QF seat maps on ExpertFlyer - blocked / occupied / etc

[jbda2017]

Bit of a niche question. On a QF seat map on EF for any given flight in Economy, some seats appear as 'blocked', others as 'occupied'. How accurate is this? Does anyone know?
Reason for asking is that I know on longer routes (DFW, LAX, etc) QF has to restrict capacity in economy to make the distance. I'm trying to find a way of working out which seats they block for this purpose.

 

[elanshin]

Bit of a niche question. On a QF seat map on EF for any given flight in Economy, some seats appear as 'blocked', others as 'occupied'. How accurate is this? Does anyone know?
Reason for asking is that I know on longer routes (DFW, LAX, etc) QF has to restrict capacity in economy to make the distance. I'm trying to find a way of working out which seats they block for this purpose.

Blocked can be for any reason. What you see as blocked with no QFF details input into EF is different to "blocked" for someone holding Gold to someone holding plat one.

Also it's completely possible they don't hard block specific seats, but soft block them, like only sell 80% of the seats. That way you can still choose which ever seat you want and QF also guarantees a capacity limit.

 

[jbda2017]

Blocked can be for any reason. What you see as blocked with no QFF details input into EF is different to "blocked" for someone holding Gold to someone holding plat one.

Also it's completely possible they don't hard block specific seats, but soft block them, like only sell 80% of the seats. That way you can still choose which ever seat you want and QF also guarantees a capacity limit.

Yeah I wondered that too re soft block.
QF WP for ref.

 

[serfty]

In regards to Qantas and blocked seats (as distinct from allocated seats) , seat maps are shown as a result of a query that includes any Frequent Flyer number you supply for Qantas Seat maps as part of your Expert Flyer profile. Due to Notional Seating this can only be an approximation at times.

Typically a Bronze may see more blocked seats than a Gold for the same flight.

 

[Rayesfeg]

I know on longer routes (DFW, LAX, etc) QF has to restrict capacity in economy to make the distance.

I had heard about this but never looked into it myself. Do you know what routes and to what percentage they fill the plane on each route?

Thoughts and prayers to the poor pax in a full Y cabin on the project sunrise flights. Not sure how far the 'wellbeing zone' will actually go in making a 22-hour flight in Y more tolerable.

 

[jbda2017]

I had heard about this but never looked into it myself. Do you know what routes and to what percentage they fill the plane on each route?

Thoughts and prayers to the poor pax in a full Y cabin on the project sunrise flights. Not sure how far the 'wellbeing zone' will actually go in making a 22-hour flight in Y more tolerable.

Nah. That’s what I was hoping to try work out.

 

[Volando]

Longer westbound routes over the pacific are the main candidate for blocked seats due to prevailing headwinds, including sometimes a strong jetstream. E.g. the A380 from DFW-SYD sometimes needed a quick fuel stop in BNE.

The number or percentage of seats blocked will be variable depending on winds, projected altitudes in the flight plan, profitability of cargo vs pax at the time of year, etc.