TrojanHorse

Do you still go by this mantra in IRROPS?

halls120

Same here. And if the person asking is an a$$, it's definitely no.

Gamecock

Several years ago I had a last minute flight on LH, from FRA-ATL. Wound up way in the back, middle seat.

When I made my way to the seat there was an elderly couple, with one of them in my seat. The FA asked if I would mind moving forward to a window seat, which is what I prefer. OK, that is a win-win.

I get to my new seat and there sits a person with a boarding pass for that seat.

I continue to move forward, against the flow of boarding pax, to the boarding door, and tell the FA what has happened. She disappears and a couple minutes comes back to me with a new seat.

And that is how I flew my first long haul in J.

Badenoch

I wouldn't give up my seat, wouldn't care what the woman thought of me and would give her a short sharp lesson in rudeness if she continued to bother me.

mre5765

+1

Recently I switched from an aisle to window on a five hour flight in first class, and my new seat mate made himself rather comfortable, with all his crap, on the floor. It would have made a lav break a hassle; he was whiny all during the flight to the FAs (may I have extra nut, may I have a full bottle of water to take with me, where is my sundae) and I didn't want to be a target. Never again. Two hours is the limit for me to go to a non aisle.

One time in QF premium economy, A380 upper deck, I scored the coveted exit row. Because the leg room was like 6 feet or so, I selected the window. The premium economy section was maybe 30 percent full. My seat mate decided to move to an empty row of seats in the middle section.

An FA comes by and asks me to switch so that a couple can sit together. I tell her I would be happy to switch to a seat in business class.

Miraculously the couple managed to find two seats together in the 70 percent empty premium economy.

Another time I was on UA in business class heading back to the USA from BRU. It was the PMUA 767 in a 2-2-2 config. As always I reserved the last row of business class in the center 2 section because 1., it is rear facing, and that way motion sickness weenies are less likely to select that seat, 2., no one climbs over me.

So the FA asks me to switch to an aisle seat that is not in the center two section, so that, get this, a family of four can be in the same row and can see each other. I say no. She persists. I tell her that if she is ordering me to move, I will, but if so, expect a customer service complaint as a result ( and I proceed to remove my phone from my holster). That ended that but the family glared at me the entire flight.

On the flip side, after flying BLR to LHR, I board LHR to DFW in AA business class. There's a kid in the window, me in the aisle. Her chaperone is several rows back. The chaperone checks up her several times during the flight, standing in my space. I am exhausted from the first long haul, and admittedly irritable. I ask the chaperone if she is going to keep doing this or should we trade seats (and at this point, even if it was a middle seat - old config AA business class - I would have moved due to exhaustion). She was angry, refused a trade, but that ended that. Seriously if you are uncomfortable putting your teenage girl next to an old man, don't do that.

Tchiowa

Would I switch a good seat for a worse seat? As my old boss used to say "the answer is 'money" now what was the question again?"

nlkm9

i will always trade as long asI am still in an aisle seat--thats my only personal requirement. I have switched before but also believe that its ok to say no.

vicarious_MR'er

Don't you mean $150? Supply and demand, my friend. The middle man has to make it worth his while, too.

That being said, as a mom of kids, my answer is MAYBE, leaning toward no. The reason I'm leaning toward no is because most of my flying is 10+ hour flights. I take very few short flights. On a short flight, I'd probably help out, but hell will freeze over before I'll get stuck in the middle for 10+ hours, especially since I travel with my own kids and move heaven and earth to make sure we're all together--choosing flights with enough seating assignments open; checking and re-checking; trying to avoid flights with the dreaded 3-seat configurations [we are a group of 4] whenever humanly possible [not always possible].

I've had some pretty audacious seat requests back in my more frequent flying days.

florin

If asked nicely, I usually try to be nice, almost always for flights under 4 hours. For long flights I rarely switch to a worse seat unless it's a young child situation.

I boarded and found someone in my aisle seat. She asked if I would mind taking her middle seat. No way! I was asked by a GA to switch seats with a tall guy (I had exit row), simply because he was tall (9 hour flight). Nope.

Otherwise, I do try to be nice.

Lovethecabin

I have seen adults go bonkers when they couldn't sit together so watch out for mama bears.

I have been on both sides of this.

Once, we settled in the wrong row (I am embarrassed to this day because I was THAT person who didn't check their boarding passes) with our son, who was in a car seat, in a seat we purchased for him. When I discovered this error, the FA said "you aren't moving anywhere, they can move" and she instructed the three passengers displaced to "our" row. This was in coach, in normal seats (not E+ or an exit row) and our original row was the same as the one we poached.

Not a child but a person with a different set of needs - Just last year, it was strongly suggested to me by a FA in first that I switch seats with an obese elderly woman. I was annoyed (was having a very bad day) and sort of gave her a hard time about it. She explained that the woman was physically unable to maneuver in and out of the aisle seat. I did agree to move and apologized to both of them later on. (First world problems in first class, I know....)

Our child travels with us so I generally give parents a break. Our own family has displaced from carefully selected seats due to missed connections and equipment changes. Assuming one of us can sit with our son, we will switch for even-even seats and often do. Granted, this is in business or first so switching isn't a hardship.

Q54701

a month ago I had a UA GA switch my FC seat to one a row back so a couple could sit together. I probably would have done it anyway, but was a bit shocked they just went ahead and did that

MrKeynes

I'll trade even if I get to a lesser seat if I see true need apart from when there is rudeness involved in which case I will just say "no thanks I'm good here" and move on, if there is a discussion I'm glad to just repeat I'm not going anywhere and it usually works.
Saw an interesting episode on an Avianca BOG-GRU a couple months back, I was in C and saw two folks that were married but sitting seperate as one of them got op-uped, purser allowed the lady that was sitting upfront to go back to Y and give the op-up to the husband seatmate, after the switch was completed she wen't back and told the other person that had already settled in to go back to Y after a lot of discussion they ended up all in economy and the business cabin had that seat open. I'd be very angry if I was in their position.

Flaneurs

We are generally willing to accommodate requests for switches although it does always seem that the switcher wants the better seat. I have always assumed that is because I obsess about getting what I think are the best seats and most normal people don't seem to bother until they are on board and realize that they have middle seats four rows apart.

Ceres

No. If its a solid reason, I'll be nice and move. Usually it's not.

radnub

If someone asks nicely I will probably move although there's too many variables to be 100% yes! I'm not sure I would take too kindly to someone sitting in my seat already or being demanding - I don't like to reward that sort of attitude.

I also believe that if you absolutely want/need to sit together (kids/parents) pay for it or make sure to check-in online as soon as possible.

Luckily the only time I've ever encountered this was a flight from LHR-YYC. The gate agent called me up to ask if I would move back about 10 rows or so (aisle for aisle) and I hesitated for a second or two and she quickly said 'you can say no'. I appreciated that (before boarding/no pressure). It wasn't a big deal so I did it.