Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
Were their any indications that the wife couldn't sit next to a strange man due to her religion? Why didn't husband take the middle seat and put wife on aisle?
None - not to profile, but average middle-aged Americans. They wanted to sit together, but with an empty middle on one side and an aisle/window on the other. They were both on the aisle; a young woman was sitting next to her and he was next to the empty middle.
The FA even offered a swap with the single pax in the 3-seat middle second row (E+). Nope. They demanded bulkhead (FWIW, not POS, not particularly tall - she was probably 5'3" tops, he was well under 6', no apparent mobility or health issues raised).
Strangest of all was when the husband kept saying they'd settle for a free upgrade to business/first for
him so she could take his seat (and have no one on either side of her)! He was not kidding, quite serious about the upgrade as fair compensation.
Once upon a time, when such things were still possible, an FA might have smiled and said "I have the answer. I'll upgrade this window pax to first - that way your and your wife can have your three-seat bulkhead row with the empty middle and be in the same cabin. Much better than separating husband and wife, and compensation to the window pax for giving up the seat!"
