Empty Seats to and from The UK.

[noshow]

I first came to Thailand at the end of 2001 flying with KLM, this was when the Thai baht was between 60 and 70 to the GBP.

On my return flight back to the UK on KLM, I had a full 3 window seats to myself. Of all the trips I have made since then, this only happened

one more time, that was on a flight back to Thailand with Thai Airways, again when you were getting around 70 Baht to the GBP.

I am going on a return trip to the UK on the 1st Oct, again with KLM, and with me being a tall guy, I always try for a seat at the emergency 

doors, sometimes successfully. What I am asking now is, with the  Thai Baht being about the lowest ever against the GBP, what is the chance

of me getting three seats to myself? Or should I try again for a seat at the emergency door? Anyone flew with KLM recently with any experience of this?

[praf974]

almost zero chance flights are usually full or almost full,  KLM/Air France especially now they are merged and maxing out every flight by connecting up smaller airports to their hubs.

[adammike]

It's all about the time of year April - June possible,September -Nov possible. 

The big change is China airlines stopped their daily Amsterdam - Bangkok flights so the only direct flights are daily with KLM or three times a week with EVA. 

Are you flying via Amsterdam or Paris to the UK? That may make a difference price wise.

[PR1977]

I flew in June with Etihad and the flights from AUH to BKK were probably 20% full way over and a little more on the way back. Free blocks of 3s and 4s all over the plane.

Even on both Euro legs I had spare seats next to me and whilst this has happened before on Etihad I've never really experienced it to any extent on other long haul flying airlines.

[TiTan69]

i try to book seats at the very back of the air craft I usually find here is where there is more chance of an empty seat next to me

[SirL]

All major airlines fly with load factors (ie the percentage of total seats filled) of 70 to 75.  That load factor range hasn't changed, for well run airlines, for many years.  In practice it's not possible to get it much higher, because planes have to return where they came from, sometimes at bad times of the day, and a well-run airline won't let it get much lower.

If individual flights have more seats than that average available, it'll be more a matter of the day and time of that flight.  For instance, flights from Europe to Bangkok will be expected to be fuller than that average in mid-late December, but conversely flights from Bangkok to Europe will be emptier than usual in mid-late Dec but fuller than usual just after high season.  Airlines of course try to mitigate that sort of seasonal effect with their pricing, and sometimes they get it right and sometimes they don't.  Since pricing is intended to counterbalance all other predictable factors, it's really a bit of a lottery which flights end up very full and which much more empty.

[westie1]

Only happened once with me with emirates.

this was a flight in June. Only twenty people in our section and We all got full rows to ourselves. Best sleep ever.

on the flight home, it was jammers

 

you don't know how busy these flights will be

[noshow]

15 hours ago, adammike said:

It's all about the time of year April - June possible,September -Nov possible. 

The big change is China airlines stopped their daily Amsterdam - Bangkok flights so the only direct flights are daily with KLM or three times a week with EVA. 

Are you flying via Amsterdam or Paris to the UK? That may make a difference price wise.

Flying via Amsterdam.

 

7 hours ago, SirL said:

All major airlines fly with load factors (ie the percentage of total seats filled) of 70 to 75.  That load factor range hasn't changed, for well run airlines, for many years.  In practice it's not possible to get it much higher, because planes have to return where they came from, sometimes at bad times of the day, and a well-run airline won't let it get much lower.

If individual flights have more seats than that average available, it'll be more a matter of the day and time of that flight.  For instance, flights from Europe to Bangkok will be expected to be fuller than that average in mid-late December, but conversely flights from Bangkok to Europe will be emptier than usual in mid-late Dec but fuller than usual just after high season.  Airlines of course try to mitigate that sort of seasonal effect with their pricing, and sometimes they get it right and sometimes they don't.  Since pricing is intended to counterbalance all other predictable factors, it's really a bit of a lottery which flights end up very full and which much more empty.

Thanks, I will just try and get a seat next to the emergency door.

[Queef_Sniffer]

I've found that airlines even lie on how full their flights are. Taking Scoot out of Bangkok to Tokyo on a 11pm flight, I checked the seating chart the night before. On a 787, it showed less than 50 passengers, out of a capacity of more than 200 on its flight.

When the door closed, and plane pushed back from the gate. There were only 2 empty seats. 

What are the odds of 150 people waking up that morning, and saying "I want to go to Tokyo tonight, and I want the 11pm flight on Scoot!"

I'd say it's in the millions, it just can't happen... except to my flight.

Long story short, either airlines lie on showing how booked a flight is on their seating map, or hundreds (potentially thousands) of people wake up every day, and take impromptu international flights. 

[Geordie59]

Not much chance as many airlines now charge extra for those seats.
That said, 3 days ago the 10pm Etihad flight from Abu Dhabi - Bangkok was only about 40% full.

