flysurfer

And they may be right, because instead of being an automatic feature in the system, it could just as well be the doing of a good gate agent. Like the one who told me "you have 81A and the seat next to you will be blocked". Which it was.

tcswede

Good for you - I have been generally told by the gate agent " we can not block the seat next to you " when asking them - same for PA at the FCT etc. so as with everything YMMV.

Cheers

Thomas

f0zzyNUE

it makes sense that the blocked seat can be removed very easily. imagine you travel with a companion and checkin-agents would have to call supervisors to unblock the seat for your companion wanting to be seated on the seat next to you ... quite some hassle for this common scenario ...

CHris

LH_Fan

... except that I'd definitely want an entire three-seat segment to my companion and myself, so why undo the middle seat blocking? AFAIK, (automatic) seat blocking only works on three-seat and four-seat segments.

weero

Yes. And as a consequence this couple has to be planted next to a SEN or HON
on a lightly loaded plane?

At least this is what nearly always happens to me. No wait, very often I also do
have two unrelated pax next to me .

LH_Fan

Apologies if this is too obvious - but have you tried using your M&M member no. instead of your M&M CC no. when booking the flight, or vice versa?

Lech

Same for me. I have always been told that this feature does not exist, nor can the middle seat be blocked.

weero

In the past: always. But these days, LH keeps claiming that my 'old' SEN number
would no longer be valid. The Swiss call centre could not even identify me with
my SEN number, I had to give them my credit card number .
I seat blocking working fine a few times this year ... but this is the year when I
collect all my miles on MP, even the LH ones .
Middle seats in F - that would be a tough surprise .

tcswede

Bear in mind I was refeering to F seats.
For C and Y it goes both ways - from a clear confirmation to snotty "it is a priviledge given but not a general perk - so be thankfull..." type of communication from GA / CSR / PA and whoever feels obligated to chime in with a response.

Cheers

Thomas

mag

welcome to FT... and, errr, nice handle... it has a certain connotation on this board

jacob_m

I can definitely confirm the seat blocking exists, it is not a myth!!
I even got a thorough demonstration by a friendly agent at the LH transfer desk at FRA two months ago.
I wanted to change my seat assignment for my onward flight and at the same time ask about the seat blocking.
She gave me a new seat and also showed on her screen how a "+" had appeared for the middle seat next to mine.
She also explained that it is not a benefit, i.e. not something you are entitled to, and there is no guarantee the middle seat will be left empty just because of the +.
But it assures that the middle seat next to you is among the last ones to be taken, which turned out to be the case also on that flight which was quite full.

There are two things to keep in mind though.
*The system must recognise the gold status, obviously not a problem with SEN but might be a problem with other *G.
*The check-in must be handled by LH, or at least by an airline/handling company using the LH check-in/reservation system.
For example if you fly LH from Stockholm or Copenhagen to Germany the check-in is handled by SAS.
SAS uses a different check-in system which does not have the seat blocking function, hence on all ex-Scandinavia LH flights it totally depends on the check-in agents and the flight load if the middle seat will be left empty.
Consequently there will neither be any seat blocking for any connecting flights from Germany, if you want the middleseat blocked you need to visit a transfer desk or ask in the lounge so they can do it manually.

weero

Well that is the whole point of this thread - once you are there, you need
agents who appreciate that there is such a thing as seat blocking!
I do not doubt myself that seatblocking does exist, I am merely quoting a CH
LH supervisor who went through the effort of calling me back and telling me that
seatblocking is "a mith".
So how would you ask these agents to block your seat? Exorcism?

And this is the suspicions that I now breed more strongly with every post: I am
departing from the wrong airports! Would I check-in in FRA, they would
gladly (well I am assuming they would) block the seat next to me. But if I get
the passes in ZRH, I have to be grateful if they grasp the concept of a "confirmed
seat".

flysurfer

That's I always use the LH phone check-in. "PHO" is always the right airport.

weero

But even "PHO" Intl. airport varies from country to country. You might still be at
the two lucky ends of the system whereas I am not.
But then Kiwi Flyer manages to get seatblocking working from Down Under.
Maybe it's because he's stopping in Asia?

flysurfer

Works with CCs in Kassel, Capetown, Istanbul, Berlin...