Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Exactamente. A seat map only shows assigned seats - you could have a tour group, any number of people, with tickets for that flight with as yet unassigned seats. A GDS connected tool will reveal the actual situation - how many seats (often up to a maximum of seven) are available in each fare class.
Change for your four in the back seats and you might find yourselves crowded; if the flight departs with lots of available seats you can generally move once the hatch is ready to close / closed.