Flight quasi-full or AF blocking seats ?
Oct 10, 2013, 3:02 pm
#1
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Flight quasi-full or AF blocking seats ?
This is the current economy seatmap of an Air France CDG -> YUL flight on Airbus A340-300, a little over a month before departure.
Could it be that the flight is already almost full ? or is AF blocking the better seats for elites and whatnot ?
Am I better off not selecting seats at this stage (2 pax) in order to get better selection at online check-in or the gate ?
Could it be that the flight is already almost full ? or is AF blocking the better seats for elites and whatnot ?
Am I better off not selecting seats at this stage (2 pax) in order to get better selection at online check-in or the gate ?
Oct 10, 2013, 3:13 pm
#2
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Hi,
No, your best bet is to at least get two seats selected right now. In part, seats are blocked for elite flyers and other reasons, but having seats will lower your risk of getting kicked out if the flight is overbooked.
If you give dates, some of our experts could take a look for you.
Cheers,
GenevaFlyer
No, your best bet is to at least get two seats selected right now. In part, seats are blocked for elite flyers and other reasons, but having seats will lower your risk of getting kicked out if the flight is overbooked.
If you give dates, some of our experts could take a look for you.
Cheers,
GenevaFlyer
Oct 10, 2013, 3:57 pm
#3
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I just signed up for expert flyer and here is what I get. I'd like to get one of the window seat pairs for me and the gf but many of the empty ones are either "Premium" or blocked (X). Is there a trick to snatch one of those ?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Oct 10, 2013, 4:14 pm
#4
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No. Premium is just that - for elites only although some might become available at OLCI if they have not been attributed by then. Blocked are the emergency exits (you can get those if you pay) or bassinets for which your only possible trick is to have a baby before you fly. As GenevaFlyer mentions, you should certainly assign two seats together now. Your flight is clearly busy and if you don't you may well not have two seats together at al. If something better is available at OLCI you can just bag it then.
Oct 10, 2013, 5:55 pm
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No. Premium is just that - for elites only although some might become available at OLCI if they have not been attributed by then. Blocked are the emergency exits (you can get those if you pay) or bassinets for which your only possible trick is to have a baby before you fly. As GenevaFlyer mentions, you should certainly assign two seats together now. Your flight is clearly busy and if you don't you may well not have two seats together at al. If something better is available at OLCI you can just bag it then.
Some people seek busy flights to increase the chance of being op-upgraded or getting bumped off with a decent compensation
Oct 10, 2013, 11:38 pm
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As others have already said, select seats right now, and eventually change at check-in if better seats become available. Area 1 is usually reserved for Elites and remaining seats will be available at check-in.
YUL-CDG (and vice-versa) is a very busy route for AF and planes are very often super full, so if you don't select seats now, you will end up separated and in middle seats near the toilets
YUL-CDG (and vice-versa) is a very busy route for AF and planes are very often super full, so if you don't select seats now, you will end up separated and in middle seats near the toilets
Oct 11, 2013, 1:04 am
#8
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Originally Posted by Goldorak
Area 1 is usually reserved for Elites and remaining seats will be available at check-in.
Oct 11, 2013, 8:03 am
#9
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On any given flight from YUL about 80% of the preferred seats are not taken.YUL is not an elite heavy market but the AF system will still block off about 30-40% of the seat map anyway.All those seats become available to anyone when the online check-in window opens which is 30hrs before departure.
Oct 11, 2013, 8:48 am
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On any given flight from YUL about 80% of the preferred seats are not taken.YUL is not an elite heavy market but the AF system will still block off about 30-40% of the seat map anyway.All those seats become available to anyone when the online check-in window opens which is 30hrs before departure.
Last edited by MasterGeek; Oct 11, 2013 at 9:27 am
Nov 2, 2013, 7:58 am
#11
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Very frequently, I cannot choose seats in Area 1, in spite of being FB E+. Once I called the FB call center and politely pointed out that Expert Flyer shows sth different, I was told that "if the website shows that Area 1 is full, then it must be full. Thank you, good bye"
Nov 3, 2013, 2:26 pm
#13
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This seat blocking for elites should be outlawed as a kind of false advertising! Advance seat selection is advertised , but after people pay for the ticket they are offered only a small subset of the seats in the class they paid for 
Nov 3, 2013, 3:41 pm
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Maybe the BA way is better? Only Silver and gold members (equivalent of FB Gold/Platinum) or full fare paying customers are allowed free seat selection in Economy, Premium Economy, and Business classes. Everyone else has to pay.