How often to seat movements happen for trim purposes on domestics?
Jul 21, 2014, 8:52 am
#1
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How often to seat movements happen for trim purposes on domestics?
I was just wondering if regular domestic flyers knew how often seat movements for trim purposes happen?
My main reason for asking is that I never choose rows one or two on a middle of the day domestic flight operated by an A321 having previously been moved from row 2 to a nasty middle seat at the rear of the plane.
I turned down the opportunity for seat 1C on the 12:35 GLA-LHR this week based on my fear of being shifted. Foolish or sensible? I guess I'll find out when I fly!
My main reason for asking is that I never choose rows one or two on a middle of the day domestic flight operated by an A321 having previously been moved from row 2 to a nasty middle seat at the rear of the plane.
I turned down the opportunity for seat 1C on the 12:35 GLA-LHR this week based on my fear of being shifted. Foolish or sensible? I guess I'll find out when I fly!
Jul 21, 2014, 9:10 am
#2
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I've never seen trim issues on the larger B737/B767/A319/320/321 series, and I can't ever recall seat shifting on Domestics either, there's no curtain issues there either. This includes very low loaded services, e.g. on Saturday afternoons. The risk is on LCY's Embraer service, where I've certainly seen it happen, though Golds and above are sometimes exempt. On the 12:35 to LHR I can't see any risk of being shifted.
Jul 21, 2014, 9:29 am
#3
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I fly on BA1460 on a Saturday evening about twice a month and it is usually pretty quiet (usually well under 100 passengers), they regularly block the first 15 or so rows on MMB a couple of weeks before departure to spread everyone out.
Also, once on board, the crew do move passengers around even more. I was surprised the first time this happened, being on such a relatively big aircraft.
Also, once on board, the crew do move passengers around even more. I was surprised the first time this happened, being on such a relatively big aircraft.
Jul 21, 2014, 9:33 am
#4
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I've never seen trim issues on the larger B737/B767/A319/320/321 series, and I can't ever recall seat shifting on Domestics either, there's no curtain issues there either. This includes very low loaded services, e.g. on Saturday afternoons. The risk is on LCY's Embraer service, where I've certainly seen it happen, though Golds and above are sometimes exempt. On the 12:35 to LHR I can't see any risk of being shifted.
On each occasion, golds have been "exempt" and kept their preassigned seat with a big gap between them and everyone one. A few times as silver I managed to get a seat towards the front and keep it.
Jul 21, 2014, 9:40 am
#5
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I haven't ever been moved or even seen anyone been moved for trim on a domestic yet. My domestic experience is split between MAN services (A321/320/319) and LBA servies (A319). Even on lightly loaded (<30) I haven't seen any moving of passengers. I have occassionally seen some odd seat blocking prior to OLCI (me in 1A and all seats blocked up to row 6 - only a few were actually occupied) so I wonder if that was some attempt to manage passenger distribution.
Jul 21, 2014, 9:41 am
#6
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I've seen the same. The entire cabin opened up at T-72, then closed that evening. If you've selected your seat in the now 'closed' area, you tend to stay there, with the next passenger 15 rows down.
Jul 21, 2014, 9:42 am
#7
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Ah ha, so it isn't just me who has seen this. Did seem a bit odd when I looked at the seat map as I was isolated at the front.
Jul 21, 2014, 9:42 am
#8
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I've never been moved for trim reasons - but a few times I've been unable to allocate seats towards the front in a 737.
On one occasion after boarding all six front rows were empty - but after take off the cabin crew said I could move forward to wherever I wanted.
On one occasion after boarding all six front rows were empty - but after take off the cabin crew said I could move forward to wherever I wanted.
Jul 21, 2014, 9:46 am
#9
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I thought "the plane can't be that full, right?", and indeed it wasn't. Bags of space.
Jul 21, 2014, 10:01 am
#10
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Yes had the same was on a A321 to LHR from EDI and at T-72 moved up front. By the time it was T-24 front cabin greyed out. There was 6 of us at the end of the day in the front section. Rest of the plane was busy.
As we were running late on the day, connecting passengers were moved up to fill the empty seats.
As we were running late on the day, connecting passengers were moved up to fill the empty seats.
Jul 21, 2014, 10:27 am
#11
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Have this fairly often on quiet 737 domestics when the front 5 rows or so are blocked, though as earlier posted, if you have previously selected a seat in that area, not thrown out of it.(well I havn't been)
We were also the only couple in the front of an A321 in row 7, the entire rest of the front cabin was empty.... slightly strange!
This was 5 or six years back tho' where as on the 737 it has happened on a GLA flight very recently... there was a GCH in row 1 and me in row 3 then nobody else until row 6....
We were also the only couple in the front of an A321 in row 7, the entire rest of the front cabin was empty.... slightly strange!
This was 5 or six years back tho' where as on the 737 it has happened on a GLA flight very recently... there was a GCH in row 1 and me in row 3 then nobody else until row 6....
Jul 21, 2014, 10:56 am
#12
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I've never seen trim issues on the larger B737/B767/A319/320/321 series, and I can't ever recall seat shifting on Domestics either, there's no curtain issues there either. This includes very low loaded services, e.g. on Saturday afternoons. The risk is on LCY's Embraer service, where I've certainly seen it happen, though Golds and above are sometimes exempt. On the 12:35 to LHR I can't see any risk of being shifted.
Jul 21, 2014, 11:37 am
#13
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On a A321 MAN-LHR service last August my son and I were walking down the air bridge to board when the TRM appears at the doors and shouted up to "move the passengers from row one to the back".
I identified us as row one pax and he asked us to wait at the bottom of the air bridge until everyone had boarded. He then gave us the a row to ourselves toward the back. No big deal, in the end it turned out well for us as we arrived at a remote stand and 'de-planed' from the rear.
Quite a few times I've experienced the front few rows being blocked on a lightly loaded A321. Those who selected seats a week or so before departure were left, with all the empty seats blocked about at T-72ish.
I identified us as row one pax and he asked us to wait at the bottom of the air bridge until everyone had boarded. He then gave us the a row to ourselves toward the back. No big deal, in the end it turned out well for us as we arrived at a remote stand and 'de-planed' from the rear.
Quite a few times I've experienced the front few rows being blocked on a lightly loaded A321. Those who selected seats a week or so before departure were left, with all the empty seats blocked about at T-72ish.
Jul 21, 2014, 1:44 pm
#15
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My very rare foray into Dom on an ex-BMI A319 last year had seat shifting for trim reasons. And we were split up, and lost our Exit row seats. 6,000 Avios each was gratefully accepted 
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...ack-south.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...ack-south.html