Originally Posted by
findark
If it says "seat request" but not "standby" then you are a confirmed pax. This is a little confusing because confirmed pax will appear on the "Standby List" and look like cleared standbys when you get an assignment.
DL has a fairly large number of seat blocks that get assigned on the day of departure, some of them at the gate. If you check the seatmap and see a blocked seat in your cabin, you can usually have this assigned to you by the gate agent if you ask nicely. Otherwise it will be done for you.
The minor annoyance being that you sometimes are already assigned one of those blocked seats by the time you reach the gate counter and there's no real opportunity to change. Had that happen where I had a seat request card, the GA assigned me an aisle seat way in the back thinking I'd prefer it to a C+ bulkhead middle.