1AK's exceptionally high value depends to a great extent on getting both seats. Combination of room, privacy and an ability to speak to your partner. If you're solo then it's only about 1% nicer than having 2K alone since you'll be looking at your screen or out the window anyway, and row 2 is pretty quiet and has lots of free space around it anyway. Of COURSE I'd give up a solo 1K for a solo 2K if asked nicely. No doubt many on this forum will disagree with me but then it don't surprise me, nor does it surprise me that the 'change seat requests' quoted above have been rather rudely put in some cases. It's generally symptomatic of the lack of niceness of people who travel in first class.