Everyone would be better off if they didn't care what strangers think about them. Only your family, friends and co-workers matter. Everyone else cares only about themselves.

It's rude and presumptuous to pre-position or poach. Whenever I've wanted to swap seats to sit next to my wife, we've waited until her or my seat mate arrived and, only then, made our request. Like-for-like swaps usually work out, but we feel no animosity towards anyone who might refuse us. Once in Polaris, $200- in cash got us seated together and made for a very happy swapper.