Best seats reserved - for who?

[pedalbin]

I fly regularly in 'traveller' class long haul with BA. I ave an executive club card but this has now dropped down to blue. I am able to check in online and choose my seat 24 hours before departure, but on the regular route I fly the seats 29A and 29H are the best, 28B,C and the equivalents on the RHS are 2nd best, and various others (bulkhead seats at 40, last 3 rows at the back with only 2 seats) are 3rd best. However, whenever I check-in the best seats are usually gone. I have never seen 29A or H available, and usually 28's are gone too. I can usually get one of the 40 seats or the 2 abreast at the back. I have assumed that I was just a bit unlucky and someelse has an earlier connecting flight and can check in earlier.

However... my most recent flight 29A was unoccupied and smeone was moved into it from another seat. Does this mean that the best seats are held back for some reason, kind of making a mockery of the claim to have the best choice at online checkin. I can understand reserving the bassinet bulkhead seats in case of travellers with babies, but 29A and H have no bulkhead, 28 B,C and the rightside equivalents are emergency exit seats so have to be fit people sitting there.

Can anyone shed any light on what the current situation is?

Posting so late because I am now jetlagged and cant sleep!!

Edited to add: Even when I was a gold EC member and could choose my seats at the time of booking, sometimes 3 months before the flight, the best seats were never available then either.