Seat map confusing
 

Can anyone tell me what is going on. I've recently been flying Delta more than usual switching from Alaska Airlines.
My last three recent flights, I will book a flight on Delta, and the seat map shows all seats are full except middle seats, so I book a comfort seat. Once I board the plane there are not only countless seats but entire rows totally empty.

Can be SDC/misconnects/no shows/etc.

1st post since registering in 2011! Anyways, previously taken seats could also have been upgraded. Everything adds up.

On any given aircraft there are usually seats blocked - they won't show on the seatmap.

Welcome to FT!

I'm assuming these are 120 to 130 seat 737s, and there are only 40 people onboard. It is hard to believe there are 80 seats blocked.

First post, because I'm normally satisfied reading the emails.

Misconnects/no shows/SDC is most likely in that case.

Yeah, I haven't seen a DL flight with that many empty seats in a very long time.

I don't normally pay attention to the back of the bus C- seat chart because I normally get an "instant upgrade" to C+ immediately after picking a middle seat in the back. I assume the OP's experience is the common airline practice of blocking most of the coach seats to scare people into needlessly buying up.

In general, airline travel is unbearable unless one has at least some status or decides to just pay for first class. If OP lives in Seattle, it should be pretty easy to get status on Delta.

As I recall, non-elites see empty Premium seats as blocked.

Preferred seats (aisle/window seats in the front half of the main cabin) are probably showing as unavailable because they're blocked for passengers with elite status. I don't know how expansive the newly implemented D-45 days advance seat purchase program is.

AS does this too, for non MVP or full fare pax the entire front of the 739 was blocked up to the exit rows. When you click avail seats before booking, just about all of those seats were open.

I agree that this sounds like the fwd part of the main cabin (like this 739), passengers w/o status would see all the dark blue seats as unavailable, leaving mostly just middle seats open for several rows behind C+.

I've been doing a lot of DTW/ATL-DCA flights lately and have noticed a similar odd thing as a Diamond. Every seat other than middle has been blocked from the back of C+ all the way to the back of the bus. I know DCA is a hot route, but it didn't use to be like this. I usually get the insta "upgrade" to C+ or if they're not available just bumping up to first w/miles or the $$ depending.