Onboard etiquette: blocked seats
Jan 26, 2018, 1:12 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2016
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 457
Onboard etiquette: blocked seats
About to fly WTP on the A380, as GCH. I’m in 61A (bulkhead window) and BA.com MMB shows 61B (aisle) as unoccupied, but Expert Flyer shows it as blocked, presumably as I’m a GCH. This seems certain as when I was originally in 61B, 61A was available to me but again blocked according to EF. So in other words Theoretical Seating seems to be doing its best to keep an empty seat next me.
My question is if onboard with me occupying 61A and 61B remaining empty, when boarding completes what do I do if someone further back in a middle seat decides they would rather nab 61B next to me? Do I attempt to ‘defend’ 61B on the basis that BA has deliberately decided to put me next to an empty seat due to my status, and therefore I ‘own’ both seats? Would the crew be armed with this information and deny permission for another passenger to move themselves into 61B?
i’m asking because if I was the passenger stuck in the middle seat, I would probably try to move to 61B!
How would others handle this currently theoretical, but nonetheless plausible, scenario?
My question is if onboard with me occupying 61A and 61B remaining empty, when boarding completes what do I do if someone further back in a middle seat decides they would rather nab 61B next to me? Do I attempt to ‘defend’ 61B on the basis that BA has deliberately decided to put me next to an empty seat due to my status, and therefore I ‘own’ both seats? Would the crew be armed with this information and deny permission for another passenger to move themselves into 61B?
i’m asking because if I was the passenger stuck in the middle seat, I would probably try to move to 61B!
How would others handle this currently theoretical, but nonetheless plausible, scenario?
Jan 26, 2018, 1:22 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: BA GGL, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 809
Building on the reply above, presumably it would be at the discretion of the crew. And as you haven’t paid for that seat I think you have little to go with. As with a lot of benefits like this that we receive I can imagine that BA would say that they are discretionary and not guaranteed.
Having said that it would be interesting to hear what people’s experiences are in this situation including the OP’s assuming someone comes to nab 61B!
I wouldn’t care myself - if I haven’t paid for it and it isn’t a declared and defined benefit I have no right to even comment!
Having said that it would be interesting to hear what people’s experiences are in this situation including the OP’s assuming someone comes to nab 61B!
I wouldn’t care myself - if I haven’t paid for it and it isn’t a declared and defined benefit I have no right to even comment!
Jan 26, 2018, 1:23 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,751
Is WT looking busy? Because of course any opup could land that empty seat.
You could check the state of play with a lounge agent when you head for boarding. If you are then confident that it is still empty, my advice would be to sit in 61B when you board. People are much less likely to try and nab the empty window seat having to shuffle over you. (Classic train ploy too
)
Of course you do then risk someone turning up with a BP for 61B, but you can then just graciously accept your fate and move across.
You could check the state of play with a lounge agent when you head for boarding. If you are then confident that it is still empty, my advice would be to sit in 61B when you board. People are much less likely to try and nab the empty window seat having to shuffle over you. (Classic train ploy too
)Of course you do then risk someone turning up with a BP for 61B, but you can then just graciously accept your fate and move across.
Jan 26, 2018, 1:33 am
#8
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
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Jan 26, 2018, 1:48 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Diamond
Posts: 7,747
My last WT+ flight had someone move themselves into the empty 61B aisle seat ASAP.
The only other time I've had that seat empty whilst being in 61A, someone moved. Prime seat due to the legroom and no-one reclining into you.
Sitting further back in cabin, people are less likely to want to seat shift (had 3 flights recently that I've got lucky with).
That said, pretty every WT+ flight I've taken has had a full cabin.
At the end of the day, as others have said, it's nice if it remains empty, but it remains open regardless of what online seat maps say.
The only other time I've had that seat empty whilst being in 61A, someone moved. Prime seat due to the legroom and no-one reclining into you.
Sitting further back in cabin, people are less likely to want to seat shift (had 3 flights recently that I've got lucky with).
That said, pretty every WT+ flight I've taken has had a full cabin.
At the end of the day, as others have said, it's nice if it remains empty, but it remains open regardless of what online seat maps say.
Jan 26, 2018, 1:51 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: HKG
Programs: BA(GGL) QF LTS CX AM, Hilton Diamond, PPL(A)
Posts: 1,654
Assume that you are indifferent between an aisle and a window seat.
The pareto efficient thing to do here would be
1/ offer to let passengers in seat D and E to move into seats B and A respectively
2/ you move to D
So - you get the aisle + spare seat.
Original passenger E is not in middle seat
Original passenger D still gets an aisle
Of course, seeing that E is going to move, passenger D may say i like the middle seat, and refuse to move.
Simplest thing for you to do would be to try to defend the seat by sitting in B, and putting your belongings on A.
The pareto efficient thing to do here would be
1/ offer to let passengers in seat D and E to move into seats B and A respectively
2/ you move to D
So - you get the aisle + spare seat.
Original passenger E is not in middle seat
Original passenger D still gets an aisle
Of course, seeing that E is going to move, passenger D may say i like the middle seat, and refuse to move.
Simplest thing for you to do would be to try to defend the seat by sitting in B, and putting your belongings on A.
Jan 26, 2018, 2:01 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 635
Slightly different but my other half did the British 'ignore them' thing when someone helped themselves to his empty adjacent exit row seat (upstairs on the A380) in WT. So a seat that the passenger would have had to pay $$$ for, if not Gold (and if TS had not blocked it already). Cabin crew didn't mention it. And it is hard to be annoyed with someone just getting a bit of leg room on the 22 hour SYD to LHR!
Jan 26, 2018, 2:30 am
#14
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,162
Imagine trying to explain this to a random passenger who may or may not have English as a 1st language, may or may not be a frequent flyer, may or may not know anything at all about BAEC status tiers and most likely knows nothing about 'theoretical seating'. And explaining this in the context of a long flight about to depart, everyone a little tired from the airport, the crew waiting for every to be belted up to start the engines...
Do you really want to get into that conversation?
Do you really want to get into that conversation?
Jan 26, 2018, 2:31 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,060
Slightly different but my other half did the British 'ignore them' thing when someone helped themselves to his empty adjacent exit row seat (upstairs on the A380) in WT. So a seat that the passenger would have had to pay $$$ for, if not Gold (and if TS had not blocked it already). Cabin crew didn't mention it. And it is hard to be annoyed with someone just getting a bit of leg room on the 22 hour SYD to LHR!