Usually I think of weight-balance issues in connection with RJs, but last Sun. the 6:25 a.m. IAD-SFO, they had to block off the first 2 rows of E+ on a 319. The irony is, I had run across the pilot boarding the bus and found out he was my pilot. I said to him, if you have W&B issues and need to move me to first.... He chuckled.

Now, I wasn't affected by the block-off in the sense that I had decided to stand by for the flight, and so picked 12B (thinking it was exit row). Since I fell asleep prior to take off (when 11B slammed his seat back, I figured that was the best thing to do), I woke up to find 6 & 7 empty. FA explained why and so I wandered back and found the 2nd to last row empty. Sacked out most of the flight.