How to Reserve Blocked Seats on Flights on the Plane
Airlines love to torture us. They cheat us with baggage rates, delays and passengers who don’t wear pants . Best of all, even if you are prepared and organized, there is nothing you can do to avoid their bloodthirsty greed. If you’ve ever reserved a seat on a flight, you’ll notice that entire sections of airlines are locked down so you can’t claim them even if you wanted or were willing to pay extra.
Earlier this week, the Points Guy responded to a request from one reader for the same issue. Why exactly are the spots blocked and how can you catch one? It can be tricky, but here is information on how airlines book seats and how to get them:
They are blocked for “elite” passengers.
Ever come across a seat map on a flight just to find the average seats available? This sometimes happens because all the aisles and window seats have already been reserved by other passengers (in which case you may be out of luck. You can try Sears).
In other cases, this is because the airline may specifically reserve them for select passengers of any elite status (and if you booked your flight earlier, this is a good sign that this has happened). No, they are not elite people, although they will feel that way when they walk past you to their spacious exit row with legroom.
As the Points Guy pointed out, American Airlines elite members can view the entire seat map with all the options available, unlike us normal people who are likely to see a map with fewer options if they are for elite travelers.
This is how airlines fool you into buying extra legroom deluxe seats (although some are free all the time). Damn United! Let me live!
They are locked for passengers with special needs.
Sometimes entire blocks of seats on flights are reserved for exit agents to accommodate passengers with special needs such as children and families (so that they are not separated).
Both Delta and American Airlines , for example, proactively block seats for people with disabilities, and these seats are often positioned in the front for easy access.
The airline crew reserved them
Hey, the flight attendants need a break too. They are trying to comfort you while the passengers take off their pants. Some seats may be reserved for pilots and crew rest if they do not have a separate sleeping area.
Alternatively, seats may be reserved ahead of schedule for crew members who are off-duty traveling from one destination to another because they are heading home or from home or en route to another flight to work (this is called a ‘reservation ‘ ‘unrelated to the Grateful Dead).
Check in for your flight as soon as possible
So what if you find yourself in a terrible middle-seating game? Or don’t you even have the option to choose a seat? While there are no hard and fast rules among airlines, keep checking the seat map periodically when passengers change over to a flight (or book another).
As TripAdvisor recommends, here’s a top tip: check in as close to the 24-hour mark before departure as possible, and you could hit a goldmine. During this time, Elite status passengers often receive an upgrade, leaving the coveted coach window and aisle seats for grab.
Wait until you speak to the gate agent
As the spectacle guy pointed out , sometimes it’s worth waiting until you can talk to the gate agent ( especially if you’re still stuck in the middle – it can’t get any worse anymore, can it?). When you are at the airport, the gate agent is usually equipped for some degree of flexibility and can accept some last minute seat changes.
And if you want to surpass the crowd, use the airline’s app while at the airport. You will be able to check the seat map on your flight as it changes and choose the best seat. If you are traveling with someone with Elite status, check the seat map on your flight in their account to see if the airline is holding you back.