Originally Posted by
Tizzette
When people wind up with separated seats, I wish they would just accept that's their luck and accept it unless there is a really good reason to need seats together, such as traveling with a small child. Not just want seats together but NEED seats together. It imposing on people to ask them to change seats and putting them on the spot. If you refuse, you are the bad guy. If you don't refuse and wind up with a lesser seat, you feel like a chump.
I don't disagree. I just wish people would admit that it's about "no thanks - I prefer my preferences over yours; tough luck for you" but reverting to "you should have planned ahead" makes them feel that they look less selfish to others. Sometimes it's a no-win situation. Parent with a small child (toddler - old enough for their own seat by law but not old enough to be able to sit by themselves) gets split up due to IROPS or whatever. Both have middle seats. What's the right call on the seat swap?
Originally Posted by
CJKatl
It's always entertaining when it becomes an issue and an FA requests everyone take their original seats claiming it's necessary for weight and balance. In fact, I've heard an FA say this within the past week. Most of us choose our seats online. A 350 pound person has the same ability to choose a particular seat as a 45 pound child (assuming equal status and access to the seat) and the system has no way of knowing the weight of the selector, so how could weight and balance be impacted by moving seats?
Part of the reason the FA is saying it is to play to the advantage of the ignorance of much of the public with "well I don't fully understand that it guess I better comply with this aircrew member who knows what they're talking about because it sounds serious".