Originally Posted by estate

I've always wondered what happens when the last seat is sold to a non-Gold member, and the only available seat is in row 1.
I'm flying to SFO in a couple of weeks in F, and noticed the other day that ExpertFlyer says all F seats are now sold out. I'm in 1A, but 1K is the only free seat, presumably because the last person to book is not a Gold. Does BA really prevent that last purchaser from booking *any* seat until T-72, just in case someone else cancels and is replaced by a Gold member, or a Gold member seated elsewhere decides to move to the front?