Blumie

I flew on the LAX-BOS redeye last night in (gasp) coach. There was not a single J or F seat to be purchased on either JFK redeye or on the BOS flight. As a result, I actually booked myself LAX-SFO-JFK-BOS so I could sit in J or F on the SFO-JFK flight, but the LAX-SFO flight was delayed by 90 minutes because of ATC, so I had to abandon that plan as I would have missed the connection to the SFO-JFK flight. I had no choice but to take the Y seat on the LAX-BOS flight. (I sat there thinking to myself, "WWJD" -- what would JonNYC do -- because I can't imagine the answer is fly Y on a redeye.) I monitored the inventory on all of the east-bound flights until I had to board my flight, and when no seats opened up and my flight checked in full in F, I took my seat in coach. Fortunately the agent was able to find a window seat for me -- 15A. (A quick aside: this is the principal reason AA now waits until later than they used to to clear upgrades. Had an F or J seat been available, I would have paid full fare for it and AA wouldn't have had to give it away for free.)

Well, the first insult-to-injury was that the guy in 14A and the guy in 15B both kept their lights on almost the entire flight. But the worst part was that, shortly after I had fallen asleep, the guy in 15B -- a respectably dressed guy in his 50s -- decided that he was upset that I had my arm on the armrest, so he decided just to jab his elbow into mine. I woke up with this guy literally trying to force me off the armrest. I looked at him and said "excuse me," to which he replied, "Are you going to keep your arm on the armrest the entire flight?" I just looked at him again and asked, "Are you an adult?", to which the best response he could muster was "I have to drink my drink." Apparently he felt that the positioning of my arm rendered difficult his ability to enjoy his diet sierra mist. We spent much of the next 20 minutes jockeying for position on the armrest.

So Jon, WWJD?

tom911

Change seats?

West Coast Ace

You were sleeping - I have a feeling you could have slept with your arm in your lap.

The correct answer is you each get half - work it out next time.

olimaspecto

Divide the armrest down the middle and cut it in half. Whomever will sacrifice himself for the good of the armrest deserves to use the whole thing.

Good ole King Solomon

vasantn

The etiquette I have learned from the DL board is:

The middle seat gets both armrests, especially in Y.

I think you should have let the guy have it. JMHO, of course.

[Edited to add:] I'm jumping to conclusions; it was likely not a middle seat (is the redeye a 767?). In that case, I would have arm-wrestled for a decision.

[Edited to add:] Looks like it's a 757, so my original response stands.

FlyAO2

My logic with armrests is "I get it this time - you get it next time"

francophile

I recommend buying a pair of eyeshades. I seem to sleep better inflight when I have my eyeshades on, even during night time flights, and of course during day time flights. Perhaps it's due to a placebo effect that I'm sleeping better with the eyeshades on. And of course I probably look like a sissy with them on. I really do feel like a get a better rest with them.

Perhaps you don't even have to buy a pair of eyeshades. Just use the one your received in your J or F amenity kit from BA or CX...

Fly AA J all the way

He'd make magic happen

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=509763

Blumie

Full flight. I guess I could have sat in the lav.



The issue wasn't that the guy wanted to share the armrest, the issue was that he expressed his desire by jabbing his elbow into mine. We did, in the end, work it out: during parts of the flight his arm was on and mine was not; during other parts mine was on and his was not; and during yet other parts we shared. That was the right answer. Jabbing his elbow into mine was not.



I do have a colletion of amenity kit eyeshades, and an amazingly comfortable one that the Four Seasons Hotels once gave me. Unfortunately, I didn't have any of them with me. I suspect, however, that the shade wouldn't have prevented the jab from my neighbor.

brp

No, but it might have prevented the possible poke in the eye with a sharp stick, which I'm sure would have been the guy's next move..if he could have brought aboard a sharp stick...

Cheers.

HUB Flyer

^

Ceasy

I think that the most logical approach is a wrestling match in the aisle. First one pinned loses rights to the armrest for the remainder of the flight. To offset differences in size and strength, I suggest handicapping by taping one or two arms behind the back.

That's how I settle my differences. I believe JonNYC would concur with this approach.

pinniped

I think Middle Guy deserves the armrests. I mean, middle on a redeye sucks hard. I've seen this written in more than a few places about etiquette...it's the one "perk" of being in the middle. Aisle Guy and Window Guy yield the armrests to him.

As for the lights, I agree that if this bugs you, you gotta go with the eyemask even if you fear it represents the ultimate in inflight sissification. The things really do help you sleep on redeyes.

IceTrojan

Then the question is, what rules: Etiquette vs. Every Pax for Themselves?

A question that will never be answered.

CO FF

Jon, the board awaits your wisdom.

Please, don't make us beg.