This happened around 7 years ago, I think, and I still remember it. I was in one of the dreaded middle seats with the 2-4-2 configuration. International flight. I am watching people board and this 20 something year old, stops at the seat across the aisle, looks at his BP, looks around and then sits down with his backpack. He was not well dressed, just a young kid getting on a flight, and I thought oh his parent must have got him the ticket as he seemed somewhat unsure of the seat. I go back to settling in and then look up when he is arguing with the FA. His view point was that there was no one in the seat and he does not like the seat he has been allocated and he is going to stay put. I still remember all that all these years later as I am not sure I would have the audacity at that age to have tried that approach. The FA then gets the Purser involved and the young man reluctantly agrees to leave. My initial thought was well if you do not ask you do not get. Once we were in the air he came back to the front cabin and when asked the by the FA what he was doing there he informed her he wanted to see what his dining options were! The FA quickly shooed him out of the cabin. The seat he tried to sit in never had an occupant. Bizarre.

The second incident was a couple of years ago, and was on a 787. I was in 8E and a young lady sat down next to me in 8D and started chatting to me. She was telling me how much nicer the seat was than the seat in row 10. I commented I thought seats 8D and 8E were some of the most desired seats on the aircraft. Then another pax came up and asked her if she was in the incorrect seat. She sad he was welcome to have 10G. He commented he wanted 8D since that was the seat on his BP. She looks at me and asks if I can help her out by getting the man (the other pax) to sit in 10G. Then the FA appears as the boarding process is now held up and asks Miss 10G to move to her assigned seat. She moves and then approaches me to ask me to help her - I have never met this person before. She suffers from claustrophobia and cannot sit in row 10. I told her she needed to go and speak to a FA. Someone in the front cabin swapped with her. Another bizarre situation.