Would you switch seats?
 

I am flying DL 236 (DTW-FCO) on Wednesday in Y. I booked an economy comfort seat where there was an empty middle seat, thinking probably no one would want a middle seat, even in EC. Well, someone took the seat. I looked at the DL seat map and there are presently six rows of three seats in the middle, and seven rows of two seats on the sides that are empty. All are in the front part of the plane. I called DL and the agent confirmed these seats are still empty.

So my question is this.....would you give up EC to book one of the other seats where the whole row is empty, at least for now? The agent said I could rebook a new seat, even at airport check-in. I would much rather fly TATL with an empty seat next to me, even if not in EC. Thanks!

Seems to me, you answered your own question

I'd stay where you are - as the seats are probably "taken" just not assigned. I had the same thing occur on my ATL-DXB flight, showed full rows open just behind EC and in the back, and quite a few middle seats in EC and regular coach, but by the time everyone boarded all the seats around me (in EC) and as far back as I could see, were full, only 1 row had one person middle seat open. I was very glad I stayed with EC

I'd check at the gate to see how full the flight is, ask the GA if everyone is assigned a seat, then ask to move.

Thanks, QDDawg. Never thought of asking if everyone has actually been *assigned* a seat.

^

You never know until the last minute how full the flight will be. If a recent flight was cancelled, it could be seriously overbooked.

Most of the empty seats you see are "preferred" seats that non-status pax cannot select in advance. All or most will likely be assigned close to departure, either automatically or by an agent. You can always hope your middle-seat mate will have requested an upgrade and get cleared just before they shut the door.

I would keep the seat you have, but check with an agent at the airport if some desirable seats are still open at that time.

A phone agent may also be able to tell you how many seats are sold but not yet assigned.

I wouldn't move. Besides the fact that there could be passengers who have a ticket but no seat assignment, there could be non-revs that eventually get assigned those seats as well.

I would wait till you get to the gate - you can talk to the gate agent just before boarding begins. They'll have a pretty good idea of what the cabin layout will look like and how many non-revs they'll be assigning seats to. Worst case, you can always look around shortly before or after takeoff and move back if you see an empty set of seats.

I would not move to a non-EC seat, even if the seat map shows an empty row in the Preferred rows of seats.
Many times these seats are assigned within the 24 hour window or at checkin to pax that have confirmed reservations, but no seat allotted.

I would keep the seat and then right before boarding go on dl.com and see which rows are still empty.

Don't forget that moving out of EC and you are moving out of the
complimentary liquor drinks zone (intl flight).
As noted previously beware of standbys be they revenue or non.
At the gate eyeball the area and ask the GA how many standbys
are standing by for an answer to your move or not move question.

Non-revs are accommodated by class and seniority in the front cabin
until full and then the EC seats till full and then coach starting from
the front to the back - so I have been told. So take that into account.

And why should you move when possibly the middle seat EC pax
will be the one moving to somewhere else for more room.
By moving you give the edge to that middle seat pax - WHY ?

Don't play the trump card until the seating situation is to your liking!

Keep the seat and wait until boarding to see if there are indeed empty rows. You can check this on the Delta app on your smartphone. Just think, as soon as you change your seat now, somebody (most probably the person in the middle EC seat) will take your aisle seat. Then there is no getting it back.

I wouldn't move either, but it's worth noting that this changed months ago. I don't remember when exactly it was implemented, but we had free liquor in regular Y in March of this year.

I would hold onto my EC seat and wait until after boarding has completed to move to a better seat. I find that especially on international flights, there are many passengers without seat assignments who end up being put in preferred or EC seats at the last minute, often even after boarding has started.

If after boarding you find someone in a non-EC seat that you would prefer, they might be willing to swap seats with you given the extra legroom in EC.

Delta now serves complimentary liquor to passengers in all classes on transcontinental flights. The benefit of EC is more leg room and recline (which to me is worth a lot and I would not even dream of moving, as everyone else has indicated....I would not move until the boarding door is closed, and even then, there is never, ever a guarantee that someone else won't come to the seat next to you).

Planes, especially TATL, seem to have a way of filling up prior to takeoff. I would keep my EC seat.