How does middle seat blocking work?
 

So I'm sitting on an A319 scheduled from SEA-IAD. I'm feeling pretty good as I'm in 6A and the plane doesn't look to be full. Of course, the one middle seat that is assigned on the entire flight is the one next to me (6B). :mad:

What is the deal with this? Is that the price of sitting in these seats (exit, bulkhead, front of section?). Are the best seats on the plane, not always the best seats?

I'm a 1P so I figured I was safe. Does anyone know how middle seat blocking works on UA. Is there a method to the madness?

Thanks

Middle seat blocking is only guarenteed until the flight is handed over to airport control. After that any CSR can place someone next to you. They usually unblock the seats toward the front of Y and this happens regardless of status.

Usually they start filling up the middle seats from the front of the plane. That's why I usually try to get either an emergence exit row (in that case I don't care so much if the middle seat is taken) or the last row of E+

How Do You Know?
 

How do you know the middle next to you (6B) is being used for seating? By calling and asking? Or, by making a dummy-reservation and looking at the seatmap?

If by calling, then yes - another 1P or higher has asked for the seat.

If by making a dummy-reservation - then the seat only looks taken because you are next to it and it is not available for anyone else to select!

Good luck . . . and even 6A with someone in 6B will turn out to be fine - it did for me several times.

JK-SFO

Middle seat blocking is only a courtesy block. At anytime, the middle seat can be filled.

For example, I just purchased a ticket on a flight where every window and aisle E+ seat was assigned. The seat map online showed that the middles were not available due to courtesy blocking. I was not going to sit in one of the 5 empty back of the plane E- seats. I called up reservations and asked if a row 6 middle on the A319 was available and she put me on hold and had 6B unblocked and assigned to me.

Sorry to the two assigned in 6A and 6C, but 6B/6E are the best middle seats to get stuck in in E+ if nothing opens up.

So... how does middle seat blocking work? It basically just doesn't most of the time.

You have to remember that row 6 is one of the best rows in the Airbii, so those middles will be chosen first by pax who can't get a Aisle or Window. If the free middle is more important to you than the extra space of row 6, then you should choose a row further back in E+.

Seat Blocking
 

It makes sure that a person with no status gets to sit with you and take you open seat whilst others with no staus have lots of room.....I complained when a FA said, take and seat....Ooooops.. I wanted a window and a clear seat next to me for comfort on TED. I asked if my 1k beneifts still appy on TED, she reseated the passenger!

The only thing I do is look at the seat map when I select my seat. If I notice that the seat next to me is available and then after reserving my seat the middle seat has suddenly become blocked with an "X"...then I know it's been "Premier Seating" blocked.

I've never had it not block the seat (if still available, of course) if I'm logged into united.com with my 1K number. It's automatic, in my experiences.

But I'm fairly certain you could call Reservations and inquire if the seat next to you is blocked, if you wanted to.

Correct. Releases are not only done by airport personnel. If the Premier Seating is full of window and aisle Premiers, Reservations will start putting any other Premiers that request Premier Seating into those middle seats upon request at any time in advance of the flight date.

I wonder, if you are allowed do a dummy-reservation for the flights you already booked.

This way, technically since you are 1P you should be able to see if your next seat is available to you or not.....

As mentioned above, seat blocking is a courtesy not a promise. Keep in mind that an elite (or that other E+ purchase program) can bring a companion along. That companion will be seated in the middle seat. So if the seat next to you is occupied, it could be blocking or a body -- y'never know.

Yes you can. I do this sometimes just to get a feel on how full the flight will be (though not accurate). When this is done, as an elite, the next seat should show the block. However, it's much easier to see the seat blocking in effect on seat maps that are still wide open.

For me the E+ seat is the main benefit, the seat blocking is just an extra. I'd much prefer UA being able to sell more seats than having those seats remaining empty.

It is also possible that the person taking the middle is an elite who just cleared the waitlist. If an agent puts me in 24A after clearing the DM, I often ask for a bulkhead, exit, or E+ middle, because I prefer an E+ middle to a non E+ window. However, I often get dirty looks when a plop down into the E+ middle in the middle of boarding.

Yes, I do this all the time. The adjacent middle seat shows up blocked every time. (I always make reservations well in advance).

blocked middle E+ seats
 

[QUOTE=

Correct. Releases are [U]not[/U] only done by airport personnel. If the Premier Seating is full of window and aisle Premiers, Reservations will start putting any other Premiers that request Premier Seating into those middle seats upon request at any time in advance of the flight date.[/QUOT

*************Correct******************