I just got to experience this on a flight from JFK to LHR on VS. It was a last minute trip for work, I had re-booked tickets with Premium Economy outbound. Mine was a middle seat and I kept checking for the 5 days between booking & flying to see if ANYTHING opened up. There was nothing but at least the seat next to me was empty. Every other seat in PE was full.

Anyway I board and settle in. The rows start to fill up. A woman sits down next to me, her friend seated the row behind her. The friend starts asking the aisle passengers if they'll switch so that she can sit next to her friend. The aisle passengers decline to swap an aisle for a middle. I'm not really paying attention but gradually become aware of some drama on the other side of the woman next to me. It seems her friend has called the FA over to see if they can get seats together. The FA is speaking to the gentleman sitting in the aisle seat on the other side of the woman next to me (who is now crying).

The gentleman is calm and declines the FA's suggestion that he swap seats. He explained that he purchased an aisle seat because he prefers an aisle seat. The FA then offers to get him an aisle seat in economy. He says that he purchased PE because that's what he wanted. The FA starts to argue with him. Seriously! This guy is in his rightful seat, remains calm and is totally cool about it but won't be bullied. The FA goes off in a huff and a second FA comes over and apologizes for the first FA. The gentleman says that he's be happy to move up to the front of the plane but not back and is pretty surprised that he was expected to move back to economy when he hadn't done anything but sit in the seat he paid for.

At this point the first FA came back AGAIN and tried to persuade him to move, saying that it would be uncomfortable for him to be seated next to someone that was upset for the entire flight. The gentleman says that it would be fine, he'd be asleep as soon as they hit cruising altitude. He was a total rock star...I only wish that I could think that fast. Kept his cool the entire time and did not give in.

Both the crying woman and her friend were eventually seated elsewhere by the FA which left me with an empty seat next to me in PE. And the original occupant of the aisle seat enjoying both the aisle and the extra space. I did suggest that he email Virgin's customer service about the incident.