Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners) - "Hunting" for the blocked middle seat?

On my recent domestic flight to TXL I had seat reservations for my wife (SEN) and me 7A and 7C with the middle seat blocked, which was visible 23 hrs before the flight on EF. When checking in online I found that the middle seat was occupied while plenty of other seats (not only middle seats) were empty. I called the hotline and they confirmed that the middle seat was occupied. The agent told me there were no available rows with an empty middle seat. I found her one row according to EF and she reserved 11A and 11 F and the middle seat got blocked on EF. At arrival at the airport again this middle seat was occupied, while more than 9 others were empty. I decided to go for the 2-2 seating at the emergency exit row 10.
When the plane starts, I was surprised that at least 7 more middle seats remained empty. As blocked middle seat to the best of my knowledge are not available for online check in, apparently an agent at the airport must have seated twice someone into these blocked seats. Is this a new kind of appreciation to HONs and SENs?

As blocked middle seat to the best of my knowledge are not available for online check in, apparently an agent at the airport must have seated twice someone into these blocked seats. Is this a new kind of appreciation to HONs and SENs?

My sympathies, but chill out. SO. MANY. TIMES. my plane was 3/4 full, tons of people with empty seats next to them and me sitting with somebody on my side. I don't think they were all SENs though :)

I have that situation every third/fourth flight to be honest. I always smile to my neighbor, say "hello" and thank heavens that I'm not on a US domestic flight :) Space could be a little more limited :)

safe travels!
mfk

As blocked middle seat to the best of my knowledge are not available for online check in, apparently an agent at the airport must have seated twice someone into these blocked seats.
From my own experience I have the felling that they have a problem with their check in machines. Yesterday I came to the airport very shortly before the flight and used the check in machine. I was given seat 5B and ended up on the middle seat between two status passengers who were not too happy about it. After boarding the aircraft I noticed that some other seats were still available, but I the seatmap during check in showed all seats occupied. So my guess is that a buggy software on the check in machines ignores the seat blocking.

From my own experience I have the felling that they have a problem with their check in machines. Yesterday I came to the airport very shortly before the flight and used the check in machine. I was given seat 5B and ended up on the middle seat between two status passengers who were not too happy about it. After boarding the aircraft I noticed that some other seats were still available, but I the seatmap during check in showed all seats occupied. So my guess is that a buggy software on the check in machines ignores the seat blocking.

What about pax who either selected a seat in advance and did not appear or who checked in at the airport and did not appear?

My experience with the LH Check-In machines is the same, they show seats occupied which aren't.

I recently flew DUSZRH (on LH metal). On the way to the airport, I checked availability and it was wide open (9 even in mid level economy fare buckets). I then went to the next Check-In machine and was more than surprised to see that my seat reservation wasn't honored, I was allocated an other seat and got absolutely no choice as all other seats appeared to be taken (about 100 mins before departure). I aborted the check in and went to *G desk. The friendly lady reallocated me to my reserved seat in a second and confirmed the light load. Indeed, only about half of the seats were taken ....

I made the same experience. In my hands, seat blocking does not work consistently (and in the cases where I have a middle empty seat next to me, almost everyone else has as well...). It is also very strange that when doing OLCI sometimes seat reservations are deleted. Last week on a GVA-FRA flight (in C), I had 3C reserved. At OLCI, although the ticket was booked on lh.de and the flight operated by LH, I was automatically forwarded to the LX OLCI with the message that LX is the operating carrier (which is obviously wrong) ... Then, despite my reservation of 3C, got automatically assigned the last row in C on the window (seat 9A, despite having put the aisle seat preferences in my profile). my initially booked seat was shown as reserved (?). I then changed to 3A and of course 3C remained free on the flight ...

In my experience I when the middle blocked is taken it must have been taken through the self check-in machines (or agents), as there were a lot of other free seats, but the agents told each other which seats to keep free.

Now that they've removed the self check-in machines at OTP I've had better luck with seatblocking out of here, which would perhaps indicate it was those...

Two factors are kicking in: the auto checkin system, where everyone is being checked in, agents that couldn't care less about + shown on the seat, and (the third) SENs picking the middle seat in the front (yes, its happened to me).

Two factors are kicking in: the auto checkin system, where everyone is being checked in, agents that couldn't care less about + shown on the seat, and (the third) SENs picking the middle seat in the front (yes, its happened to me).

I've experienced it so many times, before I became SEN. Check-In maschines or agents put me in the middle seats in the front so many times. I would have been fine with a middle seat in the back.

These days, I have a 50/50 ratio at max for successful seat blocking. I simply don't get why LH is screwing up with such a significant but (almost) cost-free benefit. There's no easier and cheaper way to make a SEN/HON happy.
And they can't tell me that any of those people are considering booking J on short haul now to have the middle seat as a guarantee.. no person in its right mind would ever consider that. And the number of people in J switching to Y, due to the only difference being food and miles will also be marginal. Most of the people flying J on short haul are either people on corporate contracts or feeder pax. So the opportunity cost of this offer should be very limited.

Btw. I have to say that Seatblocking on AB has worked in 100% of the cases for me. It used to be a little complicated with calling the Gold Hotline everytime, but these days it works quite efficient. And at least systemwise it used to be blocked as a booked seat, so no check-in machine or agent could tap it, until the flight was full and the seat was needed. Was very handy and something I would expect from LH as well.

Two factors are kicking in: the auto checkin system, where everyone is being checked in, agents that couldn't care less about + shown on the seat, and (the third) SENs picking the middle seat in the front (yes, its happened to me).

Also happens that passengers change seats when the perceived benefit of moving up to the front of the cabin wins over the discomfort of sitting between two unhappy individuals.

The ultimate deeat of seat-blocking!

I'm not sure cabin attendants would be interested in defending those invaded, and how ready they would be to pull out their restraints, stun-guns etc.

Also happens that passengers change seats when the perceived benefit of moving up to the front of the cabin wins over the discomfort of sitting between two unhappy individuals.

The ultimate deeat of seat-blocking!

I'm not sure cabin attendants would be interested in defending those invaded, and how ready they would be to pull out their restraints, stun-guns etc.

Do you mean moving about the cabin without a BP for that middle seat? I've had someone try to do that once, and I asked: Is your seat here? It worked!

...and (the third) SENs picking the middle seat in the front (yes, its happened to me).

It's much easier to get an empty seat further in the back because once all the aisle and windows seats are gone, the cabin more or less gets filled up from the front. Especially if there are status pax without seat reservation who'd rather sit in the front between two people than in the back between two people.

HTB.

Do you mean moving about the cabin without a BP for that middle seat? I've had someone try to do that once, and I asked: Is your seat here? It worked!

Yes - an after-doors-closed seat shifter :)

It has also happened on long-haul flights when the blessed seat-block gives me an A+B on an A340: the empty aisle or window proves irresistable to a prisoner in a centre block.

...or perhaps it is I who am irresistable :)