Originally Posted by
FlyerBeek
Really wish DL would rethink their F seat blocking policy on narrowbody flights. Have a flight today where F is booked at 50% (so no chance of upgrade) but everyone in F is traveling in a pair and seated next to each other. Literally half the rows of F will be completely empty while elites wait on upgrade list and it's not possible to even purchase an upgrade. Gate agents should have discretion at boarding time to fill any remaining empty F seat pairs at 50% capacity. That would still ensure the intent of DL's social distancing seat policy is met while adding a modicum of common sense.
Don't know if it will apply to the upgrade scenario or not, but in researching F travel LAX-ATL around January 1-5, it looks like something has changed. Haven't seen it announced, and maybe this is glitchy Delta IT at work, but if you look at seats occupied versus seats available to sell (through a test booking), it looks like if two people are traveling together and seated together in F, the second person of the two doesn't count against the 50% capacity. In general, if you look at the seat maps, it appears that you can sell one seat for each unoccupied pair of seats, even if the cabin is already at 50% capacity.
I reserve the right to be wrong, but it looks to me like something has been tweaked. Assuming it's true, will be interested to see if it translates to the gate upgrade battleground.
I flew back from EYW today in C+ and 2AB sat there empty because F was already booked at 6 people on an A319. I am tired of it.