Originally Posted by
ajthegreat
Make sure the GA is very aware of you...Last time i was in a middle(it was TED though) no one was aware or tried to get me a better seat. Me thinks you will fare better as long as they know you're around and your situation.
Fair point - the only time gate agents proactively get elites better seats is when Y is oversold and they are doing op-ups. You need to ask specifically, and ask nicely too, because seat changes are even more at the gate agent's discretion than upgrades.
If avoiding the center seat is really important to you, maybe give a GTEM in advance.