What are Blocked seats?

If you see a blocked seat on an airline seat map, you will might not be able to select it when you book your flight. In some cases these seat may open up closer to departure date or when online check-in for the flight opens.

There are many reasons why a seat might be blocked, here are some of the most common ones:

• Reserved for crew members or airline employees: Airlines often reserve seats for their crew members and employees. This is especially common on international flights, where there may be a need for extra crew members in case of an emergency.
• Emergency exit row: Seats in the emergency exit row have special requirements, so only passengers who meet certain criteria can sit there. These requirements typically include being able to lift and move heavy objects and being willing to help in an emergency.
• Weight and balance: Airlines need to balance the weight of the aircraft evenly in order to fly safely. This means that they may block seats in certain areas of the aircraft to ensure that the weight is distributed correctly.
• Maintenance: Sometimes, seats may be blocked for maintenance reasons. This could be because the seat is broken or because the airline is performing routine maintenance on the aircraft.
• Marketing: Airlines sometimes block seats for marketing reasons. This could be to sell them as an upgrade or to reserve them for certain passengers, such as frequent flyers or members of a loyalty program.
• Operational: In some cases the seat might show up as blocked in our system, but can still be selected through the operating airline's own website.