sbiddle

I've just been bumped at LHR. Booked my favourite 25D in Feb for my final Spaceseat flight and got bumped to 30E at check-in due so a family of 5 could sit together.

There is nothing worse than that back row so they seemed to free up 23E for me after I complained.

NZbutterfly

I've been asked to move for a family before, felt a bit miffed initially but a few minutes after take off no longer cared.

Also had someone poach seat. That had me fuming for the rest of the day. (Won't go into it here).

Have also called up and asked if partner and I could sit together - work booked his ticket and I booked mine so ended up in different seats. It may have displaced someone I don't know but I've given up my seat before so I don't feel bad about it.

If a family wanted to sit together and kids were involved then I don't think I could say no. I have my favorite seats but >98% of the time I get to keep the seat I booked. I find it difficult to complain with those odds really.

Not sure how I feel about moving for couples. Maybe.... will just see how it goes on the day.

sbiddle

Ended up sitting in the front row next to a screaming baby for 10 1/2 hours.

Bub001

I bet 30E was looking pretty good by the end of the first meal...

Trumpkin

Did you have a pair of good noise cancelling headphones?

codyc1515

It's absolutely unfair for an airline like Air NZ to expect you to pay for nearly any kind of seat selection (with some seats in the high $ double digits) and then expect you to be "reaccommodated" with no compensation. Operational issues, like aircraft change, can't always be helped but "operational issues" like reseating you for a "family" that deliberately skipped seat selection (and the associated costs when making their booking or at the checkin) is absolutely rubbish. I would be rightly annoyed if asked to move because someone else didn't bother to pay for the seat selection.

sbiddle

Earplugs and Bose couldn't cancel this thing out!

I saw somebody mention the new black ammenity kit earplugs on here the other day also. They are absolutely terrible. Lucky I carry spares.

sbiddle

Just to add to this - the issue was almost certainly because the family was 3 kids and 2 adults. Air NZ rules won't sit males next to children and one of the kids was in the seat next to the one I'd selected.

Makes me wonder why they simply didn't put one of the adults there to avoid having to move me, and presumably then have to move others around to accommodate this.

JANZFlyer

I wonder if they made that seat suddenly "free" to punish you for daring to complain! they would have seen a baby was in that seat, pretty cheeky! I am always wary of that front row because this baby issue ! Unless I am travelling with my baby that is..

sbiddle

My last Spaceseat flight was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

macdo

A couple of years ago, on QANTAS, I was in aisle with two pre-schoolers seated outboard of me. Parents and grandmother were in the row behind. I offered to swap (both to the parents and the FA) but the parents were happy with the arrangement and the FA shrugged, she sympathised and had a further chat with the parents to no avail. After a couple of hours the mother got tired of trying to attend to the kids through the gap between the seat backs so asked if I would swap! I ended up sitting between father and grandmother for the rest of the flight and contemplating ways the airline could have done better in the face of stupidity

NZbutterfly

It's still flying the Tasman, you could get a Flexible Y fare to cancel if swapped out and upgrade 100 APD

I did try paying to catch it and failed. Then wasn't looking at seat maps and received an op-up to the space seat - yay! Also had the new seat subbed for the space seat when I have watched maps. And used an APD upgrade to get the space seat. Flying LAX later but not hopeful.