How do you handle someone sitting in your seat when you board?
Nov 1, 2012, 2:45 pm
#106
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 105
People make me so sick sometimes. That was a very tough position to be in and I probably would have done the same thing.....and hated myself the whole time.
If you had insisted on taking your seat, (which you would have had every right to), the parent with the 2 kids in your row would have punished you by letting her kids kick you and crawl all over you (and it would have been "just too bad.).
If you had taken this to the flight attendant she *also* would have sided with the family and asked you if they could sit together.
You really can't win either way. Sorry it happened to you.
If you had insisted on taking your seat, (which you would have had every right to), the parent with the 2 kids in your row would have punished you by letting her kids kick you and crawl all over you (and it would have been "just too bad.).
If you had taken this to the flight attendant she *also* would have sided with the family and asked you if they could sit together.
You really can't win either way. Sorry it happened to you.
Nov 1, 2012, 2:52 pm
#107
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YVR
Programs: AC E75, SPG Plat, HH peon-by-choice (ex Gold)
Posts: 8,090
People make me so sick sometimes. That was a very tough position to be in and I probably would have done the same thing.....and hated myself the whole time.
If you had insisted on taking your seat, (which you would have had every right to), the parent with the 2 kids in your row would have punished you by letting her kids kick you and crawl all over you (and it would have been "just too bad.).
If you had taken this to the flight attendant she *also* would have sided with the family and asked you if they could sit together.
You really can't win either way. Sorry it happened to you.
If you had insisted on taking your seat, (which you would have had every right to), the parent with the 2 kids in your row would have punished you by letting her kids kick you and crawl all over you (and it would have been "just too bad.).
If you had taken this to the flight attendant she *also* would have sided with the family and asked you if they could sit together.
You really can't win either way. Sorry it happened to you.
Since wifey was with me, she didn't want to make a scene so we took those bulkheads. However, the FA certainly wasn't going to help if I insisted.
Nov 1, 2012, 5:02 pm
#108
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SNA/LAX
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Posts: 202
In domestic first, I usually don't care where I sit - and will most usually swap with someone, when traveling by myself. As upgrades don't always seem to clear together, I understand people get broken up. However, in Economy, I'm not moving out of my exit row aisle seat for anything other than something up front.
Nov 1, 2012, 5:04 pm
#109
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 22,778
Sad but true. I was in upper deck Biz on a Thai flight from BKK to SGN. Wife and I were about to take our seats when we saw "part of a family" there. Seating was 2+2 so a family of 3 took most of the row. The family had bulkhead so wanted to switch. Normally, I'm of the "screw you if you didn't ask" mentality but the Thai FA was going along with the family in trying to get me to switch. Normally, I wouldn't mind for a like-to-like scheme but the bulkheads on upper deck have a diminished side-stowing capacity.
Since wifey was with me, she didn't want to make a scene so we took those bulkheads. However, the FA certainly wasn't going to help if I insisted.
Since wifey was with me, she didn't want to make a scene so we took those bulkheads. However, the FA certainly wasn't going to help if I insisted.
I empathise with your predicament. It's a bit difficult to stand up for your yourself when an the request by a passenger or a family is advocated by an FA. Some FA will help people switch, and some don't want to get involved and say "you can ask someone to switch. We can't make anyone move".
I didn't suggest involving the FA, because you don;t know which way the FA would support.
Once, I was approached my a young father with, whose wife and seated further back, if I would switch so that they could have the bulkhead seat. I declined, as I had asked for the bulkhead seat so that I could use my CPAP during he 11 hour flight. He then came back with an FA who asked me if I minded switching. I told the FA I couldn't and the reason why I couldn't. I also suggested that if in her opinion, it was necessary for her to have someone switch with the couple, perhaps she could ask someone else, who did not need the bulk head as much. She gave up very reluctantly. But the man did not give up. He stood by the row and continued to grumble about how ill mannered I was. I just ignored him.
Wanting to sit together is not a reason to make someone switch, unless a small child is involved. Two parents with two children can make do with sitting separately as long as each is next to a child. We did that a lot in F. WE asked to switch in F only when one of our children would be sitting alone. Most people agreed to switch, some grudgingly, if it involved a swap between a window and an aisle.
If the swap is no worse than what I have, I would normally switch.
Nov 1, 2012, 5:09 pm
#110
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and you receive gornisht
Nov 1, 2012, 5:12 pm
#111
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 22,778
In domestic first, I usually don't care where I sit - and will most usually swap with someone, when traveling by myself. As upgrades don't always seem to clear together, I understand people get broken up. However, in Economy, I'm not moving out of my exit row aisle seat for anything other than something up front.
