What's the difference between 'blocked' and 'occupied' seat maps?

When viewing live seat map data on Planepoints seats can have 3 statuses, available, occupied and blocked.

Occupied seats represent seats that have been reserved or assigned to a traveler already.

Blocked seats represent seats that the airline is preventing travellers from reserving due to operational reasons. This can include;

• Technical issues that make a seat unavailable

• Theoretical seating systems used by airlines sometimes block seats to ensure certain groups are able to sit together

• Seats are sometimes blocked to enable upgrade opportunities to be fulfilled

• Bassinet seats are typically blocked to ensure they can be assigned to travellers who require them

Blocked seat statuses typically change to available or occupied at check in.