exist to find someone more, and sell one more ticket.
It’s fine for me to pay a bit more to have the flexibility to change my flight in advance like depart one day earlier or later, but I don’t see the point in not allowing a passenger with a ticket to use a free seat once it is too late for any sale opportunity. If any of you know the reason behind please leave a comment. I’m not good enough at marketing and customer service to understand this thing.
6 Comments, Comment or Ping
Julien
If airlines made it a policy to let passengers board earlier airplanes with empty seats even though they initially bought the inexpensive non-flexible ticket, two things would happen:
- Passengers who paid for the flexible fare would feel cheated that someone with a cheaper ticket received for free the service they pay a premium for, i.e. being able to change flights if they arrive early enough at the airport.
- Passengers would eventually realise that, even if you buy the cheapest ticket, there’s a fair chance that you get put on an earlier plane if you ask nicely, so passengers would stop buying the more expensive tickets.
That’s the same reason why some airlines refuse to upgrade economy class passengers to business class even though there’s empty seats in business: people, especially frequent flyers, would just buy an economy tickets and rely on chance for getting into business class.
Julien.
Mar 15th, 2009
Vincent
Thank you Julien for being the the voice of reason. While I get your point about business and economy, I don’t fully agree on the flexible booking. I’m personally not ready to jeopardize my return schedule, and I’m not sure that a lot of people are wanting to do so. I genuinely expected my meeting to finish later – but I know this is no reason. There are usually very few free seats on short flights so expecting one would be silly.
My mistake in this very case was to rush to the airport without verifying that my ticket was a flexible one. The company’s travel agency used to book flexible one, but as we had one leg on Sunday, they probably got a “tourist-ticket”, making us “business-tourists”… If I had read the fare details, I would have spent the extra time enjoying Geneva, and not only its airport. One more event in the “S**t happens” category.
Mar 15th, 2009
Jeremy
Julien,
Most US airlines do allow switching to an earlier flight on the day, even on the cheapest economy fare (for domestic flights). This is usually only allowed an hour or so in advance, as the airline would prefer to sell any open seats at a higher fare to a walk-up passenger, but anyone at the airport can stand-by for open seats. Clearly business passengers with flexible fares will get priority in the standby sequence, but the key here is that no airline should let a plane take off with empty seats if there are already people in the airport who would take them! An airline’s inventory is perishable – once that gate door closes, that empty seat is worth nothing. But the seat on the flight three hours later still has a small chance of being sold.
Another important reason this standby policy makes sense is the seat on the later flight can often be used for people with missed connections. If you’re booked on the later flight but can take an earlier one, the airline has more chance of re-accommodating someone else who misses their connection on the earlier flights. In the US, weather and other delays are very common and airlines would much rather have that capacity open on the later flights.
I’m now living in Australia where the major airlines don’t let economy-fare passengers standby for earlier flights, but I suspect this is because most flights aren’t quite as full, and there are far fewer weather delays and cancellations, so last-minute capacity is less likely to be needed.
Mar 15th, 2009
Julien
Hi Jeremy,
Living in Australia too
Sydney. I agree with what you say, if I show up at the check-in for Qantas with the cheapest ticket (red e-deal) they won’t let me change to an earlier flight. But I managed to jump onto an earlier plane once by asking at the gate while the airplane was boarding. I guess I was lucky and the gate agent somehow managed to bend the rule. In Sydney though having to wait in the terminal is never a problem because you can always pay a visit to the Qantas museum!
True, flights hardly ever get canceled or delayed much in Australia, for the reasons you mention. When I read the blogs of US pilots I realise that the US system is very very different. Being a passenger in the US sounds like going through the gates of hell each time you travel, but on the other hand being a private pilot sounds like heaven. The whole concept of an FBO is foreign to Australia, unless you’re flying a business jet between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Hey, in most places you’re happy to find mobile phone reception and a toilet after landing. In other places, you’re happy if you have VHF coverage and the roos accept to vacate the runway before you land
With all the readers Vincent has in Australia, I think we need to plan an Outback Safari in a Saratoga or DA42 (not that many of hem around except in Adelaide) for him when he finally decides to visit us Down Under
Julien.
Mar 16th, 2009
Mark
I am destined for an LH flight in a month and hoped to be on an earlier flight. But it looks like those dreams are dashed….thanks for the report. I know what to expect now.
Apr 28th, 2009
Vincent
@Mark: it really depends on the kind of fare you have. With the expensive ones, there are more options. Good luck.
Apr 28th, 2009
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