Attempted poaching possibly prevented:
MSY-ORD... last week. I board when 1Ks are called and find my seat. 2A. I've occupied 2A for 32% of my flights in 2024, so I am familiar with its location within the aircraft.
A young woman (20-something if I were to guess) appears late in boarding "Excuse me, you're in my seat". Moment of horror passes through my mind "Am I actually in 3A?" -- but a quick glance at my boarding pass confirms 2A is where I'm meant to be --
"I don't think so, what seat are you looking for?"
"2B -- it's the window"
"Oh, 2B is this one" as I pointed at the empty 2B
"I'm pretty sure B is the window" in the most annoying tone possible.
"B is the aisle"
"It's the window"--as she gestures at the placard on the overhead bin.
"No. It is not. This is 2A." was my under caffeinated, done-with-this-conversation, answer.
She stared longingly at the placard on the and looking at the other side (while I'm trying to figure out in what universe an airline would designate seats "BA-FD") before dejectedly falling into 2B.
Originally Posted by
mendicantmonk
I said my credit card was attached to my seat (the real reason was because I object to seat swappers occupying my seat before requesting a swap, but I needed to go to the lavatory and wasn't interested in an extended morality conversation)
[...]
The final irony was my own lie about the credit card was exposed about 5 minutes later when an FA came back and said a window seat in E+ had opened up and did I want it, I said absolutely and got the hell out of there instantly
No idea if they then all reshuffled back to the poached configuration...
I wonder if UA has finally figured out attaching the CC to the seat is a not-great idea -- on my last flight the PA made a reference to accepting tap-to-pay, "other contactless payments" and PayPal.
But also for all they know the FA "updated" your reservation to "move" the CC to the seat that opened up (as a plausible explanation for why that move would be acceptable where a self-imposed move wouldn't be...even if that wouldn't actually happen)