Passenger has no status, traveling on the AA codeshare and using their AA FF number. Checks in on BA app. At T-24 on the dot not able to choose any seat other than a middle seat.

But the Expert Flyer seat map showed some empty non middle seats and several non occupied “blocked” seats. What are all the “blocked” seats?

Load on EF is high — availability shows F1 W1 Y1 B1 and all others buckets zero.

What’s going on?