dvs7310

I frequently find myself on international flights that have loads of open seats in E+ pre-flight and frequently enough start out with an empty set of seats beside me.

I've watched in the past when non-revs were cleared and thought maybe I'd figured out a method to how they (GAs) seat them but tonight my hypothesis was proven wrong. I had thought that GAs seemed to be leaving seats next to 1Ks (or GS) open until it's no longer possible. However tonight I checked the seat map just prior to boarding (LIM-IAH), the GA had entirely filled up my row but left the row behind me with only 1 person (subsequently saw it was a Premier Gold member).

is there an actual method that GAs use (or are supposed to use) when filling seats with nonrevs? Maybe this was just a one off or maybe I've just been incredibly lucky at least a dozen times before ?

jsloan

IME, they'll generally fill the exit rows first, then windows/aisles, then middles, front to back. I don't know that it really has anything to do with non revs or not; it's pretty standard for any E+-eligible passengers without seat assignments, or for anybody else who needs a seat if E- is full.

GoSh4rks

HNLbasedFlyer

Once they start clearing nonrevs, they get the best available seat.

phkc070408

I found that the best chances of getting an empty seat next to you is to book either an aisle or window in the back of the E+ section. The center seats in these back rows are often the last to get taken.

dvs7310

That's typically what I do when booking far enough in advance. Several routes I take are VERY nonrev heavy, sometimes I'll see 15-20 on the list, so naturally they get assigned seats at the last minute. I've seen them frequently get assigned seats all over the plane but fairly frequently my row (or set of 3 seats would be more appropriate) gets left alone, so I thought maybe there was a practice of avoiding putting them in 1K rows unless necessary. Even I've seen them put in E- when there were still empty seats in E+ (non-middles).

SteveHK

If we non-revs are clearing into Y, the gate agent can assign any seat. Maybe 15% of the time they actually show us the seat map when they call our names and we pick ourselves. The rest of the time, they just give you pretty much whatever that particular agent feels like - no real methodology. Obviously if the agent is clearing a fellow employee and has a choice to assign me a E- middle or an E+ with only one person in it, they'll give us the E+.

note - this reflects my own opinion and isn't on behalf of the airline.

dvs7310

In that case, I'd hope so, lol. That'd just be cruel and unusual punishment. Situations where I've noticed it were filling windows and aisles in empty E- rows. Haven't noticed non-revs going into E- middles unless the plane was full, which is really rare on my typical routes. Happened today, but my suspicion is that AA had a disruption on one of their Asia routes and pushed a bunch of people over to UA. (flight was only about 2/3 full at T-24 but a few hours before the flight C nearly sold out [revenue, not upgrade], all at once, and Y filled in significantly, plus a lot more Aadgantage luggage tags visible than usual for an international IAH departure).

findark

I believe there are also certain categories of NRSA who are/aren't eligible for E+; at least, some of them get cleared into E- seats even when better E+ seats are available.

Often1

In OP's situation, I would presume that just as the cabin closes, whoever is on the aisle would move a row back giving both rows an empty middle.

At the last second when clearing passengers, I don't see a GA worrying about who has what status in what row.

drewguy

Interesting - I figured it would be higher, just based on observations of where people end up in this situation. Of course, I suppose a GA could figure out what's likely to be attractive (e.g., an aisle with an empty middle) vs. being spiteful.

dvs7310

That would make sense based upon my observations. Though I am curious who they'd be? I've chatted with 'buddy pass' folks before in E+, so they weren't employees themselves.

clubord

findark

Then why would e.g. 12 NRSA listed for a wide open flight clear half into E+ and half into E-? I see this fairly often.

clubord