Originally Posted by
IainF
As a Velocity Plat, and flying in J from BNE-AUH, I was really hoping to get 5A for my flight.
It was showing as blocked on Expertflyer and I couldn't preselect it, either online or on the phone.
I got to BNE 30 minutes BEFORE checkin opened and was the first person to check in.
I asked for 5A and was told that it had been filled.....
Wait.... what ?
I am still unsure how this happened but I do know the pax in 5A had no status with EY/VA and checked in after me.
It was their first time on EY and they had to be shown how to use the seat/IFE and where the toilet was, so def not a FF.
I think the EY airport team pre-allocates seats before checkin opens. Often I book my tickets very last minute at the night desk of our travel agent, and the agent does not reserve any seats. When I show up at the airport one hour before departure, I am allocated 5A. I must assume somebody actively allocates Golds/Elites without seat assignment to those blocked seats.
This time I am travelling economy and my travel agent has allocated some standard seat. So there is no reason for me to believe that EY will change my seat to an emergency seat. And I cannot change it online, either. And the phone agent I just talked to said he cannot access the emergency row seats. Annoying.