U/D seat selection for Bronze
 

I'll be a little blunt, but I think that it is extremely unlikely that you'll manage to get two pair of UD seats on LHR-MIA in August. UD seats go quickly, and as MIA is an AA hub, there are a lot of AA emerald/sapphire on the route in addition to BA own. By all means, do keep looking and you may get lucky, but the odds are stacked against you on that.

How many UD seats? Twenty ... and you’re up against all the Gold/OWE pax booking at seat selection time?

I’m not optimistic, but ... good luck.

If you need to pay, you can only get 60B (on some flights), 63AB, 63JK and 64B.

64A is a bassinet.

The others are only available to those who can get seat pre-allocation for free.

Personally, like orbitmic and T8191 I would not rate the OP's chances of getting any upper deck seat if they wait until 7 days before departure.

The ‘emotional value’ of the 744 UD is difficult to cope with. We’ve been fortunate over the years to have the status to select free. I have to ask myself whether I would have paid, in real money, to do that for the two of us ... and I guess that answer might have been ‘Yes’.

Paying for 4 elevates the discussion substantially ... what’s that? c. £350? And what is that as a percentage of the whole trip cost?
And capture all of Row 63?

Your serve, OP!

Is there a case for purchasing the 3 seats that are available, and waiting for a 4th to appear with the likely seat map changes over time? It may mean that the family is dotted around the cabin, but it is a small cabin, and if the UD is more important than sitting together...

Do note that only 63 B and J are designated exit seats ... they’re the ones that can get to doors quickly in an emergency. The window seats (A & K) aren’t Exit, due to the aisle access issue. BUT ... easy to access the aisle between the seat and the cabin wall, even at my size/age.

Just muddying the waters further ;)

The selling algorithm isn't going to sell seats that - as a matter of policy - are not available for sale.

Ah, good points ^

If the children are too young to sit in an exit row (and I think that's what you're implying) then I doubt very much that they will appreciate the upper deck more than they would the lower deck, and certainly not to the extent that it's worth paying four exorbitant seat election fees for. They do not even have to be made aware that there is an upper deck. :)

As others have said, it is extremely unlikely that you will be able to get two pairs of seats on the upper deck, at any price, as they are reserved for - and very popular with - higher status passengers. In any case, I'd have thought that the ideal seats for two adults and two young children would be the middle block of 4 on the lower deck.