Originally Posted by Proudelitist

You did the correct thing. There is no reason anyone should play "Unite the Couple". They are adults, they can be apart for a few hours. If they cannot, then they should have booked seats together. If they did and got separated by the cruel gods of air travel, too bad, so sad. Not your problem to solve.

I say no to ALL swaps on principle. Well..to be clear, if someone offered to swap me for a seat in a better class..sure. But that's never happened in 30 years of flying.

Firstly, it's a rude imposition to even ask someone to swap. No matter how politely done, it puts a burden on the seat holder to take on the problems of the requestee. It's tantamount to panhandling. Give me something for nothing. Besides, once I am seated, I don't want to be disturbed or arsed to move.

Secondly, whatever seat I am in, I paid extra for it and reserved it weeks if not months in advance. I used my status to be able to get first shot at it. I used the seat maps. Did the research. I put effort into it. Someone who covets it didn't do any of that. It's not my job to accommodate armatures, the ignorant, the cheap or the lazy. I don't care about their problem. I won that seat fair and square, and they lost. Some eat, some get eaten. End of story.

And the fear of seeming like a jerk is of no concern to me. THEY are the jerks for asking. I don't care what other pax think of me. I will never see those people again. If the fear of sitting next to an angry member of a separated couple is to much, consider my perspective: Watching them steam about it is a pleasure, and justice for their impudence and arrogance at thinking their being a couple outranks you being solo.... despite your advanced seat choices and extra fees.