Seat selection on SYD-DFW

Family of three traveling SYD DFW have selected seats D,Gand F in the hope of getting the four seats.....what do you think of my chances of the E seat being selected?

I think it's unlikely that someone will select that seat of their own accord, but it might be handed out later by the computer.

Agreed, in those multiple middle seat configurations (3-4), the middle of those middle seats are the last seats to be selected (if the aisle seats are occupied). Of course, not much help if Y is fully booked or overbooked. The only certainty is buying that seat yourself, otherwise you roll the dice (especially since it's more common that Economy is more full than not).

You have nothing to lose. I suppose it depends on how full the flight is

Perhaps, though I also consider this kind of practice pretty ethically iffy, and it happens quite a lot with couples trying to snag three seats between them.

Why is it ethically iffy? Think about the poor bastard trying to book a seat later on a nearly full flight. He's got the choice between your row's E seat and an aisle seat up the back of the plane. He doesn't know that you're willing to trade E for D if it comes to that.

Moreover I think the "What if everyone did this?" argument applies. If every couple flying together tried to snag A and C then the good seats would book out much faster, leaving late-booking solo travellers a whole bunch of B seats to look at. They're not going to know which B seats are going to turn into aisle seats the moment they show up and try to park their butt between a couple, they're just going to have to book on blind luck.

Nope, I think if you want to travel together you should book adjacent seats, and if you want a spare seat you should pay for it.

Surely I am the bastard then rather than the late booker.

Thanks for the answer - that too is what my concious is dealing with.

In worse case scenario you always can ask for exchange D and E – I would not believe that anyone would object.

Thanks everyone.....answers were along the lines i was thinking - hoping the tanking dollar will reduce capacity enough to keep the 4 seats....

its a gamble - have tried to do it in Emirates business - the middle 3 - where i have put the 2 of us together leaving the aisle seat free - would never try the 3 seat split as not worth the agro that might go with the seat change - plus its slightly iffy morally really (although understandable of course to try to get an extra seat) - probably more worth it in economy than in business though!