mspguy

I was asked by guy in 1A to change with his friend in seat 6B. I refused as I did'nt want to sit in the last row of first class (NWA 757) as I like the bulkhead. Guy in 1A had a fit and made many rude remarks to me during the flight because I won't change. Guy in 6A did'nt want to change either. I don't think I was wrong. What do you all think?

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MDSD

This is a recurring thread in the airline forums. Consensus seems to be, at least on the AA board, that people won't change for a lesser seat, or if the person asking is obnoxious, or if the person has pre-empted your seat before your arrival.
I pre-select my seats carefully, and cannot imagine giving it up for the situation you described. OTOH it made for an unpleasant trip for you - you could always have just put earphones in to help ignore the jerk.

sobay_terp

Exactly right to decline the offer. I prefer 1A myself. I would've countered with a suggestion that the clod in 1B go talk to the guy in 6F or whatever. A simple, "no thanks, I really need to sit here" should suffice and any sneers or rude comments can be blissfully ignored. I've even had non-revs pull this stunt on me!

Mountain Trader

I guess if you really care about that seat you have, it's yours so stay put.

On the other hand, I recall the post by a guy who was asked by a FA to swap FC seats and he didn't care much, so he said ok. The fellow came over and said "Thanks very much for letting me sit next to my wife. My name's Bruce Springsteen". The guy was a classical fan and could have cared less about the Boss, but his pals got some neat autographs.

Instead it could have been A-Rod, or Bill Maher or Bill O'Reilly. It might have been just a guy you never heard of who was tired and wanted to sit next to his friend.

If you'd do it for a hero, why not for anyone?

[This message has been edited by Mountain Trader (edited Feb 28, 2004).]

pynchonesque

Once some self-important consultant-type bozo walked into the F section and, as he was putting his bag into the bin, muttered to me, "I'm gonna switch with you, ok?" I ignored him, kept reading my book, and ignored him again when he came to my seat. He sighed and rolled his eyes for about fifteen minutes, and when he found someone to switch with, made a big show of loudly talking about "the rude people on this plane." I say, suck it.

andrzej

I was on AA 763 up front in 2B. 2A was taken by a young man traveling under the airline supervision and the 2 middle seats were taken by a couple. It must have been the last call, because we were there for some time, and this guy runs in, looks around, and tells me that he needs to switch with me for his 5J seat. I looked at him, and simply said that unfortunately for him, I don't have a need to switch. He starts telling me that he's VERY important, that he's some big shot financial guru, wizard, or whatever, and he needs to be off the plane as soon as possible. Still being nice, I told him, that I feel for him, but no I will not switch. At this time the guy is raising hell and everybody else including the FAs are hearing this a**hole make a total jerk of himself, *****ing me out, AA, and everybody around. I have to believe that one of the FA's informned the pilot, as he came on and with a very stern, authoritative voice announced for everybody to take their seats as we needed to push back. The d***head goes to his seat. Just before landing the pilot comes on and again with a very serious tone announces that if anybody moves before the seat belt sign is turned off, he will get the authorities involved. It was brilliant, as the guy just realized that it was all about him. He was was giving me the look and made some remarks to me during the flight everytime he used the toilet. He also said that he will be the first one of the plane anyway, which makes me think the FA made a note of it and had the captain make the announcement.

Would I switch if he was civilized about the switch? In this case probably no. I picked that seat for exactly the same reason. I had a tight connection and I wanted to check e-mail between flights. Every minute counted. In other instances I did and will do it, IF the person asks in a civilized way and I don't really care about the seat I have.

Billiken

Once on an AA 757 going from UIO to MIA I was asked to switch my coach E (aisle) seat by/with the lady next to me in the middle seat. (The 3 pax in A-B-C were traveling with the lady in seat F.)

This was before MRTC and I, being 6' 5" tall, declined.

I did offer to switch with the pax in seat C but told her that I simply could not fit in a middle seat. They declined my counter-offer.

C'est la vie.

1K_From_SNA

I agree.

I want an aisle, not bulkhead or last row. I'll switch to another of those, but not something I didn't want to begin with. If they don't like it, too bad they should have called in earlier. They call it reserved seating for a reason.

The exception I made one time was when there was a kid in the seat in front of me and someone asked me to swap to his window so he could be next to his friend. I said "Normally I don't for a window, but I'll make an exception today". Boy what a great decision that turned out to be.

joeinnewengland

There are a lot of big feeling people in first class. They tend to clash.

MisterNice

I will usually trade "equivalent" seats except when some agressive joker is already setting in my assigned seat and loudly sez "I didnt think you would mind if I sat here because........(or whatever) and you can take my empty seat over there". At that time I say "Sorry, I really prefer to sit in my the assigned seat I paid for and maybe you can ask someone else to trade seats with BEFORE you sit in it".

MisterNice

stut

Indeed, that kind of attitude 'you *will* swap seats with me' does nothing but bring up a spirit of bloody-mindedness in myself, and a great joy in telling the person in question that I would gladly have swapped seats if they weren't being such an arse about it.

fimo

Oh, that happened to me too. The guy pretended that it was a mistake and pointed out his seat, claiming it was just as good. It was probably okay, still an aisle, a couple of rows back on the other side of the plane, but I had special requested the seat for good reason and I wasn't going to let him intimidate me... he probably thought I was a pushover! I stood there with people waiting to get to their seats, and just repeated ad nauseum "This is my seat". He finally gave up and made a big to-do getting his stuff out of the overhead compartments.

Whatever. Loser.

mtacchi

On a BA flight my wife and I were asked to give up our middle F class row 5 seats. We wanted to travel together and picked the two seats together (honeymoon) and declined. Nothing more was said.

Shortly before the door closes Keith Richards and his wife(?) board and take up individual seats on opposite sides of the F cabin. I don't know for sure, but there didn't appear to be any other couples in the cabin (2 business guys in row 4 middle who worked thru the flight).

R&R

Don't you love when the FA tells a passenger to ask you, if you would change seats for a more undesireable middle seat, that they don't want!

THe ultinate 'stupid' request was when I had the aisle exit row seat on a full plane. This tall guy to be in the middle exit row seat next to me asks me to switch with his wile in the middle seat behind us. I believe they were standbys or late comeers! Anyway, they didn't plan as far ahead as I did!

Of course, I said no. And he was pushy the whole flight trying to get in my face just short of my calling the FA to straighten him out.



[This message has been edited by R&R (edited Feb 29, 2004).]

mitchell

I took a seat in the last row EWR-SFO to be nice to someone (CO has just given me op-ups on EWR-LGW in both directions), and a guy's child had to take a dump with the bathroom door open. Boy did it stink! The FA had to come back with deoderizer.

There are good reasons why I usually pick F seats close to the front.

Mitchell

[This message has been edited by mitchell (edited Feb 29, 2004).]