Nov 1, 2012, 5:56 pm
#112
Join Date: Jul 2003
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Nov 1, 2012, 5:57 pm
#113
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: on the path to perdition
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Tough call for the OP. I would not have taken the middle seat but would have offered to take the aisle seat so that one parent could sit in the middle and coral the children next to the window.
BTW Something I learned after a not very pleasant TATL flight - there can only be one infant in arms per row. Not the case here but something few know about.
BTW Something I learned after a not very pleasant TATL flight - there can only be one infant in arms per row. Not the case here but something few know about.
Nov 1, 2012, 6:01 pm
#114
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Tough call for the OP. I would not have taken the middle seat but would have offered to take the aisle seat so that one parent could sit in the middle and coral the children next to the window.
BTW Something I learned after a not very pleasant TATL flight - there can only be one infant in arms per row. Not the case here but something few know about.
BTW Something I learned after a not very pleasant TATL flight - there can only be one infant in arms per row. Not the case here but something few know about.
Nov 1, 2012, 6:17 pm
#115
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: MSY
Programs: NW Gold and now Delta Gold
Posts: 3,072
I do not debate the issue with the thief. I ask the Flight Attendant to take care of the situation. I will sit in my seat, and the jerk can either get off the plane or sit in his seat. Think of the children this man will raise. He is teaching that a bold theft will be rewarded, and that bullies win. Don't do that.
In other words, I NEVER let it slide. As a petite woman, I would NEVER be able to sit in the seat I have paid for if I let it slide. People poach my seat pretty much 100 percent of the time. Well...they try. It does not stand. Ever. These days, many people have PAID for a specific seat. The FA should always enforce the assigned seating unless there is a VERY good reason not to ... such as it is obvious that no undue pressure was brought to bear to force someone to switch.
They boarded early so there was plenty of time to remove them from the flight without holding everybody up if they couldn't be bothered to get into their assigned seat. I'm sick of these thieves. These days, we pay extra to pick our seats. Bump the seat thief, not the loyal customer who has played by the rules.
In other words, I NEVER let it slide. As a petite woman, I would NEVER be able to sit in the seat I have paid for if I let it slide. People poach my seat pretty much 100 percent of the time. Well...they try. It does not stand. Ever. These days, many people have PAID for a specific seat. The FA should always enforce the assigned seating unless there is a VERY good reason not to ... such as it is obvious that no undue pressure was brought to bear to force someone to switch.
They boarded early so there was plenty of time to remove them from the flight without holding everybody up if they couldn't be bothered to get into their assigned seat. I'm sick of these thieves. These days, we pay extra to pick our seats. Bump the seat thief, not the loyal customer who has played by the rules.
Recently I used my FF miles to fly DL from BOS to ATL. I selected a window seat near the front of the aircraft (let's say the seat was 8F). Even with early boarding someone was already in my seat -- in fact, the entire three seat row as occupied by two parents, 1 yr old baby lap child and a preschooler in a seat between the two parents.
I said as politely as possible that I believed the man was in my seat. He said something like, "Oh, we're trading, you can sit in my seat right there" -- he pointed to 7E, a middle seat. I was exhausted from a full day of work and racing to the airport I was counting on catching up on sleep in that window seat en route to ATL.
If he had refrained from sitting in that seat and/or asked nicely for me to trade of course I would have said yes but it didn't come off as a request, rather an assumption that his family had a right to sit together.
I confirmed out loud to him, "Okay, you are telling me that you are taking my WINDOW seat and that you are trading me a MIDDLE seat?" to try and make the point that he was asking me for a favor. He said something like, "Yes family has to sit together."
It was a full flight and there were no other seats. I reasoned that if I did demand that window seat I would be sitting next to one parent trying to corral two small children and subject myself to lots of angry glares from fellow passengers. Also this family seemed to be of the "flying once a year is a huge event" variety.
In this day and age of making front of the plane, and other window and aisle seats "premium" seats it can be difficult for a family to sit together anyway. I'm interested in others with similar experiences and also some advice on how to handle similar situations in the future.
I said as politely as possible that I believed the man was in my seat. He said something like, "Oh, we're trading, you can sit in my seat right there" -- he pointed to 7E, a middle seat. I was exhausted from a full day of work and racing to the airport I was counting on catching up on sleep in that window seat en route to ATL.
