Mar 22, 2018, 3:34 am
Last edit by: corporate-wage-slave
This thread examines BA's use of Amadeus' Theoretical Seating module. This kicks in at T-72 hours before departure, so this thread is primarily of interest to those travelling within the next few days.
FAQ : 'Theoretical Seating' : Blocked seats and status
Aug 13, 2018, 1:28 am
#1036
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,804
Just booked a last minute trip to Amsterdam departing in about 6 hours, on LX. Unceremoniously dumped into 38D as the last/only seat available in the Y cabin - and this is as a M&M SEN (*G) passenger.
Just goes to show that this is in area that (in my opinion) beats the competition.
Just goes to show that this is in area that (in my opinion) beats the competition.
Aug 13, 2018, 2:58 am
#1037
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Lincolnshire, UK
Programs: BA GGL - maybe only briefly!
Posts: 1,378
Trying to understand seat blocking
We have recently booked a return to BUD for November, as redemptions, in ET. We have selected the same seats both ways, 9A/B, with me in B. Checking EF (with my status deleted), and making a dummy booking (as a guest), shows 9C blocked on the return leg but available on the outbound leg. I am not overly bothered about someone taking the seat, just trying to understand the gold seat blocking theory.
Aug 13, 2018, 3:13 am
#1038
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: BA, Hilton
Posts: 2,091
We have recently booked a return to BUD for November, as redemptions, in ET. We have selected the same seats both ways, 9A/B, with me in B. Checking EF (with my status deleted), and making a dummy booking (as a guest), shows 9C blocked on the return leg but available on the outbound leg. I am not overly bothered about someone taking the seat, just trying to understand the gold seat blocking theory.
(I have the vaguest recollection that Row 9 might get seats blocked as somewhere cabin crew stand on some A32x variants, but it's hazy - and expert will be along soon no doubt!)
Aug 13, 2018, 3:14 am
#1039
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,804
We have recently booked a return to BUD for November, as redemptions, in ET. We have selected the same seats both ways, 9A/B, with me in B. Checking EF (with my status deleted), and making a dummy booking (as a guest), shows 9C blocked on the return leg but available on the outbound leg. I am not overly bothered about someone taking the seat, just trying to understand the gold seat blocking theory.
The D seat is often blocked for crew seats on some shorthaul sectors.
Aug 13, 2018, 6:18 am
#1040
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Lincolnshire, UK
Programs: BA GGL - maybe only briefly!
Posts: 1,378
Ok, thanks, I get the T-72 logic so should not have brought status into the equation. But there is clearly some blocking going on at this stage which I was just trying to understand. It is difficult to tell for the uninitiated, as the website just shows seats as unavailable, whereas EF differentiates between blocked and occupied.
Aug 13, 2018, 6:28 am
#1041
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,691
We have recently booked a return to BUD for November, as redemptions, in ET. We have selected the same seats both ways, 9A/B, with me in B. Checking EF (with my status deleted), and making a dummy booking (as a guest), shows 9C blocked on the return leg but available on the outbound leg. I am not overly bothered about someone taking the seat, just trying to understand the gold seat blocking theory.
Aug 22, 2018, 7:31 am
#1044
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,258
So TS has kicked in for my flight on Saturday - I can't grab 64K. I called BA and they said AA own it so they won't move me... I read somewhere that you can move it on Qantas or RJ ? Qantas showing it unavailable - RJ I can't work out how to do seat moves !! Any top tips ? Currently in 61A which is OK but I do want my favourite 
Sep 3, 2018, 1:57 pm
#1045
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Diamond
Posts: 7,769
I picked an empty row near the back of the plane and ended up with a possibly statusless couple next to me and the rows in front and across empty.
Updated: seems that any row I choose that still has an empty middle the day of the flight, will be the only surrounding row where the middle is now occupied.
100% of all my flights in the last few weeks.
Updated: seems that any row I choose that still has an empty middle the day of the flight, will be the only surrounding row where the middle is now occupied.
100% of all my flights in the last few weeks.
Last edited by xenole; Sep 5, 2018 at 10:03 am
Sep 5, 2018, 8:13 am
#1046
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: BA Gold Guest List, Concorde Room Card, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 728
CE row 1, FLY, and Gold Blocks
Hi,
Does anyone know how this works? My (seemingly false) understanding was that, post-FLY, only Golds could select row 1 at any time, the seats of which showed as 'blocked' in Expertflyer. As such, when a row 1 seat next to me happened to be free, it was not blocked 'for me', but rather merely blocked by default, as no Gold had selected it.
For example, here is tonight's BA 444:
Which tends to meet my theory - otherwise surely some non-Golds would have moved there?
However, a friend going to Munich today pointed out how 1DF was not blocked, yet the 1A was blocked 'for him':
Can anyone explain how this works?
Thanks.
Does anyone know how this works? My (seemingly false) understanding was that, post-FLY, only Golds could select row 1 at any time, the seats of which showed as 'blocked' in Expertflyer. As such, when a row 1 seat next to me happened to be free, it was not blocked 'for me', but rather merely blocked by default, as no Gold had selected it.
For example, here is tonight's BA 444:
Which tends to meet my theory - otherwise surely some non-Golds would have moved there?
However, a friend going to Munich today pointed out how 1DF was not blocked, yet the 1A was blocked 'for him':
Can anyone explain how this works?
Thanks.
Last edited by ba_cityflyer; Sep 5, 2018 at 8:22 am Reason: Fix embedded images
Sep 5, 2018, 8:17 am
#1047
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London, ARN, HEL, ..... or MAN
Programs: BA GGL / GFL, Mucci Diamond!, HH Diamond, Radisson Premium, IHG Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 5,898
Have you / has your friend told Expertflyer your status level on BA?
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I seem to remember that you can set this which may mean that you and your friend are seeing two different results?
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I seem to remember that you can set this which may mean that you and your friend are seeing two different results?
Last edited by ThatT1Feeling; Sep 5, 2018 at 8:27 am Reason: Issue fixed
Sep 5, 2018, 8:37 am
#1049
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire
Posts: 1,242
Also FLY is a bit more intelligent. In your example there could be that a couple has a reservation (not not checked in yet) so FLY can only give them row 1 as all the other rows just one seats available. FLY not black and white and doesn’t always block the seats next to a gold or silver if let say the flight is fully sold out. During t-24 as people check in the seat map changes all the time.
Sep 5, 2018, 8:37 am
#1050
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,691
Only GCHs can select Row 1 at any time but anyone can select these seats at T-72, if they are released. Seats are released continuously as check-in progresses. Sometimes the seat next to a GCH will be blocked (in all cabins).