Computerised seat allocation

[BRUpax]

I've just completed 4 sectors with BA on A319s. All were very light, 25-30%, loads. Even allowing for weight and balance, why does the computer not spread the "Y" pax around instead of cramming them in three to a row when they are not even travelling together? [What's even more surprising is that often these pax won't move to one of the other many empty rows]. Surely when a light load is expected the pooter can be programmed not to allocate middle seats? Just one of the many silly anomalies I note when flying. :confused:

[VnV2178B]

I think the answer is simply that the seat allocation is done by a ground based computer probably programmed by some poor, cubicle-bound, pasty-faced geek who rarely gets the chance to fly and doesn't care about weight distribution or passenger comfort but just does what it says in the requirement without question.
So the easiest way is to start at the front and allocate aisle or window dependent on PAX choice working towards the back. If there is no preference; than give them the middle seat.
Otherwise you have to get into clever algorithms and no-one wants to think at work do they?


VnV...

(ps only some of this is sour grapes, honest)

[Blue Boy]

With my experience on DCS, when passengers loads are light, it is better for weight and balance purposes to let the system allocate the seats, and not to manually assign them.

the DCS is programmed with all the relevant data for that particular aircraft, and therefore will plan its most economical trim, based on all things planned/booked for the flight- passenegers, baggage, cargo, mail, etc.

can't explain why pax don't take other seats after airborne though - stupidity?

[Land After]

the DCS is programmed with all the relevant data for that particular aircraft, and therefore will plan its most economical trim, based on all things planned/booked for the flight

There's the answer - keeping us packed like sardines makes for a more economical flight and we save some money for the operator :rolleyes:

Seriously - I seem to remember getting on half empty BAE-ATP flights and having to sit in a crowd at the back to help the weight and balance. Anyone else done this?

[rsoman]

One point to note here is that most of the airlines have prvided the seat map facility
to the travel agents rervation systems and advance seat selectioon is increasingly being done by the agents themselves.
With BA, the cut off time is 24 hours before flight departure but for an airline like Delta it is as short as 2 hours before Departure.The number of seats to be allocated at check in is only going to reduce as more and more travel agents make use of this facilty.

[EGCC Rwy 24]

True story from a Stansted / Manchester trip a few years ago. Only about 15 PAX on board, all had at least two seats each, apart from one lady who strangely had a centre seat next to someone else. She loudly asked the cabin crew if she could move and was told....

"by all means, but go backwards please as we need to keep the bulk of the weight to the rear of the aircraft".

Net result - cabin laughter, embarrassed cabin crew, snooty PAX!!

[Icarus]

The seat logic packages used by the cast majority of mainframe based (TPF) departure control systems is almost as old as the systems themselves; and with more and more reasons to 'block' seat for specific types of passengers can result in 'strange' seating conditions as experienced by BRUPAX above as the system fails to cope with all the possibilites/probabilities, and most database records are not that closely looked at or changed as time goes on by those responsible.
Seats will normally be issued either;
1. Centre cabin row out, e.g. 15,16,14,17,13 etc.
or
2. First row back, i.e. 10,11,12,13.
And (assume 3+3) more than likely each window would be issued first (e.g. A and F) and then aisles (C D) then middle seats (B and E).
Groups would get AB EF CD or ABC DEF.
So if you are on a 'typical' business flight (predominantly people travelling alone) the seats are likely to be issued:
A F C D B E.
Lets assume 15 people, 11 singles and 2 groups of 4.
Seating may go as follows,
10A 10F 10C 10D 10B 11AB 11F 11D 12AB 11C 11E 12F 12C.
Why, because most airlines DO NOT ask (program) the computer to 'skip' rows when accomodating (GF do!).
Once upon a time this was fine, but as airlines offer so much more these days in respect of pre-assigned seats, seats protected to minors/handicapped, extra legroom, near the toilet etc etc etc, it does become more difficult for the logic package to work as well as it once was designed to.
Next time you check in for a flight ask the agent if the flight is expected to be full' if it is not, ask them to protect the seat next to you as a 'comfort' seat, which again GF do if possible. :)

PS - BlueBoy, what system are you using then, as I do not know of any that is that clever yet! DCS systems use some form of "Passenger Distribution Table' to
assume seating conditions at the planning stage and allow you to stow load accordingly. This of course can quite easily 'go to pot' if you have a bunch of check in agents 'direct' seating the flight! DCS will not allocated seats other than the way it is instructed to in the database as I have described above and the PD table should be constructed according to that.
It will use the same seating logic whether you have 1,10,100 or 500 passengers booked.

So if you are a load controller, BEWARE!, one day you will end up with an out of trim airplane because you didn't block seat rows to control the passenger distribution when it was required! :eek:

[ 12 August 2001: Message edited by: Icarus ]

[Groundgripper]

Land After
ATP seating - yup, been there, done that!
That's what happens if you put the wing in the wrong place!

Mind you , I travelled on a Jetstream 40 from Paris back to UK once when the first few pax all went to the back to get away from the engine noise and we had to move forwards 'cause the ground staff could see daylight under the nosewheel!