In my experience, some seats are usually blocked from general passengers to select on pretty much all DL flights.

Typically, at least one side of the bulkhead row in Y in my experience, but it can vary.

I have a flight tomorrow where I still don't have a great seat. Hoping someone can chime in with some advice/experience on if they've had any luck getting a better seat (or one of the blocked seats) in these situations.

Right now, EF is showing inventory as: J0 C0 D0 I0 Z0 W0 Y3 B3 M1 S1 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0 X0 V0 E0

DL.com shows one seat as available on the seat map, a middle in the back of the plane. The standby list on dl.com shows 5 seats available in coach.

Oddly, now that I'm checked in, DL.com displays an error message on the seat map, despite me having a confirmed Y seat still:

Actually trying to change my seat to the one open one shows:

Maybe this is because I'm waitlisted for an UG upfront?

Anyways, back to my question. Looks like DL is blocking at least 4 seats from selection. What is the best method to try and get one of these?

Options I see are:
1) Call and ask (unlikely to work; presumably they're blocked for airport assignment)
2) Tweet and ask (unlikely to work; presumably they're blocked for airport assignment)
3) Ask at the checkin counter (possible, though perhaps they try and save these for gate assignment?)
4) Ask at the gate (if the GA isn't busy and no special circumstances come up requiring the blocked seats, presumably they could move me to one?)

Anyone have any experience with these or any luck with these or other methods to try and get a better seat/blocked seat assigned?

Hope for an overbooked situation and take the next flight in J.

Edit: saw the fare class breakdown, and realized that F was not an appropriate answer.

Be at the gate about 65 minutes before departure and ask the gate agent. The blocked seats could be in the last two rows.

^^ good advice. Why the back rows? I guess I have noticed this before too, usually on more empty flights where the back few rows get blocked for crew use.. but I always thought they blocked seats primarily to accommodate last minute special requests (like families sitting together, bulkhead needed for bassinet, wheelchair access, service animal, etc)

The two bulkhead seats on narrow bodies that are blocked are for service animals and passengers with fused legs or other disabilities that require a bulkhead. If no one like that is on the flight or requests a seat there, then the gate agent can assign the seats to anyone. The last two rows are blocked for families and people with disabilities who need close access to lavatories. When the last row is completely unoccupied, crews occasionally use that row, too.

How flexible are your plans? This could be a good chance to get a nice voucher...

I would call now. This message seems similar to the "your upgrade cleared" scenario.

Agreed. There could potentially be a problem with your ticket and you want to resolve that now rather than at the airport when you are asked to step aside during boarding and wait until the GA has time to deal with you (which could be after all pax board).

Call.

IME DM agents can assign blocked seats with the understanding that you can be evicted if someone needs them.

Assuming you're correctly confirmed on the flight, I'd go with no seat rather than begging for a very bad middle seat. What you're assigned at the gate can't be any worse and as a DM you're extremely unlikely to be picked for an IDB.

Really don't think I cleared; front still showing full and I'm @ #1 on the list. Is waitlisted as a mileage UG, so in theory won't go to the gate either.

EF now shows the previously blocked seats as available (though DL does not). Indeed, they are in the last two rows. 56E, 57E, 57F (two middles and an aisle).

Only one shows open on the DL map, 51B.

No seats are available for sale now (and indeed, inventory has been zeroed/no longer shows up in an EF search).

If YOUR upgrade cleared, that reduces inventory for sale. Call.

If it were coded properly as a mileage upgrade you should not be on the gate upgrade list. Something is not coded properly.

Looks like you guys may have been right. I didn't have time to call this AM, but at the checkin counter the agent said I'd been upgraded and handed me a biz class lounge card. He said that I would receive my new BP at the gate. Still have a coach seat on my current BP though, so I'll believe it when I see it! (Will be a very nice surprise on this 15hr flight tho if it does work out!).

Now if I could just get through customs faster so I could check out the lounge....

^^

Nope, no UG. Got to the gate as they were boarding SKY (yes, running last this AM). GAs said no UG for me

Not sure why the checkin agent told me I had been upgraded... that was just mean!

Possibly for seat-strapping a wheelchair. The Air Carrier Access Act, under some conditions, allows a folding manual wheelchair to be strapped against a row of seats as an alternative to other onboard stowage as normally required under the ACAA.