[adammike]

3 hours ago, Queef_Sniffer said:

I've found that airlines even lie on how full their flights are. Taking Scoot out of Bangkok to Tokyo on a 11pm flight, I checked the seating chart the night before. On a 787, it showed less than 50 passengers, out of a capacity of more than 200 on its flight.

When the door closed, and plane pushed back from the gate. There were only 2 empty seats. 

What are the odds of 150 people waking up that morning, and saying "I want to go to Tokyo tonight, and I want the 11pm flight on Scoot!"

I'd say it's in the millions, it just can't happen... except to my flight.

Long story short, either airlines lie on showing how booked a flight is on their seating map, or hundreds (potentially thousands) of people wake up every day, and take impromptu international flights. 

I guess not everybody bothers with the choose your seat option especially if you have to pay for it.

 

[Queef_Sniffer]

7 hours ago, adammike said:

I guess not everybody bothers with the choose your seat option especially if you have to pay for it.

 

Even still. Not choosing/paying for the seat assignment option, the system should still assign a randomly occupied seat - on the seat map. 

[Djs1969]

I have often wondered about this (seating allocation) I have looked on website and plane looks booked -then got on plane and it only 3/4 full !

I have talked to others about this and they say its sites like skyscanner etc block booking - wether this is true im am not sure

[mbamber]

48 minutes ago, Queef_Sniffer said:

Even still. Not choosing/paying for the seat assignment option, the system should still assign a randomly occupied seat - on the seat map. 

They will allocate seats when you check in if they can sell you one for a fee it is all the better for them new low cost idea. Emirates have recently changed and now charge for the more popular seats this is after they started in November for the cheapest economy fares now do it for all economy fares.

[Farmer1]

KLM are like sardines out of/in to Schippol all year these days because of their sharing with Air France.

Surliest trolly dolly bitches as well.......There could be empty seats on the next row but try moving to them......they hunt you in packs and force you back to your booked seat or pay a charge 20 euros  to 100 euros for the change in seat.

Then again quite a few airlines are charging for seat allocation now.

[QUIM_SLAYER]

I must be lucky I always seem to end up on a half empty flight. Over the past few years and 9 flights to Thailand I've always had 3 wind W seats to myself once the doors close on the plane. I think if you book a flight far in advance it has time to fill up. I'm sure airlines schedule extra flights due to their flights being in demand and only have a couple of weeks to fill these and hardly ever fill them. That's why I'll never book my flights more than 10-12 days in advance. 

[adammike]

4 hours ago, Djs1969 said:

I have often wondered about this (seating allocation) I have looked on website and plane looks booked -then got on plane and it only 3/4 full !

I have talked to others about this and they say its sites like skyscanner etc block booking - wether this is true im am not sure

Sky scanner do not sell tickets they list the flights and the agents who you buy the ticket from,they may well block book.

[just hanging]

empty coming is good.....empty going is bad

[Captain Courageous]

Whatever you do, DONT fly Quantas....

 

[mbamber]

21 minutes ago, Captain Courageous said:

Whatever you do, DONT fly Quantas....

 

You need to try Yorkshire Airlines proper Trolley Dollies 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm6VC5gdaFA

[noshow]

12 hours ago, Farmer1 said:

KLM are like sardines out of/in to Schippol all year these days because of their sharing with Air France.

Surliest trolly dolly bitches as well.......There could be empty seats on the next row but try moving to them......they hunt you in packs and force you back to your booked seat or pay a charge 20 euros  to 100 euros for the change in seat.

Then again quite a few airlines are charging for seat allocation now.

 

3 hours ago, mbamber said:

You need to try Yorkshire Airlines proper Trolley Dollies 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm6VC5gdaFA

If I see three empty seats together, and I take them, no trolly dolly and certainly not a male one, had better even consider trying to move me, or I will charge them with assault after we land.

[brownmanc]

You are joking when you say you will ignore an instruction from cabin crew ??

[Evilfriar]

On 31/08/2017 at 03:46, Queef_Sniffer said:

Even still. Not choosing/paying for the seat assignment option, the system should still assign a randomly occupied seat - on the seat map. 

Not until people check in usually. I see the same on flights from Ozz, flight looks only half full the day before but full on the day.

 

Cheers

[just hanging]

On 8/31/2017 at 15:44, noshow said:

 

If I see three empty seats together, and I take them, no trolly dolly and certainly not a male one, had better even consider trying to move me, or I will charge them with assault after we land.

uh huh, I believe that, I am guessing it hasn't happened yet, and no one said anything.   someone just went to jail by not following instructions and had to pay the airlines a $110,000 fine.  The captain of a ship or airline is the law, the real honest go god law.....so

[LTGTR]

I'm on China Eastern next week and the 1st 4 rows are nearly full and the last 12 rows are full. But the entire middle section is completely empty-10 rows and nobody except for my window seat. So I guess I'll have a choice of rows with 3 or 4 seats to stretch out.777-300ER.