I’ve flown a lot (on and off) over the past few years and I haven’t had too many experiences with people asking to switch seats. The biggest offenders were NRSAs back in 2018, both time on flights to or from SIN. I’m pretty sure in that in both cases, they weren’t employees.

The first time was a young mother with two kids. I was in 24A with a row to myself. It was the old B789; she wanted to be near a restroom. She was in the last row, which was also beside a restroom. A flight attendant got involved, but took her aside when I offered to have someone at United explain the rules about NSRAs. The FA was very apologetic; service was great. I assured her I had no intention of complaining.

On another flight (24L this time), a guy in the last group of eight or so to board started pointing at people telling them to move. I declined, of course, and an FA arrived around that time, figured out what was happening, spoke to the guy and took him to the galley. The people he’d moved were told to take their original seats. I don’t recall seeing him (the director of reseating) later.

I found FAs to be very efficient about instructing people to take their assigned seats and evicting those who don’t.