No more soft block for OWE AND soft block for cash coming very soon? (perhaps?)
Apr 24, 2017, 10:43 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seat 1L these days :)
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No more soft block for OWE AND soft block for cash coming very soon? (perhaps?)
So I was checking in for my AY flight this morning and asked politely for soft block of the seat next to me 
No go but the lady mentioned also that soon I can buy this service as its being introduced as a pay add on!
Other then overcrowded lounge and one drink on board there soon wont be much need to be OWE on AY! Just my soft rant
Seems like AY is on a roll with less then great changes, making Oneworld more of a TWO world program alliance and less attractive for me and perhaps others EX HEL...
Again if this too has been discussed here allready please feel free to chastide me and merge but I did not find this here atleast on my phone
No go but the lady mentioned also that soon I can buy this service as its being introduced as a pay add on! Other then overcrowded lounge and one drink on board there soon wont be much need to be OWE on AY! Just my soft rant
Seems like AY is on a roll with less then great changes, making Oneworld more of a TWO world program alliance and less attractive for me and perhaps others EX HEL...
Again if this too has been discussed here allready please feel free to chastide me and merge but I did not find this here atleast on my phone
Apr 24, 2017, 11:05 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+Plat
Posts: 862
Ok, I was dreaming then. I had a middle seat blocked yesterday with clear sign "enjoy complimentary free seat" or sth like that and I was thinking how nice for a non-AY OW Sapphire . Maybe it was for the another guy who was kind of overdressed.
Apr 25, 2017, 10:02 am
#3
Moderator, Finnair
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
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Sound like you were sitting in a "business class seat". It might happen if they move the curtain but forgets to remove the special markers. But it isn't part of any block system.
Apr 25, 2017, 10:29 am
#4
Moderator, Finnair
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
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And since "soft block" isn't something that really exists it is easy to add it to the list of paid services. It's not like they are making a previously free perk into a paid service, they are introducing a new paid service.
And no. Soft-block does not currently exist. Here is me in 9A, a pre-selected seat, checking in as sequence 1. Seq1 means that this is the raw seatmap as it was when it was handed over from Altéa to departure control. Why is there someone in 9B?
Apr 25, 2017, 10:56 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Helsinki-Vantaa APT, Finland
Programs: AY LUMO
Posts: 6,055
Apr 25, 2017, 11:01 am
#7
Moderator, Finnair
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
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So far there always have been sitting someone next to me, yes. On this particular flight I don't know, since I didn't fly it in the end.
But I guess it is a question of belief. People want to believe that the empty seat next to them is empty due to a soft-block and not due to coincidence.
But I guess it is a question of belief. People want to believe that the empty seat next to them is empty due to a soft-block and not due to coincidence.
Apr 25, 2017, 11:24 am
#8
Moderator, Finnair
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
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Posts: 14,172
Apr 25, 2017, 1:34 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+Plat
Posts: 862
Yes it was 6th row and felt like more legroom (is it?) than normal economy seat and the curtain was on third row.
Last edited by lento; Apr 25, 2017 at 3:05 pm
Apr 26, 2017, 1:42 am
#11
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum (oneworld Emerald), Bonvoy/Radisson/Hilton Gold
Posts: 149
However, if I have chosen an exit row, sometimes the seat next to me has had someone in it (usually a couple on seats BC). I guess that they still can override that soft block if someone requests an exit row at the check-in counter even though it might not be possible on self-service check-in?
Apr 26, 2017, 2:08 am
#12
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: Accor ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,111
I asked CS about the seat block so that we don’t have to speculate. This is their answer:
If there is plenty of space on a flight, our system tries to offer free seat next to our frequent flyers so that traveling would be more comfortable. This isn’t always possible, for example when the flight is fully booked. We can’t block the seats manually.
If there is plenty of space on a flight, our system tries to offer free seat next to our frequent flyers so that traveling would be more comfortable. This isn’t always possible, for example when the flight is fully booked. We can’t block the seats manually.
Apr 26, 2017, 2:16 am
#13
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 280
I asked CS about the seat block so that we don’t have to speculate. This is their answer:
If there is plenty of space on a flight, our system tries to offer free seat next to our frequent flyers so that traveling would be more comfortable. This isn’t always possible, for example when the flight is fully booked. We can’t block the seats manually.
If there is plenty of space on a flight, our system tries to offer free seat next to our frequent flyers so that traveling would be more comfortable. This isn’t always possible, for example when the flight is fully booked. We can’t block the seats manually.
Also, are they really not able to override what the system does?
Apr 26, 2017, 2:46 am
#14
Moderator, Finnair
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Gold, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,172
Oliver2002 posted a great tutorial video on how this works.
Can we now please stop talking about a seat block?
Apr 26, 2017, 2:47 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seat 1L these days :)
Programs: AF Platinum/AY LUMO/SK EBG/baEC S/HYATT Globalist/MR LTP/A3 *G/HH Dia/IHG plat
Posts: 7,957
I asked CS about the seat block so that we don’t have to speculate. This is their answer:
If there is plenty of space on a flight, our system tries to offer free seat next to our frequent flyers so that traveling would be more comfortable. This isn’t always possible, for example when the flight is fully booked. We can’t block the seats manually.
If there is plenty of space on a flight, our system tries to offer free seat next to our frequent flyers so that traveling would be more comfortable. This isn’t always possible, for example when the flight is fully booked. We can’t block the seats manually.