Bulkhead seats

We have booked 3 PE reward seats to New York next April. Looking at the seat map, all bulkhead seats plus 3 rows behind on the left and the row behind in the middle and on the right hand side aren't available. Does this mean the bulkhead seats are already taken or are they only made available at check-in?

If it's the latter, what time does check-in open?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Cheers,
Steve

[honey lamb]

It's the latter. Bulkhead seats can only be allocated at the airport for a variety of reasons. For a starter some of them are bassinet positions so may be held back for families travelling with infants or else for travellers who need special assistance. Only then, if they are not needed are they released to the general public.

Check-in at LHR opens at 06:30 (I think)

Bulkhead seats can only be allocated at the airport for a variety of reasons.

Even then, they are extraordinarily hard to get hold of. On oversold UC flights they are held back for downgraded customers. The best advice is: Ask at check-in, ask in the clubhouse (if you have access) and ask at the gate.

I'm sure oftentimes they are held back waiting for one of HL's reasons above, then when none of those occur, some lucky unsuspecting pax who turns up to check-in fairly late on, gets given them by default.

Thank you both ... appreciate your help.

I can second Martin's advice about asking -- and don't be shy.
When I flew to Sydney in PE I checked in pretty early and simply asked at LHR if I could sit in row 18 and they sorted it out there and then. I had never done this before and was amazed that I got lucky.

On the way back I was early from a connecting flight and was one of the first to check in at the airport -- again I mentioned row 18 and immediately they allocated me the same seat in it all the way through to London. On such a long flight it certainly made a difference.