I thought I'd share this tale with everyone. Flew back from a much maligned OGG-LAX flight that took off 14 hours late due to MX and was a cancellation. Mrs. BHart and I were originally seated together and had both used miles to UG, agent couldn't get us seated together on the new flight since it was now a total mess with the previous cancellation. She had 5C, I had 6D and the check in agent said again, no seats, but she had 4D available, I took that figuring I'd have more leverage negotiating from a full recline seat, and with us splitting window/aisle respectively it would just be a 1 row change for someone.
We all start boarding, 4C is right in front of me, before he even gets situated, I ask if he wouldn't mind changing. He looks back to see a mother with baby in 5D and gives me a "No, I'm staying here." I was a lot angry but tried to stay cool. After some PDB dispensing, Mr. 4C gets up to go the the lav and my wife keeps eying 6D to see if maybe that seat will stay vacant, then 6C pipes up after the looks "Is there a problem?". Wife explains what's going on, and 6C suggests the mother and baby move, which would then force Mr. 4C to sit next to the baby anyway. Even the mom in 5D laughs at the thought and said the baby slept the whole flight out anyway. We figured asking her/them to move was a major inconvenience already which is why we didn't bother asking them and then the mom (5D) also chimes in and says "Well, I don't want to sit next to an a**hole!" We all had a pretty good laugh and then after emerging from the lav, 4C changed his mind anyway and agreed to switch. His good deed was rewarded with a thank you, and the baby true to her nature slept the whole flight anyway so it all worked out, and with a good laugh to boot.
I'm confused.Why does it make the guy an a- hole if he didn't at first want to sit next to a baby who might have been a crier. Would you want to sit next to a crying baby if you didn't have to?
I'm confused.Why does it make the guy an a- hole if he didn't at first want to sit next to a baby who might have been a crier. Would you want to sit next to a crying baby if you didn't have to?
More than that I am confused by this statement:
Quote:
Originally Posted by BHArt
I was a lot angry but tried to stay cool.
Angry that someone else wanted to keep their assigned seat? Trading seats is a privilege, not a right. To get "a lot angry" because a passenger doesn't want to trade seats is a bit over the top IMHO.
I hate it when people pretty much demand that I switch seats with them because they are traveling with someone and I am not. I have said no before (especially when someone asked me to switch from my aisle to a middle so he and his girlfriend could sit together. Ummmm... no thank you.
My other favorite is when people don't ask me to switch seats, they say "you need to switch with me so we can sit together." Ummm... again no. I don't "need" to do anything for you.
...He looks back to see a mother with baby in 5D and gives me a "No, I'm staying here." I was a lot angry but tried to stay cool.
...
and then the mom (5D) also chimes in and says "Well, I don't want to sit next to an a**hole!" We all had a pretty good laugh and then after emerging from the lav, 4C changed his mind anyway and agreed to switch.
sorry bub, but you're the a-hole if you got "a lot angry" because someone didn't want to switch seats with you.
I hate it when people pretty much demand that I switch seats with them because they are traveling with someone and I am not. I have said no before (especially when someone asked me to switch from my aisle to a middle so he and his girlfriend could sit together. Ummmm... no thank you.
My other favorite is when people don't ask me to switch seats, they say "you need to switch with me so we can sit together." Ummm... again no. I don't "need" to do anything for you.
I agree totally. For those who would like to ignore the process of an airline issuing seat assignments, there is a carrier that is more than happy to indulge them.
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Last edited by houserulz77; Dec 13, 12 at 3:24 pm..
Reason: typo
Angry that someone else wanted to keep their assigned seat? Trading seats is a privilege, not a right. To get "a lot angry" because a passenger doesn't want to trade seats is a bit over the top IMHO.
For what it's worth though, it does irk me when other PAX assume switching seats is OK as well as PAX who won't switch when I want to. I am so conflicted.
I always get a chuckle when I hear a husband/wife near me ask for someone to switch seats so they can sit together and if the person agrees, the couple now sitting together proceed to ignore each other as they read a book or listen to music the entire flight.
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99% of the time I travel alone, the 1% of the time is with my wife and we don't always get seats next to each other in FC. I think of it as good Karma to swap seats when politely asked.
Next year my husband and I will celebrate our 50th anniversary . So you can assume that we have a pretty good marriage. Nevertheless we do not feel driven to sit together on every available opprtunity. Neither do we think that someone that dosn't make that possible is an a- hole.
we are pretty much secure in our marriage at this point. and we feel a bit sorry for those who aren't.
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Mrs JMKSTL and I were in the bulkhead seats - each with the aisle because that is how we booked them. Another couple had the window seats and asked my wife to switch - she did so reluctantly and took the window. At the end of the flight the couple thanked us. My wife was gracious of course. I couldn't help myself though - I said that they shouldn't thank me because I wouldn't have switched! I know, but geez, the flight was only an hour anyway and the could not STAND to be apart for that long!!!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bludevil
I hate it when people pretty much demand that I switch seats with them because they are traveling with someone and I am not. I have said no before (especially when someone asked me to switch from my aisle to a middle so he and his girlfriend could sit together. Ummmm... no thank you.
My other favorite is when people don't ask me to switch seats, they say "you need to switch with me so we can sit together." Ummm... again no. I don't "need" to do anything for you.
Well, the mom called the guy an a-hole, not me. I know nobody has to switch seats, and we asked nicely, which we always do because we're polite and the baby didn't cry the whole flight, and I actually understand his trepidation about the baby but if anyone bothered to read the entire first post, he switched anyway. Yes, nobody wants to switch to a middle but that wasn't the case. I'm not an entitled PM, that's for DMs only thanks for the assumptions, but my wife and I don't see each other much since she travels for work very often and we interacted with each other plenty on the flight and we're very secure in our marriage and happen to love each other quite a bit. Thanks for piling on everyone. The root of the story was the comment from the mom, which is why I bolded it but I'm glad all the replies on here called me out making plenty of assumptions about me, my attitude, my marriage and the situation. A 14 hour overnight delay and 4 hours of sleep (or less for others) left most everyone on the flight in a crappy mood, glad it could be continued on here for trying to share something I thought was amusing. Nothing like the DL forum.
We all had a pretty good laugh and then after emerging from the lav, 4C changed his mind anyway and agreed to switch. His good deed was rewarded with a thank you, and the baby true to her nature slept the whole flight anyway so it all worked out, and with a good laugh to boot.
