Blocking Out Seats
Apr 27, 2018 | 1:42 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold
Posts: 3,221
Blocking Out Seats
I was just checking the seatmaps on my upcoming F flights to Australia, and it appears on every segment the center bulkhead seats in row 1 E and F is always occupied. Does EK just block these seats out?
Apr 27, 2018 | 4:20 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 592
Yeah I think they do. For me, in J, the A/B row (except for 1A/B), is always greyed out and the only way to get them is by asking someone on live chat, twitter DM or phone call.
Apr 27, 2018 | 3:08 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: AU, UG, NG, ET, others
Programs: EK (plat), ET, VA, QF
Posts: 607
Yes. Check on EF to see if the seats have been blocked. On previous occasions, I have been able to call Emirates and change to one of them. I have read somewhere on this forum that they are blocked by Emirates where there will be off duty pilots travelling. Also heard that they are blocked for the pilots to use in preference to their little bunk area up front.
Apr 27, 2018 | 3:56 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,791
Yes. Check on EF to see if the seats have been blocked. On previous occasions, I have been able to call Emirates and change to one of them. I have read somewhere on this forum that they are blocked by Emirates where there will be off duty pilots travelling. Also heard that they are blocked for the pilots to use in preference to their little bunk area up front.
Other seats can be blocked for UMs (Unaccompanied Minors) though these tend to be bulkhead windows (1A/2A in F on 77W?) and also for codeshares so I'm not sure if they do this in F. They do in J, so perhaps why not also in F? And this is the most logical explanation for a center pair being blocked I'd think. On SA routes on the 77W a bank of window pairs is usually blocked for SAA, not that they seem to ever sell them though as they eventually just go to EK pax.
Apr 28, 2018 | 11:58 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold
Posts: 3,221
Not only the flight to Australia, its also the flight to Dubai, Singapore and to Colombo.
It cannot be just a coincidence that those seats are reserved on every single segment. And I dont think it has anything to do with crew rest. On my paid and unpaid EK F segments those seats are usually unoccupied now that I think about it.
It cannot be just a coincidence that those seats are reserved on every single segment. And I dont think it has anything to do with crew rest. On my paid and unpaid EK F segments those seats are usually unoccupied now that I think about it.
Apr 29, 2018 | 12:43 am
#9
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: DXB
Programs: EK, CX, AA, DL, UA, MAR, HGP, Amex
Posts: 1,211
Apr 29, 2018 | 1:32 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold
Posts: 3,221
Lol really 
... especially on EK.
My parents were divorced when I was in middle and high school and I flew between each of them from SEA to FLL every month and was a UM, which was a way I got into this hobby. I remember I made Platinum on Worldperks one year, and got an upgrade on board with 1 seat left from SEA-EWR that had BusinessFirst seats installed. The GA came on the plane to move me up, this little 13 year old boy at the time. You should have seen the businessmen in suites asking the GA if she was sure she hadnt made a mistake. It was pretty funny...
... especially on EK.My parents were divorced when I was in middle and high school and I flew between each of them from SEA to FLL every month and was a UM, which was a way I got into this hobby. I remember I made Platinum on Worldperks one year, and got an upgrade on board with 1 seat left from SEA-EWR that had BusinessFirst seats installed. The GA came on the plane to move me up, this little 13 year old boy at the time. You should have seen the businessmen in suites asking the GA if she was sure she hadnt made a mistake. It was pretty funny...
Apr 29, 2018 | 1:42 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,791
Lol really
... especially on EK.My parents were divorced when I was in middle and high school and I flew between each of them from SEA to FLL every month and was a UM, which was a way I got into this hobby. I remember I made Platinum on Worldperks one year, and got an upgrade on board with 1 seat left from SEA-EWR that had BusinessFirst seats installed. The GA came on the plane to move me up, this little 13 year old boy at the time. You should have seen the businessmen in suites asking the GA if she was sure she hadnt made a mistake. It was pretty funny...
Apr 29, 2018 | 1:48 am
#12
Ambassador, Emirates
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: LGW / AMS / CPT
Programs: SA KL BA EK
Posts: 4,836
Not only the flight to Australia, its also the flight to Dubai, Singapore and to Colombo.
It cannot be just a coincidence that those seats are reserved on every single segment. And I dont think it has anything to do with crew rest. On my paid and unpaid EK F segments those seats are usually unoccupied now that I think about it.
It cannot be just a coincidence that those seats are reserved on every single segment. And I dont think it has anything to do with crew rest. On my paid and unpaid EK F segments those seats are usually unoccupied now that I think about it.
I once called in and asked about it. Was told that they were bassinet seats (or wheelchair accessible seats, I cant remember which). Was told that they could give me the seats with the understanding that if they were needed for their special purpose, we would be moved.
Same happened a few weeks ago in J on a 77W: wanted an A/B or J/K pair which were not available but 9A/B were blocked as per Expert Flyer. Called in and were told they were UM seats but I could have them provisionally . As I have never seen an UM in J (I am sure it happens though), I took the seats and we were perfectly fine.
Apr 29, 2018 | 1:51 am
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold
Posts: 3,221
Yeah when I hit platinum I actually ran into some problems. Like some agents asking if I was actually the card holder, and not just using my Dads name and status. I ended up having Worldperks send me a letter I could present to agents stating that this wasnt my fathers card.
Apr 29, 2018 | 1:53 am
#14
Ambassador, Emirates
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: LGW / AMS / CPT
Programs: SA KL BA EK
Posts: 4,836
Apr 29, 2018 | 2:27 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold
Posts: 3,221
If the crew knows youre a UM, I highly doubly theyd let a UM into the bar area who was flying F or J. Also I dont know about you, but at the age of 13 or 14, I really had no idea or a want to enter a bar.