Originally Posted by
CCayley
The 'downside', as others have pointed out, is that if the top priority use of an empty seat is to place it next to a GCH, then couples and others travelling together could be forced to sit apart even though there were several 'seat pairs' available.
Thus, using an example of a single row in a plane in 3x3 configuration, if two GCHs pre-allocated themselves, say, 9C and 9D, then even if all other seats in the row were free, Mr and Mrs Deeplyinlove would be required to occupy 9A and F.
This isn't that likely to happen. In the scenario above 9A/B are free and 9E/F are free with 9B and 9E blocked. But is it likely that a plane will have all the other seats filled (including the middle seats) and two window seats left over? This is not likely. Some single passengers would take the window seats. leaving probably middle seats free elsewhere. The aisle and window seats always go first, leaving middle seats to go last.
What would convince BA to do this would be how much it would cost them (including lost revenue from people that buy Y tickets instead of CE) and whether other airlines do it.
To pour oil on troubled waters I normally book A and C if travelling with someone on LH. Then the seat block keeps a middle seat empty for us and we have three seats for the two of us. This works about 95% of the time in europe (and i'm sure there is another thread in the BA forum about booking aisle+window seats and how it (even without seat blocking)) causes distress for familes and loving couples.