Let me share yesterdays experience with you - seems to be a myth though. While several months ago I was witness of an OS FA preventing a passenger to change his seat to another one because a SEN sat beside the seat desired by this passenger ("you cannot sit here because this gentleman has a right having a free seat beside him becase he is a very good customer of ours") yesterday everything was different:

I had to fly VIE-FRA in the afternoon on LH3535 and did OLCI 20 hours ago (was nr. 003 in checkin sequence) on 11D (which is THE perfect seat in an LH A321-200 when having to travel in Y). When entering the about 70% full plane and approaching my seat I was impressed: nobdy else was in 11E and 11F and the seat if 11E was converted to a table like in C-class. Minutes later joy was over - a russian couple approached row 11 and took 11E and 11F (which was what their BPs said). The plane was *NOT* full at all so I do not understand why they put these people next to me. (BTW: a HON in 11C had the seat in 11B also converted and stayed alone).

When I flew back with LH3542 a few hours later (I had no time and chance to OLCI for this flight) I got my BP for 16D this time. This time I had the row for myself (one could call that seat blocking but I would call it coincidence because the plane was nearly empty) but I would have preferred a seat in row 11 again (and reseated myself later because 11 was only occupied by 2 people).

So I do not see any logic in LHs seat assignment after all ...

cma410