The WP shadow

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opusman said:
But do shadows still exist for us lowly WPs, that's what I'd like to know.
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I had a recent flight where most of the middle empties were in rows 5-8 which supports the idea that they do.

But I also just tried calling to see if I could get a block on an upcoming flight which is looking fairly lightly loaded and was told they can't do that.

So who knows.
 
dodgeyhack said:
I had a recent flight where most of the middle empties were in rows 5-8 which supports the idea that they do.

But I also just tried calling to see if I could get a block on an upcoming flight which is looking fairly lightly loaded and was told they can't do that.

So who knows.
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If you're calling up then you're talking to reservations who use Amadeus but don't have access to the checkin system Altea AFAIK where seat blocking is mostly done once the airport gets access to a flight around T-80.

Was it general res you spoke to or the P1 team?

Not sure what they P1 do when people have reported on here that they've requested a seat block & the request has come through. I don't know whether they have access to Altea or just call through to someone who does.

Keep in mind that not all staff at airports have the ability to block, seat swap or override seating depending on their level of access.
 
Well 4F was occupied, 4B got filled late with SG, 4E, 5BE, 6BE and 7BE were all empty. Rest of the flight was full.
 
Thanks for the info ozbeachbabe.
I called the WP number but I have a feeling I went through to the general guys. I was a bit distracted while making the call but was on hold for longer than normal and don't remember hearing 'premium' at any point. It was also within T-80.
I must confess I ummed and ahhed about whether to bother calling. But with a lot of availability showing I thought it was worth a try to see what they'd say (I was partly just curious about the reports of P1s calling to get a block). Especially because I'd picked 767 flights and they'd now been subbed for 737s. It's much more cramped with an infant on a 737 in a row of three.

Still Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V8 G0 E6, and flight is 9am tomorrow so I have high hopes for an empty anyway.
 
BJReplay said:
Well 4F was occupied, 4B got filled late with SG, 4E, 5BE, 6BE and 7BE were all empty. Rest of the flight was full.
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Did you ask to see 4B's boarding pass before you allowed them to take their seat so ensure they were PS or above? ;)

dodgeyhack said:
Thanks for the info ozbeachbabe. I called the WP number but I have a feeling I went through to the general guys. I was a bit distracted while making the call but was on hold for longer than normal and don't remember hearing 'premium' at any point. It was also within T-80.

I must confess I ummed and ahhed about whether to bother calling. But with a lot of availability showing I thought it was worth a try to see what they'd say (I was partly just curious about the reports of P1s calling to get a block). Especially because I'd picked 767 flights and they'd now been subbed for 737s. It's much more cramped with an infant on a 737 in a row of three.

Still Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V8 G0 E6, and flight is 9am tomorrow so I have high hopes for an empty anyway.
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You're probably better off asking nicely in the lounge and saying that you realise that there are nil guarantees but is there any chance of blocking off 4B/E so it would be one of the last seats to be allocated as it would only be unblocked if needed?

I suppose an 0900 flight is less likely to be as full as peak hour where there can be 40 plus seats 2 hours prior to the flight yet it will go out full, so looking at the loads even the day prior has little bearing on what the load factor will be on the day.

Another issue besides those pax who leap at the chance to move out of their perfectly good aisle or window seat further back for the holy grail of 4B/E is that it appears that when pax are force transferred to another flight that Altea defaults that pax's seat allocation to the further forward seat in that cabin hence NB's or no status pax ending up there.

This is why it's so important to pre-allocate your seat where possible rather than just presume the seat request in your profile is a sure thing. The 'force transfer' action overrides the theoretical seating so a seat such as 4C theoretically earmarked for a WP (ie not pre-allocated as such) may end up being given to someone flow forwarded & if the WP checks in after the flow forwarded pax they may not get their preferred seat which is a sublte way of saying they could end up in 7E.

This would be an issue all airlines using Altea for checkin (Amadeus system users) would have to deal with.
 
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Just be aware that the seat map thrown up by E/F is an approximation based on your Status.

It does not take PCV for that specific flight into account. It all about 'notional seating'.

I would suggest the approximation had a higher notional "PCV" than BJReplay - 4F had an in between rating at that point in time; hence was showing unblock to E/F.
 
Hubby is WP, and on a flight this week he had chosen 4A, with what seemed like 4C also allocated, and 4B open, close to checkin.
However, onboard, 4B was taken and by an extremely large passenger who took some of both 4A and 4C space.
My husband is to well mannered to say anything to flight attendant as he didn't want to embarrass the man in 4B.

So, what happens close to check in?? Is it open slather for seats? Do people really think that a middle seat near the front is better than a seat further down with a spare next to you?

Plus....don't get me started on passengers in economy that don't really fit into an economy seat, but think it's okay to encroach on other peoples space !!

TQ
 
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Travelqueen said:
So, what happens close to check in?? Is it open slather for seats? Do people really think that a middle seat near the front is better than a seat further down with a spare next to you?
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All seats become open for selection close to check in, unless blocked by the airline for various reasons like weight distribution or a specific shadow request. Unfortunately there are people who don't consider the comfort of others and will select a middle seat even if there is a vacant window/aisle further back.
 
Well I voluntarily gave up my shadow seat today when someone unilaterally plonked themselves into one of the seats in front and then pleaded with the rightful owner to be allowed to sit next to her husband.

I was a gentleman and moved into the shadow (window) seat to allow the displacedee (?) to take my aisle seat.
 
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Allocated our seats at T-80 to row 4 with myself (WP) aisle and wife (SG) window, when viewing seatmap using EF and wife's SG number it shows middle seat as blocked/shadow.. Hope it sticks now!

AFF4.jpg
 
ComeFlyWithMe said:
My +1 doesn't "expect" but I offer. Happy wife, happy life.
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You are such a gentleman.

I tell my fiancee I will sit in the aisle seat and that she has 3 choices. She can sit in opposite aisle, next to me or in the window seat. She chooses to sit next to me.

If you have met me then you will realise that I do not do middle seats. Struggle enough in aisle seats. So any woman who wants to put me through that torture does not care about me.
 
JohnK said:
You are such a gentleman.

I tell my fiancee I will sit in the aisle seat and that she has 3 choices. She can sit in opposite aisle, next to me or in the window seat. She chooses to sit next to me.

If you have met me then you will realise that I do not do middle seats. Struggle enough in aisle seats. So any woman who wants to put me through that torture does not care about me.
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You'll learn! Hope it's not too painful!
 
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