Expert Flyer - What does a Blocked Seat mean?

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What is the general consensus for ExpertFlyer displaying a seat as blocked:

1717376458380.png

Does it mean:
  • Someone else has booked that seat?
  • It's not selectable?
  • It is empty and will switch to occupied it someone is allocated to it
  • Anything else?
Or possibly some combination of the above
 
What is the general consensus for ExpertFlyer displaying a seat as blocked:

View attachment 388478

Does it mean:
  • Someone else has booked that seat?
  • It's not selectable?
  • It is empty and will switch to occupied it someone is allocated to it
  • Anything else?
Or possibly some combination of the above

The expertflyer display is an interpretation the the information returned after a GDS based call to the Airline.

In relation to your specifics:
  • Someone else has booked that seat? Unlikely a PAX, but the carrier may have for whatever reason - see below.
  • It's not selectable? It may be selectable to other PAX, e.g. by status.
  • It is empty and will switch to occupied it someone is allocated to it Correct
  • Anything else? Can be many reasons. e.g.
    • The seat may be broken and has been removed from allocation
    • The airline has blocked the seat for the comfort a a PAX allocated next to it.
    • The airline has reserved the seat in the background for a PAX, but that PAX has not yet had it allocated or checked in.
    • The Airline has blocked the seat from general allocation because it is a designated Bassinet seat.
 
The expertflyer display is an interpretation the the information returned after a GDS based call to the Airline.

In relation to your specifics:
  • Someone else has booked that seat? Unlikely a PAX, but the carrier may have for whatever reason - see below.
  • It's not selectable? It may be selectable to other PAX, e.g. by status.
  • It is empty and will switch to occupied it someone is allocated to it Correct
  • Anything else? Can be many reasons. e.g.
    • The seat may be broken and has been removed from allocation
    • The airline has blocked the seat for the comfort a a PAX allocated next to it.
    • The airline has allocated the seat in the background for a PAX, but that PAX has not yet had it allocated or checked in.
    • The Airline has blocked the seat from general allocation because it is a designated Bassinet seat.
Thanks @serfty great explanations!

Another follow up question - do these seats always switch to occupied or available once its closer to departure time? or can they sit there as occupied right up until departure?
 
Thanks @serfty great explanations!

Another follow up question - do these seats always switch to occupied or available once its closer to departure time? or can they sit there as occupied right up until departure?
Not always.
For example with QF Status Pax, they cast shadows which show up as blocks on EF. If the flight load increases, then the block will be removed.

You could also have crew rest areas blocked by the airline.

Another example is recently i got a complimentary upgrade. My original seat 24J was blocked next to my partner. 1000018341.png
 
Thanks @serfty great explanations!

Another follow up question - do these seats always switch to occupied or available once its closer to departure time? or can they sit there as occupied right up until departure?
Sometimes - with light loads an airline may block seats to distribute PAX evenly though the cabin.
 
Not always.
For example with QF Status Pax, they cast shadows which show up as blocks on EF. If the flight load increases, then the block will be removed.

You could also have crew rest areas blocked by the airline.

Another example is recently i got a complimentary upgrade. My original seat 24J was blocked next to my partner.

Sometimes - with light loads an airline may block seats to distribute PAX evenly though the cabin.

Thanks again! The last time I recall have a blocked seat next to me was a Dom SYD>BNE flight. I was surprised it was blocked in a middle seat, but then as boarding ended someone did end up in that seat. I caught a glance of their BP and it was a CL member!
 
Sometimes - with light loads an airline may block seats to distribute PAX evenly though the cabin.
It can be fun to watch the QF seatmap (especially on dom flights) do exactly that. Probably not as obvious to non or lower status FF but comparing the QF seatmap and EF.
Another follow up question - do these seats always switch to occupied or available once its closer to departure time? or can they sit there as occupied right up until departure?
Pretty sure an "occupied" seat will never show as "Blocked", just occupied. So in the shadow example mentioned earlier, if that shadow sticks, so will the "Blocked" symbol.
 
Pretty sure an "occupied" seat will never show as "Blocked", just occupied. So in the shadow example mentioned earlier, if that shadow sticks, so will the "Blocked" symbol.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for an upcoming Tans-Pac in Y where this is the scenario two weeks out.
 
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So you were upgraded to J, but your partner wasn’t and travelled in Y?

Do you still have a partner after that? 😉
I swapped with her after getting the Ok from the CSM (I did ponder about it from the check in desk). Concluded that I'll have way more J flights than she does (she never even flew J once in her life until last November).
 

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