Ned1968

Sounds excessive - I can understand the system prioritising empty space next to a "status holder's" seat, but keeping a seat across the aisle free? Someone must think high status passengers don't want to SEE other passengers, let alone sit next to them!*

* And they are probably right :-)

Virazuno

Does this mean that, at T-72, if someone else (say...a Bronze) has put themselves next to a Gold, FLY will kick them out and put them somewhere near the back?

MPH1980

I had a bit of an odd one a few months back which I posted on here where I was in 64K ... 64J, 63K and 63J were all blocked out. As it happened, the flight was completely full and I was surrounded by people ... but it was a nice idea :-)

So I think the idea of 'next to' is a bit vague on FLY.

MPH1980

AIUI - no.

It's not going to relocate people who've chosen seats.

But it will keep seats free if they aren't already occupied. But equally - it'll release blocked seats as it needs to.

orbitmic

Well, in fairness, the person who wanted to move had no other reason to want to move than to similarly have an empty seat next to him rather than a seat he was already capable of not seeing through complete privacy screens. It's not as if he wanted to move next to someone he couldn't have sat next to otherwise or anything of the sort. So basically, the system just says that the feeling of a free seat next to you is kept for the GGL member rather than the non-status one, which I do not find unreasonable.

Ned1968

I hope you're right!

Here's my seat map puzzle. GGL/CCR and GCH to seat.

17A + 17C and hope that blocks 17B?

17C and 16B and hope that 16A gets blocked and then move 17C to 16A at T-72?

16B and 16J and hope that either 16A or 16K get blocked and become available at T-72?

GCH to move, checkmate in 3 moves.....

MCM1

Very interesting thread.

I'm currently doing a set of 6 x CE LGW-AMS returns. (completed four and am already tired of Gatwick).

Nearly all of them sitting in 2A. Row 1 hasn't been available on any of these flights. I thought they must have been selected early by others, but on yesterdays AMS-LGW, 1A was taken (with silver badge on bag) and the other seat empty. Would this be because I'm Silver and these are held for Gold?

Next flight is BA2760 LGW-AMS on Tuesday, so I've checked MMB on mobile app because less than 72 hours, and row 1 is not showing as available. I am in 2A again which I selected a couple of weeks ago.

Can anyone tell if row 1 is taken or held?

Thanks.

xenole

1C and 1D are available for me. 1A and F are unavailable.

Tobias-UK

This is the current seatmap:

Results from ExpertFlyer.com

MCM1

Many thanks xenole & Tobias-UK, so it is a 'Gold' thing related to TS.

I also have 2 x return flights to HEL in Sept, same thing again with front rows not available.

I'm gold at end of Sept, so hopefully this changes my options.

Cheers.

orbitmic

I think that your only winning combination here is 17A+C hoping for 17B blocked. I would never bank on bassinets seats being blocked for people with a legitimate use for them.

MPH1980

BUT - be aware that if the flight is getting full - 17B is going to be happily released to someone to sit in.

orbitmic

absolutely. or even almost full or if some people have higher precedence I guess.

BerksFlyer

I'm currently on BA377 (08:25 TLS-LHR) and the doors have just closed. I am grateful for 6E being free for sure. 5B&E are also empty so assume golds are in front of me too. I did consider putting my family of four in 6A, C, D and F but considered the risk not worth taking. It probably would have worked though as the flight is far from full.

This genuine enhancement from BA gets a ^ from me

ReynoldsNumber

Ive made quite a few CE flights recently as a Silver since the changes - here are my observations.

On 7 out of 8 flights, row 1 has not been available at T-72 or closer to departure. In flight I am seeing at least one free seat in row 1 on most flights - so they appear to be all golds in row 1 blocking the empty seat for silver and lower.

On one of the flights - again no row 1 availability, but on doors closing all 4 row 1 seats were empty. My assumption was a single gold passenger had blocked all 4 row 1 seats and had changed his booking last minute. So it maybe possible that one gold can block a whole row if the cabin is not full and there are spaces for all other passengers in the rest of the cabin?

However, there was one flight out of the 8 where all 4 row 1 seats were available for selection at T-72.

I am not seeing any obvious Silver benefits in CE by this new feature - in a half full CE cabin my next door seat has been occupied a few times, so it doesn't look like its a cascading service where a silver can block a seat from a bronze, blue or no status.

Not a happy bunny sitting in row 2 (first world problems eh ...) - This new feature has tipped the balance for me to finally go for gold next year!