SAS EuroBonus - Upgrade strategy help and row 23 on 340

I just booked NRT-CPH round trip. Outbound in Eco Extra and return in Eco. I was going to do Extra both ways but my return date had ultra-cheap T class.

I had checked Expertflyer and planned on selecting row 23, but it was blocked on the SAS seatmap. I guess that I need to call or how do you get these seats? Exit rows are taken.

Now, I have 3X,000 EB points and close to 20,000 expire; this is my only chance to use them. So the prudent thing would be to use them on outbound.

But on the outbound I secured row 14 in Eco Extra, which is like C class Lite. M class is fairly booked. Only W class at USD 1400 one way available, although seatmap looks fairly open in Eco. So I could take a chance with Optiontown.

On the return, business is wide open and the plane is quite empty. So from CPH an upgrade with 30k points should be safe. No catering issues would emerge, etc. But no chance with Optiontown here.

p.s. I think that CPH-NRT lives on cargo. A non-rev friend had to wait at check-in until maybe 25 min before departure on a wide open flight NRT-CPH because of weight issues. So this makes Optiontown challenging for this route. The fact that they charge USD 1400 in eco once the ultra cheap buckets are gone shows that they are not too keen to fill every seat on these flights.

p.p.s. NRT-CPH.... Optiontown not available for sign up. But it is available on the wide open return flight.....

I had checked Expertflyer and planned on selecting row 23, but it was blocked on the SAS seatmap. I guess that I need to call or how do you get these seats? Exit rows are taken.


If I remember correctly, row 23 will first be "unblocked" when the internet checkin start, 22 hours before departure.
From what I have heard, they will keep them blocked if they don't need the row, but on that I am not sure.

But when I have been secured a seat in row 23 it has always been by check-in on internet as soon as I was allowed.

Row 23 is normally not blocked as it is not a bassinet location/exit row. It is just a very popular seat row that our fellow frequent flyers always pick if available. Just check out the pax sitting in this row. It is not random once-in-lifetime-travelers but pax who know the best seats in the house. I have managed to secure a seat in this row from time to time during booking but only when booking long time in advance. Otherwise they are always gone. The best seats are AB and GH but the middle seat are also not bad when it comes to leg room.

I agree with your comments on row 14 in Eco Extra. It is truely C lite. I normally take down my carry-on after takeoff and uses it as footrest. Plenty of space to stretch your legs :-)

BHIL, it is maybe because you are EBG.
Even if I have been booking very long time in advance, they have been blocked, even when I could choose almost any other seat in the whole cabin, including the exit rows.
But at check-in the row was réleased, and suddenly I could select a seat there.
I don't know why this difference, but it is my real life experience.

PS. I have just tried to book some flight in april 2013, CPH-BKK-CPH on different days, and on all the fligts the whole row of 23 was blocked. But I could choose seats all over the plane including the exit rows.
I really doubt that 23 DE should have been taken already.

BHIL, it is maybe because you are EBG.

Maybe true, did not think about that. However, I have never seen this row opening up when online check-in becomes available (and trust me, I check every time). Maybe our different experience is just a matter of coincidence. I will try to find out if this row is actually kept for EBG only. Would be nice but I am not sure it is actually the case.

Expertflyer is pretty reliable. It shows one seat taken in row 23 but the seatmap during reservation showed the entire row blocked.

I am EGB, but never seen that the seats on row 23 are available during reservation, but some seats (one-three seats) are released when Internet check-in starts. The drawback for the seats on this row is that the armrests are immovable..

Exit seats are not blocked as I know, at least for EBG's. But I remember that a friend of mine (EBB) could reserve exit rows some months ago during reservation, so they were not blocked. But I am not sure.

I am EGB, but never seen that the seats on row 23 are available during reservation, but some seats (one-three seats) are released when Internet check-in starts. The drawback for the seats on this row is that the armrests are immovable..

Exit seats are not blocked as I know, at least for EBG's. But I remember that a friend of mine (EBB) could reserve exit rows some months ago during reservation, so they were not blocked. But I am not sure.

Thank you fqtcph, that is also my experiense, no blocking on the exit row during reservation (nothing to do with status), and row 23 only released during check-in.