Virgin America Elevate - When do blocked seats (eg row 4) become available?

Are those only available for use by airport staff?

Or are they available for people doing online check-in as well?

Or can I call the call center 24 hours before the flight to get assigned those seats?

Thanks.

You can't. They are only available to assign by the airport staff. It's so they have the ability to swap people around, assign seating for disabled guests, ones travelling with seeing eye dogs or families with small children.

I actually had a phone agent tell me on the phone this week that they release row 4 at the airport.

My question, which she couldn't answer, is do they clear families with a lap child into row 4, enabling them/us to use the car seat for lap child? If so, how is row 4 assigned, by elevate status, if any or by when the party checked in?

We booked aisle and window with the hope the middle would remain open, but someone picked it. The good news is even if we don't get row 4, as of tonight there are 12 open seats left in the main cabin, 2 in select and 3 in F, and the flight is Friday.

Probably depends how full the flight is, but in my experience if you don't purchase the seat you cannot bring the carseat on for a lap child.