Almost everyone knows the joy of flying economy with an empty seat next to them. You may not get lucky all the time, but it does happen occasionally.
Last month Australian flag carrier Qantas unveiled a perk that ensures you can always fly with an empty seat next to you without relying on luck.
The airline trialed the neighbor-free option in 2022 and, after receiving positive feedback, decided to extend the feature.
It is available on 14 domestic Qantas routes, for the following rates:
- Adelaide-Brisbane – AU 65 ($44)
- Adelaide-Sydney – $45 ($30)
- Brisbane-Perth – $65 ($44)
- Darwin-Melbourne – $65 ($44)
- Darwin-Sydney – $65 ($44)
- Adelaide-Darwin – $65 ($44)
- Adelaide-Melbourne – $30 ($20)
- Adelaide-Perth – $65 ($44)
- Brisbane-Darwin – $65 ($44)
- Melbourne-Gold Coast – $65 ($44)
- Perth-Darwin – $65 ($44)
- Perth-Melbourne – $65 ($44)
- Perth-Sydney – $65 ($44)
How does it work?
If you are booked on a flight with spare capacity, an email invite will be sent to take up the neighbor-free seating option 48 hours before your flight.
Using the seat map, you can then reselect your standard seat and your adjacent seat to make it neighbor-free.
The option will not be available at the point of booking flights and the additional seat is not guaranteed until departure, with customers receiving a refund if the seat is subsequently sold.