I was recently on a United flight from LAS-ORD. I had used miles to upgrade to first class. After getting the upgrade, I used the online seat selector to select my preferred seat, the last available aisle seat, 1C. I'm not tall, I just prefer the aisle seat so I can have the freedom to get up when I want without having to bother anyone or ask anyone to move.

I boarded the plane, took my seat and settled in. The window seat next to me, 1D, was empty. Across the aisle, a guy was sitting in the other first row aisle seat, 1B. His window seat, 1A, was also empty. The other first class rows were full.

At the last minute, a couple boarded the plane, scrutinized their tickets, looked at the two empty first row window seats, and then spoke to the flight attendant. Obviously, they had the two window seats, but they wanted to sit together. Maybe they were last minute upgrades and didn't realize they had upgraded to two seats that weren't together.

I knew what was coming next. Since my counterpart in 1B was still talking on his cell phone, the flight attendant turned to me and asked if I would move over the far window seat, 1A, so that the couple could sit together. I politely responded, "I prefer the aisle seat."

The flight attendant seemed fairly surprised by my refusal to move a bit dumbfounded at what to do next. Another flight attendant asked her what was going on, and she said, "HE doesn't want to move, HE doesn't want to move," gesturing at me. Then she asked the couple to take their window seats until the other guy got off the phone and she could ask him. I then realized that it might be awkward for me to sit next to one of the couple for three hours after refusing to move to accommodate them.

Anyway, the other guy got off the phone, the flight attendant asked if he would move, and he gladly moved over the the window seat next to me, with the flight attendants loudly thanking him profusely for being such a swell guy, which may or may not have been for my benefit.

Upon reflection, I have the following thoughts:

1. I think I was a bit of a jerk. The first class seats are large and spacious enough that being in the window seat is not really any more uncomfortable than being in the aisle seat. It's easy enough the get up and walk around even from the window seat. If I were in coach, I would have felt absolutely justified in never moving from an aisle seat to window or middle seat to accommodate anyone, but in first class, I think it was kind of petty on my part. First class passengers should be more civilized.

2. I'd like to know what the societal rules are when a couple asks you to move on a plane. I don't think the wishes of a couple should take priority over the wishes of a single traveler, and I think people should have a "right "to sit in the seat they booked/selected. But what if I'm in 22C and the couple simply asks me to move up to 21C so they can sit together? Can I reasonably refuse to do that, simply because: (a) my boarding pass says 22C, (b) I've already sat down and got my stuff out, or (c) the dude in 21B is fat? Even if I have RIGHT to stay in my seat, aren't there some circumstances where I should give it up to be nice, even if I don't want to?

3. Will flight attendants ever order a single person to move to accommodate a couple? That would be interesting.

4. What's the best way of saying no in the "refusing to move for a couple" situation, so as not to look like a selfish jerk?