Originally Posted by jewels421

This is a great (or horrible) thread! I’m usually somewhat obsessive about my seat assignments (and I truly hate not having an aisle seat on flights that are longer than an hour) so am pretty leery of swaps unless they are true equivalent or there's a true need.

In the past, I’ve had someone ask me to swap an aisle for a middle on an SFO-BOS flight, just so two college-ages friends could sit next to each other (on a 6 hour flight? No thanks). I also once had a guy “accidentally” sit in my exit row seat, and then when I turned up he pointed to the next row up (not an exit row) and said, I guess my seat’s right there, expecting me to just take it. This was on a UA EMB-120 turboprop and there is a huge difference in leg room between exit and non. I said something like, yes and my seat is 9C, and just waited. Eventually he got the hint and moved to his actual seat.

But, by far the worst story was from a flight maybe 10 years ago from ORD-BOI. I was in a UA E+ aisle seat -- seated across the aisle from me was a new mom, traveling alone with a very young infant, schlepping all of her stuff. She looked… like it had been a long day of travel with a baby. Myself and another passenger helped her get settled, load her bags in the overhead, etc. Eventually another mom comes down the aisle with two sons (maybe 8 and 10 yrs old) seated next to new mom. She walks right up to new mom and asks if she would mind swapping seats with her so they could all sit together – her seat was in E- way in the back of the plane. So, first off she was asking someone to swap from E+ to E- (when she could have asked the 2 E- people in her row if they wanted E+), and second, she was asking this clearly frazzled new mom with a baby to make that trade! Plus she was acting like of course the new mom would make this trade – she wasn’t even apologetic/thankful about it at all. The new mom, kind of shocked, said, “Well, I have all my bags for the baby up top, it would be really hard to move,” and the other woman said, “Don’t worry, I can help you with your bags.” New mom says, “But the seats up here have more legroom”, other woman says “No, no, it’s all coach, all the seats are the same” (not true). I was totally taken aback by the whole exchange… just dumbfounded at this woman. I get that her kids were young enough that it was a "true need", but she acted like she was entitled to the seat and had no empathy for the new mom at all. Before I could react, the guy in the seat behind the mom said he sit in the back, so the new mom just had to move back one seat and didn’t have to move her bags.

Originally Posted by Annalisa12

I would of interjected and said no... the leg room isn't the same down in economy as opposed to E plus. I wouldn't of let the second mum get one over on the frazzled mum.

Originally Posted by Annalisa12

I would of interjected and said no... the leg room isn't the same down in economy as opposed to E plus. I wouldn't of let the second mum get one over on the frazzled mum.

Originally Posted by CitizenWorld

I agree with this. Wouldn't allow someone to deliberately get scammed

Originally Posted by SheBangsTheDrums

Is it just me or do the majority of these stories involve travelling in C or F? Whole lot of conclusions could be drawn from that.

Originally Posted by Annalisa12

I would of interjected and said no... the leg room isn't the same down in economy as opposed to E plus. I wouldn't of let the second mum get one over on the frazzled mum.

Originally Posted by lagunas2k

On a transcon flight from SFO to JFK, the wife and I were split in the J cabin. We rarely fly together, and we were both upgraded to J. Granted we weren't crying about it but we were one row apart. I was in the window and she in the aisle behind me. This on the AA transcon A321T. I politely wait for the lady next to me to arrive and asked if she would mind switching with my wife. She politely declines and says she is allergic to the sun. This is on an evening transcon flying EAST. With window shades that close. A simple no would have sufficed, but cmon. Being allergic to the sun?? Was she a vampire? Even the FA standing right next to us rolled her eyes.

Originally Posted by lagunas2k

On a transcon flight from SFO to JFK, the wife and I were split in the J cabin. We rarely fly together, and we were both upgraded to J. Granted we weren't crying about it but we were one row apart. I was in the window and she in the aisle behind me. This on the AA transcon A321T. I politely wait for the lady next to me to arrive and asked if she would mind switching with my wife. She politely declines and says she is allergic to the sun. This is on an evening transcon flying EAST. With window shades that close. A simple no would have sufficed, but cmon. Being allergic to the sun?? Was she a vampire? Even the FA standing right next to us rolled her eyes.

She also didn't put her bag in the overhead as she was waiting around for her +1 to put it up for her (who ended up being in Y). She waited there for about 15 mins to put her bag up. You could tell she wanted to ask someone to put it up for her, but she wouldn't ask me. I had the response, I'm allergic to lifting all prepared too.

Luckily the seat next to my wife was open just until the last minute. They ended up upgrading someone because of a no show, and he was ecstatic to get his upgrade cleared. Before I even muttered "would you mind...." he said not a problem and jumped into my seat.

Originally Posted by lagunas2k

I did not ask for an explanation. My reasoning for sharing this story was the absurdity of her response. I certainly knew I was setting myself up for the ridicule of you "hard liners" but honestly doesn't matter to me. I asked politely and responded with a polite ok, no worries, and waited for the other opportunity to present itself (the seat next to my SO).

I honestly think a line like being allergic to the sun is a bit ridiculous. I'm sorry, if she is allergic to the "sun" when it is dusk outside, then what about the increase radiation exposure we all are exposed to during flight? Perhaps it was the way she said it or the way it was presented, but it's just a bit ridiculous.

No one is "out of line." I don't think I did anything out of line? I asked, received a response, and moved on. Case closed. It's also not my place to warrant a response about her bag. She didn't ask me to help her with her bag. She just sat there with her bag blocking half the aisle for a time, until her +1 showed up and lifted it into the overhead. It was then that I figured she was waiting for someone to do it for her.

I didn't poach her seat, make crazy gestures, or remark at all for that matter (except here on flyer talk). I asked. Is that something travelers aren't allowed to do any more?

Originally Posted by Badenoch

Sure you can ask. But when you are told no accept it with some class and don't be a jerk about it. What's way out of line is coming here to ridicule the woman for her answer, claim that the FA did too (which I doubt) and then boast about being ready with some smartass response if she asked for help with her bag.

Originally Posted by lagunas2k

I certainly knew I was setting myself up for the ridicule of you "hard liners" but honestly doesn't matter to me.

Originally Posted by lagunas2k

There is always someone else who is more righteous than though.

Originally Posted by lagunas2k

On a transcon flight from SFO to JFK, the wife and I were split in the J cabin. We rarely fly together, and we were both upgraded to J. Granted we weren't crying about it but we were one row apart. I was in the window and she in the aisle behind me. This on the AA transcon A321T. I politely wait for the lady next to me to arrive and asked if she would mind switching with my wife. She politely declines and says she is allergic to the sun. This is on an evening transcon flying EAST. With window shades that close. A simple no would have sufficed, but cmon. Being allergic to the sun?? Was she a vampire? Even the FA standing right next to us rolled her eyes.

She also didn't put her bag in the overhead as she was waiting around for her +1 to put it up for her (who ended up being in Y). She waited there for about 15 mins to put her bag up. You could tell she wanted to ask someone to put it up for her, but she wouldn't ask me. I had the response, I'm allergic to lifting all prepared too.

Luckily the seat next to my wife was open just until the last minute. They ended up upgrading someone because of a no show, and he was ecstatic to get his upgrade cleared. Before I even muttered "would you mind...." he said not a problem and jumped into my seat.

Originally Posted by lagunas2k

... we were one row apart. I was in the window and she in the aisle behind me.

Originally Posted by FlyingUnderTheRadar

Thus by deductive reasoning the PAX's reasoning for declining to trade was specious and thus subject to ridicule by those who heard the response.