Seat Swap Request Horror Stories
#932
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bangkok or San Francisco
Programs: United 1k, Marriott Lifetime PE, Former DL Gold, Former SQ Solitaire, HH Gold
Posts: 11,886
#933
Join Date: May 2015
Location: South Florida
Programs: DL Skymiles KE Skypass
Posts: 2,359
It would be if I purchased the seat because I felt I could not fit comfortably in one seat being a POS of which I am not thankfully. Sometimes, I wonder if I were to purchase an entire row in coach, would it be cheaper than purchasing a first class/business class ticket for a TransPac/TransAtl flight? Then I could lay down and sleep on the flight. Sometimes with the bulk ticket brokers you can get these seats cheap when buying early.
#934
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,570
the few times that someone has attempted to sit in an empty middle (I'm always aisle), I politely ask what they're doing as they try to squeeze past me and inform them that is my seat as I bought 2 seats for my comfort and mild claustrophobia. The person has always apologized and returned to their original seat. As in life, having a believable poker face (or being a sociopathic liar) is a useful skill to have.
#935
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,438
Last time I was stuck on long haul Y I relentlessly refreshed the seat map and as soon as an empty row became open (at T-1hr) I went to the podium to change my seat. As soon as the door closed, I sprawled across all three and lied down across the row. Did some people think that was tool-ish? Probably. But I landed as well rested as I would have been in J.
#936
Moderator: Travel Buzz
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Sunny San Diego
Posts: 3,090
Last time I was stuck on long haul Y I relentlessly refreshed the seat map and as soon as an empty row became open (at T-1hr) I went to the podium to change my seat. As soon as the door closed, I sprawled across all three and lied down across the row. Did some people think that was tool-ish? Probably. But I landed as well rested as I would have been in J.
We call that "Red Neck First Class." I can tell ya'll, it ain't bad.
#937
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG LT Plat, Hilton G,Priorty Club G, AC E
Posts: 2,979
I've done that....
Last time I was stuck on long haul Y I relentlessly refreshed the seat map and as soon as an empty row became open (at T-1hr) I went to the podium to change my seat. As soon as the door closed, I sprawled across all three and lied down across the row. Did some people think that was tool-ish? Probably. But I landed as well rested as I would have been in J.
Not as well rested as J but still beats the hell out of being cramped.
#938
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,329
Last time I was stuck on long haul Y I relentlessly refreshed the seat map and as soon as an empty row became open (at T-1hr) I went to the podium to change my seat. As soon as the door closed, I sprawled across all three and lied down across the row. Did some people think that was tool-ish? Probably. But I landed as well rested as I would have been in J.
I've been lucky enough to be the only person in a row by random chance a few times over the years. Even on short-hauls of about two hours, it makes a tremendous difference in comfort. So if it's available without inconveniencing anyone else, or if you pay for all three seats, go for it, and good luck!
#941
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,618
I flew from Jeddah to Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines yesterday. Typical 3-3 seating configuration (seats marked ABC and JKL). I called a month in advance to request an aisle seat and they gave me 18J.
Sitting on plane in 18J, it's about to take off, middle seat is empty and there is a guy in the window seat 18L. Flight attendant asks if I will move to the middle seat, 18K, because a Saudi woman in burqa has boarded and she's assigned 18K and she says it's against her religion to sit between two men.
I refused, saying I prefer the aisle because I get up and walk around a lot.
If they were moving people around so that solo women didn't have to sit next to men at all I would have been more accommodating. I was just skeptical of the claim that her religion allowed her to sit next to men if she's in the aisle seat, but that her religion prevented her from sitting in the middle if between two men. I'm not an Islamic scholar but it reeked of b.s. to me.
Anyway, the flight attendant made other arrangements for her and the middle remained empty.
Sitting on plane in 18J, it's about to take off, middle seat is empty and there is a guy in the window seat 18L. Flight attendant asks if I will move to the middle seat, 18K, because a Saudi woman in burqa has boarded and she's assigned 18K and she says it's against her religion to sit between two men.
I refused, saying I prefer the aisle because I get up and walk around a lot.
If they were moving people around so that solo women didn't have to sit next to men at all I would have been more accommodating. I was just skeptical of the claim that her religion allowed her to sit next to men if she's in the aisle seat, but that her religion prevented her from sitting in the middle if between two men. I'm not an Islamic scholar but it reeked of b.s. to me.
Anyway, the flight attendant made other arrangements for her and the middle remained empty.
#942
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,512
Last time I was stuck on long haul Y I relentlessly refreshed the seat map and as soon as an empty row became open (at T-1hr) I went to the podium to change my seat. As soon as the door closed, I sprawled across all three and lied down across the row. Did some people think that was tool-ish? Probably. But I landed as well rested as I would have been in J.
Usually the best approach is to book last couple of rows, middle seat in middle row, or something like that, and monitor the map. What also works, but takes some courage, is to monitor seats up until the door is closed, and immediately move to the center of an empty middle three-seater and claim the two aisles as well with your stuff. The key here is to be quick and also have a good sense that the door has closed, so no new passengers will come in. Sometimes it could be hard though to see that the door has closed from the back, so the safest is when the captain says the door has closed.
But some times you have to hedge your bets right and go for at least an empty middle (while you are on an aisle seat), that's all you can hope for in a full or almost full flight.
#944
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,512
This is a tricky question, this is advisable in a relatively empty aircraft (think 6-7 middle back rows empty 1-2 weeks before the flight), in an empty middle three-seater, in an effort to discourage anyone booking a row seat next to you. And you keep monitoring the situation closely. If you want to play it safe, book an aisle on same middle three-seater, and when boarding take the middle seat and spread your stuff (but you have to monitor the map to make sure no one else booked in that row, as late as you can). This would work best in a x-3-x coach configuration, if it is x-4-x it is tough. When I say spread your stuff, I mean light stuff (so you can move quickly if things change), like a light jacket on one seat and a newspaper on the other.
#945
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,808
I flew from Jeddah to Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines yesterday. Typical 3-3 seating configuration (seats marked ABC and JKL). I called a month in advance to request an aisle seat and they gave me 18J.
Sitting on plane in 18J, it's about to take off, middle seat is empty and there is a guy in the window seat 18L. Flight attendant asks if I will move to the middle seat, 18K, because a Saudi woman in burqa has boarded and she's assigned 18K and she says it's against her religion to sit between two men.
I refused, saying I prefer the aisle because I get up and walk around a lot.
If they were moving people around so that solo women didn't have to sit next to men at all I would have been more accommodating. I was just skeptical of the claim that her religion allowed her to sit next to men if she's in the aisle seat, but that her religion prevented her from sitting in the middle if between two men. I'm not an Islamic scholar but it reeked of b.s. to me.
Anyway, the flight attendant made other arrangements for her and the middle remained empty.
Sitting on plane in 18J, it's about to take off, middle seat is empty and there is a guy in the window seat 18L. Flight attendant asks if I will move to the middle seat, 18K, because a Saudi woman in burqa has boarded and she's assigned 18K and she says it's against her religion to sit between two men.
I refused, saying I prefer the aisle because I get up and walk around a lot.
If they were moving people around so that solo women didn't have to sit next to men at all I would have been more accommodating. I was just skeptical of the claim that her religion allowed her to sit next to men if she's in the aisle seat, but that her religion prevented her from sitting in the middle if between two men. I'm not an Islamic scholar but it reeked of b.s. to me.
Anyway, the flight attendant made other arrangements for her and the middle remained empty.