Better to select seats or not?
 

Due to a death in the family I have booked last-minute tickets for a family of 5. The seat maps on most of the flights are pretty full. Some of them don't have 5 seats available for selection, but there are blocked off seats in comfort plus (not bad) and the very back rows (ugh). I'd prefer to have extra leg room seats for myself and my wife, some of which are available. Our kids are old enough to sit by themselves and behave, but of course they'd prefer to sit with one another. What's our play?

1. Leave all seats unselected
2. Select extra leg room seats for the 2 of us and leave the kids unselected
3. Select seats for all of us on the flights where this is possible, even though nobody at all would be sitting together.

Thanks for any ideas.

The GA will likely put your children together if you don't select seats (especially if you get there early and give them chocolate). The blocked seats in C+ are for people who need them; last-minute, they're used for gate upgrades. If you can select seats in C+ (status or paying for them) that's the best way to ensure you get them.

I can't imagine why anyone would voluntarily add such stress to a flight of five family members by NOT having pre-chosen seating??

1. Take the comfort plus seats for you and your wife.
2. Don't worry about seats in the back rows. They are far from horrible. As a smoker, I long for the days when the three back rows were smoking rows. I especially liked the last row, as nobody would be kicking the back of my seat or complaining if I recline. (I must admit I get a sense of revenge these days when a non-smoker complains about getting a seat in one of the back rows. That never happened when they were smoking rows -- those were normally grabbed up early).

Always select a seat but keep checking for better open seats. There is always a slightly higher risk of IDB if you don’t have a seat on airlines although DL very rarely has IDB.

Select the seats you want especially in C+.

My interpretation is that there are no C+ seats available, just the usual ones that are blocked from selection as well as the last row. I think the OP is characterizing preferred seats as "extra legroom".

You may notice on many DL seatmaps that the last couple rows are blocked off. These are often saved for gate assignment but you may be able to call and get an agent to assign you to those seats. Or get to the airport a little early and ask at the counter or at the gate to get assigned to these seats.

The only issue with sitting in the back is if you need to make a tight connection; it can take close to 15 minutes to get off the plane from the time the door opens. Otherwise, I actually enjoy sitting in the back when I can't get upgraded, as there is a much better chance of working out a row with an empty seat in the middle, particularly now since Delta blocks out the last two or three rows (something they started doing during the pandemic).

Most definitely select seats if you can. Any seat assignment is better than none in the case the flight is oversold.

Select seats. Go back frequently and check for better options.

Having selected seats or not has no bearing on IDB. IDB follows a set priority. Also DL never IDBs, even if it means paying $10,000.

Unless OP qualifies for C+ seating, they'll be in main cabin 90% of time. Elites will be moved to C+ and the now empty main cabin seat given to those needing a seat still. Only if all elites have been moved up and main is full will they get a C+ by just waiting. Thus I would go ahead and pick seats.

Delta did not involuntary deny boarding to a single passenger last year. It is simply not a factor any more but people keep worrying about it.

Not entirely correct. If one does not have a seat, and you have a lazy gate agent, IDB is a very real possibility. I’ve seen it happen for way less than $10,000.

Delta really doesn't like IDBs and the GA would be in trouble for doing that rather than getting someone to VDB. (Pre-COVID, DL typically had a handful of IDBs per year.)