If he had refrained from sitting in that seat and/or asked nicely for me to trade of course I would have said yes but it didn't come off as a request, rather an assumption that his family had a right to sit together.
I confirmed out loud to him, "Okay, you are telling me that you are taking my WINDOW seat and that you are trading me a MIDDLE seat?" to try and make the point that he was asking me for a favor. He said something like, "Yes family has to sit together."
It was a full flight and there were no other seats. I reasoned that if I did demand that window seat I would be sitting next to one parent trying to corral two small children and subject myself to lots of angry glares from fellow passengers. Also this family seemed to be of the "flying once a year is a huge event" variety.
In this day and age of making front of the plane, and other window and aisle seats "premium" seats it can be difficult for a family to sit together anyway. I'm interested in others with similar experiences and also some advice on how to handle similar situations in the future.
Last edited by peachfront; Nov 1, 2012 at 6:23 pm
Nov 1, 2012, 6:50 pm
#117
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 22,778
I do not debate the issue with the thief. I ask the Flight Attendant to take care of the situation. I will sit in my seat, and the jerk can either get off the plane or sit in his seat. Think of the children this man will raise. He is teaching that a bold theft will be rewarded, and that bullies win. Don't do that.
In other words, I NEVER let it slide. As a petite woman, I would NEVER be able to sit in the seat I have paid for if I let it slide. People poach my seat pretty much 100 percent of the time. Well...they try. It does not stand. Ever. These days, many people have PAID for a specific seat. The FA should always enforce the assigned seating unless there is a VERY good reason not to ... such as it is obvious that no undue pressure was brought to bear to force someone to switch.
They boarded early so there was plenty of time to remove them from the flight without holding everybody up if they couldn't be bothered to get into their assigned seat. I'm sick of these thieves. These days, we pay extra to pick our seats. Bump the seat thief, not the loyal customer who has played by the rules.
Nov 1, 2012, 7:28 pm
#118
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: ORD (formerly SAN)
Programs: Hilton Diamond; IHG Platinum; Bonvoy Gold; AA Platinum Pro and United Premier Silver (DH = AA EXP)
Posts: 1,928
That's pretty incredible. I recently traveled with our family of 3. My fiance, my son, and myself. My fiance sat in the middle seat in front of us, while my son and I sat in the middle + window seat behind him. We did not ask anyone to switch, let alone TELL someone to switch. For the most part, bad parents are worse than bad children...and usually you can tell where the bad children come from! Sigh.
Nov 1, 2012, 10:31 pm
#119
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YVR
Programs: AC E75, SPG Plat, HH peon-by-choice (ex Gold)
Posts: 8,090
I booked my seats months in advance and someone takes it without asking. I'm in the camp of saying "no" if someone doesn't ask, and I don't care if it's in SQ F.
Nov 1, 2012, 10:54 pm
#120
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: YVR
Programs: AC Aeroplan,Delta Skymiles, Avion
Posts: 451
I do not debate the issue with the thief. I ask the Flight Attendant to take care of the situation. I will sit in my seat, and the jerk can either get off the plane or sit in his seat. Think of the children this man will raise. He is teaching that a bold theft will be rewarded, and that bullies win. Don't do that.
In other words, I NEVER let it slide. As a petite woman, I would NEVER be able to sit in the seat I have paid for if I let it slide. People poach my seat pretty much 100 percent of the time. Well...they try. It does not stand. Ever. These days, many people have PAID for a specific seat. The FA should always enforce the assigned seating unless there is a VERY good reason not to ... such as it is obvious that no undue pressure was brought to bear to force someone to switch.
They boarded early so there was plenty of time to remove them from the flight without holding everybody up if they couldn't be bothered to get into their assigned seat. I'm sick of these thieves. These days, we pay extra to pick our seats. Bump the seat thief, not the loyal customer who has played by the rules.
In other words, I NEVER let it slide. As a petite woman, I would NEVER be able to sit in the seat I have paid for if I let it slide. People poach my seat pretty much 100 percent of the time. Well...they try. It does not stand. Ever. These days, many people have PAID for a specific seat. The FA should always enforce the assigned seating unless there is a VERY good reason not to ... such as it is obvious that no undue pressure was brought to bear to force someone to switch.
They boarded early so there was plenty of time to remove them from the flight without holding everybody up if they couldn't be bothered to get into their assigned seat. I'm sick of these thieves. These days, we pay extra to pick our seats. Bump the seat thief, not the loyal customer who has played by the rules.
Last edited by weather; Nov 1, 2012 at 11:50 pm Reason: spelling