1Aturnleft

If you're gold/silver then I'm guessing you'll have already assigned seats to/from ANU? Non status / cheap fare bucket ticket holders will still need a seat assignment when OLCI opens and most non status CW passengers probably don't bother forking out hundreds on top of their fare for advance seat assignments. I'd say from experience nothing will happen until the day or day before OLCI opens. At which point seating control will begin to look at the flight and verify eligible passengers on your flight to potentially FLUB. I was Gold when we flew and partner was Silver. We both had mid scale CIV's that year from travelling a fair wodge on BA (rather than majority of QR flying and a bit on BA) as an example. I don't know for certain but I'd say either the status and/or combination of the CIV's influenced who got moved up.
Outbound flight wasn't anywhere near full in Club and yet 8 or so we're sat up front. Inbound flight was pretty much full in Club and about 10 seats were occupied in FLUB. Despite the varying loads FLUB was still utilised in both directions.

I've also noticed FLUB is a lot more predictable at Gatwick where generally the F cabin will be utilised as FLUB on applicable routes where a 4 class plane is used regardless to the actual Club load as opposed to at Heathrow where F is generally closed off if Club isn't full. Knowing you have zero influence over who sits there takes some of the pressure away. By this I mean if it happens, it happens and if it doesn't, it doesn't is about as technical as it gets hence why assigning regular CW seats from the choice available in the CW seat map if you have status is I think still a good move. If FLUB doesn't happen for any reason then at least you have your preferred CW seats assigned.

Blackfriars1

I am travelling from Gatwick to Antigua on 31 October (BA2157). The seat map for the Club cabin now shows as wide open for me but ExpertFlyer shows those seats as blocked and the First cabin is now occupied. Strangely, my allocated seat stills shows me in the Club cabin on MMB but on ExpertFlyer my seat is blocked rather than occupied. Can I assume I am being moved to the First cabin?

firstlight

In these situations I live in hope but am always prepared for disappointment if flight loads change at the last moment. It should resolve at OLCI. If you have gold or above status you are more likely to get lucky but if you have a good CW seat at the moment then I would leave yourself where you are.

Blackfriars1

Thanks - I am gold and J is sold out so I’m hopeful but I will leave myself where I am and see what happens at check-in.

kingcole974

My seat on the same flight 2 weeks later still does not have the first section open. When I last posted here, it was J1 on EF. In the last few days that became J2, J4 and now J9. So I’m not as confident as I was that my flight will be busy enough to warrant it opening.......

LeeT

Am on the same flight in Y and seems J & W have seen significant drop off in the last week. Expertflyer seems wide open now across the board whereas before as you say it was showing J1 W1 I seem to remember. Good luck with the FLUB

escape2sun

We have a flight booked to Cape Town next April, which is scheduled to be a 3-class 777, but in the booking it says

Club world - Front cabin You are selecting a flatbed seat at the front of the aircraft which was previously our First cabin and is now sold as Club World. Some elements of the product and service may differ between the First and Club World cabins.

This isn't true as we are in the small second cabin. Maybe it will change to a 4-Class plane, and we will get a first seat. As its a 12-hour overnight flight leaving at 21:30, the extra space would be pleasant and aid sleep

tom139

That's a strange message and not one I've seen before!

aristoph

Flying to ANU on Tuesday and I think FLUB has just opened up. But I don’t understand the seat map below (2 rows of 8, all forward facing??) and I am concerned there is a risk FLUB doesn’t in fact open and I lose our pair seats in CW?

SonicStar817

As far as I'm aware that is how its usually displayed. Never selected it on my one and only booking where I've seen it myself (BA460 to MAD last year.). That being said, ANU is a route that sees FLUB regularly and I can't recall a time, whether looking at Expertflyer or on flights I've taken to and from ANU on these particular aircraft, where it hasn't been used.

Many would suggest keeping your current seat assignments until checkin but don't download your boarding pass as you will be unable to change seats after that. However if you want to take the risk now, my suggestion would be to select a real seat ( any A, E, F or K seat)

tom139

On EF, it’s showing as J9 but the F cabin is indeed no longer blocked.

firstlight

Well it looks like row 12 AB (Aristoph) has been moved forward / has moved forward already into 2EF. Less than 48 hours to flight. When that happened to us they left the original seats with X's in. I assume Aristoph and/or partner is gold or ggl to have this happen. Might have expected row 10 to also be moved forward.

1Aturnleft

When we were FLUBbed to ANU a few years ago we didn't even have this seat map, the seat assignments were just changed and locked in without the ability to change them any further. Even the check in desk had them all greyed out.

aristoph

Yes that’s right, I took the chance and moved us forward. (I am gold.) Fingers crossed this works out...

PS Oddly I can no longer access the seat map for the flight in MMB. If I click on Change Seats nothing happens. Oh well!

1Aturnleft

Sounds hopeful! Fingers crossed it works out for you 👍