Originally Posted by
BA0197
I'm not so sure that Silver's don't benefit from this change- I can certainly see the downsides of being restricted T-72, but on the whole, since this started (or I noticed) I've had many empty seats next to me as a Silver.
Yes, I think on balance Silvers do benefit. There tends to be a bit of a headlong rush toward the front of the aircraft at T-72, and in the past that meant Silvers and Golds didn't see any space advantages due to excess of demand over supply. Theoretical Seating (TS) turns off the tap somewhat.
But there was a particular group within Silver that used to leverage up their seating at T-72, so called Active Silvers, and since they are the largest status group flying on any given day, a few seat moves from that group would have what some may perceive to be a negative impact. What TS is doing, in collaboration with the seating policies pre-FLY (pre-72 hours), is generally giving a better outcome and decongesting the front of the aircraft; however beyond that general statement there can be some hard luck stories, e.g. if booking at T-48 hours.
It is also reducing pressure on the overheads at the front of the aircraft, there was rarely a problem at the back, now it is more spread along.