Why Would You Book A Middle Seat?

fallap · Fri Jan 04, 2013 3:23 pm

I'm flying to Mexico City with Air France Boeing 747-400, on the upper deck, with my mom.

http://www.seatmaestro.com/airplanes...france-boeing-747-400-carib-1.html

When we saw the seat-map at KLM's website while booking the flight, we saw that every seat except 60J and 60L were occupied. And noticed that 60K the middle seat were also occupied.

Just curious, but why would anyone book that middle seat? I saw on Air France website that this front row has baby bassinets. Could this be a mom/dad flying with their baby?

[Edited 2013-01-04 07:25:19]

Birdwatching · Fri Jan 04, 2013 4:10 pm

Quoting Fallap (Thread starter):
Just curious, but why would anyone book that middle seat?

Empty seat strategy. Not really useful on an almost full flight, but I can see it work in some cases.

For starters, 2 people flying together on a 3-3 seating arrangement would reserve the A and C seat for a high probability of an empty middle seat.

Now if you're alone and want a row all for yourself, and the plane is almost empty, you'd go for the middle seat to increase the probability that others go for empty rows first. But in this case, with the plane almost full, the passenger should have gone for the aisle or window. But who knows when they booked and picked the seat, it might have been an empty cabin then.

In any case, you should just select 60J and L. I'm sure the passenger in between would be willing to move to the aisle or window so you can sit together with your mother.

Soren

fallap · Fri Jan 04, 2013 4:31 pm

Quoting Birdwatching (Reply 1):

Thats Soren for that detailed reply. I have thought about the same thing, and hopefully the person won't mind switching seats

These seats seems to be VERY attractive, we booked the flight almost 8 months before departure, and even then, only two seats were available.

reifel · Sun Jan 06, 2013 10:42 am

It can also be indeed that this seat is specifically for certain use, i.e. bassinet seat, infant, handicapped (but usually not a middle seat).

What also can happen (it happens with LH a lot) is that there was an equipment change.
I.e. let's say when you booked the flight an A340 was operating. You choose the window seat, which is i.e. K.
Then it's upgraded to a 744, and you will still keep the K seat, which may be i.e. a middle seat on that plane. Ridiculous, but that's how LH works. If the seat exists and is available on the new flight or on the new equipment, they will keep the assignment unchanged.

Viscount724 · Sun Jan 06, 2013 11:09 pm

Quoting reifel (Reply 3):
What also can happen (it happens with LH a lot) is that there was an equipment change.
I.e. let's say when you booked the flight an A340 was operating. You choose the window seat, which is i.e. K.
Then it's upgraded to a 744, and you will still keep the K seat, which may be i.e. a middle seat on that plane. Ridiculous, but that's how LH works.

That's not how LH works according to seat maps on their website. K is always the right hand window seat on all LH widebodies from the A330 to the A380.

That's very common on virtually all airlines. It's the same reason why on narrowbodies with 2-2 seating the seats are usually designated AC-DF so the same seats are always aisle and window seats whether it's a 2-2 or 3-3 aircraft with ABC-DEF seats. Reduces the number of seat changes when there's an aircraft substitution.

reifel · Sun Jan 06, 2013 11:13 pm

Right, "K" was just a letter for an example to explain the idea

The result is sometimes interesting, as you can find 744's where each middle seat is taken

KingFriday013 · Mon Jan 07, 2013 3:28 am

Not too long ago I booked a middle seat... ATL-LGA on DL in December. Only thing was that it was 20B on a 75X (757-200 w/ AVOD), which means it's an exit row at the 2L door so I essentially had unlimited legroom. I was also the first off the plane.

-J.

gocaps16 · Mon Jan 07, 2013 3:40 am

I'm confused...

Are you flying with Air France or KLM?

toobz · Mon Jan 07, 2013 7:03 am

He's flying with AF/KL. They are for the most part the same airline. He's flying AF metal but obviously booked through KL website, I'm guessing due to it being cheaper with KL flight number...this is just a guess.

fallap · Mon Jan 07, 2013 5:35 pm

Quoting gocaps16 (Reply 7):

Quoting toobz (Reply 8):

Sorry for the confusion, I've booked a flight to Mexico City with AF and return from Lima with KLM, on KLM.com

Why Would You Book A Middle Seat?

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