Seat Map/basic economy

I have learned a lot from this sub but it has been particularly helpful to learn about the basic economy fare and that it doesn’t reflect in advance on the seating map.

For my upcoming SFO-AKL flight there is currently a seemingly empty spot between my husband and I. We’ve booked aisle/window on other flights and have lucked out that no one sits between us (most notably to Japan which was a godsend). Now that I have learned that the seat map isn’t such a reliable indicator of if someone will be assigned that seat or not I have some questions.

Do basic economy passengers only get placed in economy seats? Wonder if we should upgrade ever so slightly to a preferred seat for $50 if that means it’s less likely to get a surprise seat mate. Economy Plus is also a tenuous option although I’m not excited about paying $267 each.

I’ve been obsessively checking to see if any upgrades dip down but I’m guessing any real action may happen closer to the departure in April.

Also, will the gate agent be able to tell me if there has been anyone assigned that seat if it’s still showing empty?

Of course there is a good chance we’ll have someone in the row with us but I’m trying to stack the odds in my favor. It’s a 777-200 and at least for the return we have one of the only sets of two seats in economy.