Originally Posted by
bocastephen
This is not factually correct. The seat remains the sole property of the carrier. Seat swaps can be done, but the crew should be notified. A seat swap between members of the same traveling party should never be a problem, but a customer giving their seat away to some random person is something the airline staff can disallow.
Yes, the seat is the property of the carrier, BUT for this flight it has been assigned to someone. This person can use it or re-assign it as he sees fit, to a relative, a friend or a total stranger. Airline staff have no saying on someone swapping seats, unless it compromises safety.
I do not recall a single instance in which you would need to 'notify' and/or get 'approval' from the crew for switching seats; this makes no sense.