I got poached on a JNB-FRA flight where I had my window in the exit row in the C cabin on the LH A380 (unlimited leg room) due to a husband and wife wanting to sit together. I had a choice of an aisle on the opposite side or a window in a regular row. They wouldn't move, or even ask, the HON in the other window. Of course, that is a slightly different circumstance. I still raised a stink, in both German and English.
On this flight, there was no excuse. Did the OP get their free drinks? Snack? Or did the poacher get those too?
Originally Posted by
JetAway
Poaching an F seat certainly raises a security flag (as in, get close to the cockpit). I'm surprised a FA allowed it to happen although feigning "disability" and not speaking English seems like a good ploy to get away with it. I doubt that a FAM would have permitted the pax to remain in the poached seat.
Poaching an F seat doesn't raise anything but a greed flag, and I doubt a FAM would awake from their nap to bother with a seat poach.
Originally Posted by
mahasamatman
That's a bit far-fetched. Why would poaching F be any more of a security flag than buying F? It's not like they vet everyone sitting in F.
Indeed - a security threat would just buy the seat.
Originally Posted by
JetAway
It's a method of testing the system, to assess procedures in place, to test push-back from the crew. Not necessarily to take action of any kind.
That's very far fetched.
Originally Posted by
njcommodore
huh?! For what??
How about for the FA not getting in there and moving the poacher?
Originally Posted by
CKizer
If that were my seat, the poacher would have been moved by the cabin crew. Their battle, not mine.
Yep. The problem is that express FAs tend to care a lot less about such things than mainline.
Originally Posted by
halls120
I witnessed a similar incident a few years ago. Fortunately, it was a UA mainline flight, and the purser wasn't as intimidated. She told the poacher he could go back to his assigned seat or leave the airplane altogether. He went back to his seat.
Yeah, this would have never happened on mainline. One comment to the FA by the rightful seat-holder and the person would have moved.
Originally Posted by
MatthewLAX
Because the FAs should have insisted the woman vacate his seat!
The OP should never have been put in that position by the non-confrontational FAs. They should have done their job. This was not a totally voluntary swap--he was pressured and his commentary suggests he did it simply to avoid a problem. What a horrible reason.
Agree?
Total agreement. This is an all-too-common circumstance when flying express. The regional FAs don't often care enough to step in.
Originally Posted by
dcpdxtrans
+1. Definitely get RPU back. Also, FA needs to step in more forcefully. This is what they are trained for. Third, FA should have given you one of those slips where you put your FF # in & get a voucher. Once on a TCON back in the day before I traveled with a head lamp, I stood in the galley (since my OH light was out) for about 2.5 hr finishing a paper that was due on landing. I didn't ask. The FA just gave me the slip.
I would definitely demand compensation, and specifically because the FA didn't take any action.