Originally Posted by
NoStressHere
But - I still do not understand how you can jump to the conclusion that the FA saved it for a "friend".
The following story is at best tangentially related (or really, a complete non sequitur), but this reminds me that I witnessed a bizarre one a few days ago on FLL-BWI.
I boarded at position A20 and opted for seat 9F. There was a pilot in uniform sitting in 7D, I assumed deadheading/nonrevving/what-have-you. He remained there throughout all of boarding as the FAs announced multiple times that every single seat was taken, share the overhead space etc. Towards the end of boarding they announced only middle seats available, put your bag in the first available space you see, yada yada yada. Then they announced everyone was on board and we were ready for pushback, everyone please take your seats.
As they made this last announcement, a slightly confused-looking minor (I'd guesstimate mid-teens) walked slowly to the front, then turned around and walked back a few rows, then back to the front, seemingly searching out the last available seat. I overhead one FA say to another something that sounded like "we'll need to use the jump seats too." As soon as she said that, the pilot jumped up out of the seat he'd been occupying throughout and walked to the front of the cabin. I expected him then to take one of the jump seats but he continued right into the cockpit and took the left seat!
It was early and I was mildly sleep-deprived so I could have missed something, but I swear this is how it happened. There did not appear to be any familial relationship between the minor and any of the crew (I wasn't paying attention when he boarded originally, but his body language and where he was looking around suggested to me that the rest of his family might be randomly distributed in the back of the plane). I can't imagine the pilot was saving 7D for him but that still leaves me at a total loss for an explanation
