atothesquiz

To be fair, some (most?) people don't like it when strangers are intentionally or unintentionally touching them. When someone is spilling over their seat in to yours and there is little you can do, it's uncomfortable.

That said there was probably plenty of things the OP could have done. The OP should have just gotten up and moved to another seat as soon as they sat down before the rest of the PAX boarded and avoided the situation instead of, presumably, insisting on sitting in 1A (I WAS HEAR FIRST!!! Syndrome).

joshua362

And would that just make it someone else's problem? (assuming all the facts are reported properly here?) Given WN's overly generous COS policy, shouldn't this be avoidable?

kerrigjl

You can lift the aisle armrest for all parts of the flight other than takeoff/landing (I also put it back down when there's turbulence).

dmbolp

Well no one was gonna make the guy any skinnier

ursine1

Not in the bulkhead row. And having to lift the armrest in order to fit is literally the definition of COS.

joshua362

zachary

I'm never going to understand the allure of the bulkhead seats. They seem like they are cherished, but with the curved fuselage, the seat space is restricted. Going back 3-4 rows eliminates that and only delays your getting off the plane by a couple of minutes at the most. Not a criticism of those who like the bulkhead, it's just that I can't see the big advantage.

In this case, the simple thing for the OP to do was get up and move to another row. Apparently there was a reason the OP didn't want to do that.

hurnik

I think the OP said that they waited until after boarding was complete and that it was a full flight. Sometimes it's not quite as easy to get up while boarding is still going on, fetching your bags and trying to move again whilst the FA keep telling everyone to find a seat as quickly as possible to ensure a timely departure. Although that could have been a better option in hindsight.

carraher

Extra leg room.

pinniped

(1) OP boards and grabs 1A. That means he's an early A boarding group, as a whole empty bulkhead row never survives into the late A's. Not on a full-flight day anyway.

(2) "Big" couple boards and grabs 1BC. That *also* happens in the A group, as that pair of seats is snagged quickly...unless a low-A solo traveler grabs 1C.

The problem at this point is waiting for boarding to complete. The minute you saw that you were in an uncomfortable situation, you could have hopped up, grabbed your bag, and still made it to a window seat in the middle of the plane. You're probably still ahead of the B's at this point - plenty to pick and choose from. You'd probably even have some choices with other pax already in the row, allowing you to "size up" your seatmates.

It sounds to me like the OP wanted the IDB and all of the compensation that comes with that. Hence the wait - hoping to be the one passenger affected by the COS with no other seating options. And disappointed when the ploy only yields $50 and a "go away" response in SJC.

atothesquiz

Wow, you must have just exercised the demons for that one. Impresssive

pinniped

Well, they needed exercise.

Allan38103

Is anyone else calling BS on this one?

First, it's "open seating". Enough said.

OP said he was a through passenger. He's already on board - even before the pre-boards. The post suggests that the flight was full. Was there ANY open seat available? Did the COS couple buy an extra seat (or two) according to WN's guidelines?

If OP is seeking an IDB after the flights lands, it's a bit late. "We can't make the other passenger thin for you, and we can't change your seat after you've landed. So here's $50. Sorry. Next."

smmrfld

Bingo. OP has a history of this stuff that is easily found via search, including seeking compensation for a slip on a cruise ship and "abandonment" at PHX. It's unfortunate that it now appears in this forum as well, since it is misleading for those who come here seeking information and advice about legitimate claims.

toomanybooks

Or to be exorcised.