dayone

I normally don't move on a long flight, but if a child is involved, I gladly will.

Ford Fairlane

I don't get the criticism and ridicule over the OP's original post. OP had an experience on a plane and posted their thoughts on it. Like thousands of others before. I've favored the angles some OPs have taken in their anecdotes, and others, not so much. But it's never seemed that attacking someone for posting in the first place was the thing to do. I didn't think that was the mojo here. It's FlyerTalk, not the comment threads on ft.com (no offense, FlyerTalk). Some sub-forums here even have dedicated threads for this stuff.

What I mean is, if you're expecting every new topic here to be worthy of a Ted Talk or Nobel Prize or at least "not waste your time" for reading it, I believe you're on the wrong site.

Anyway...

For me, there's no 'one size fits all' response to these requests. Once in paid F SEA/OGG, a guy asked me to switch with his (adult) daughter in PE so they could sit together. It was a hard 'No'. In retrospect, I wish I'd also suggested that he switch with whomever *she* was sitting beside so they could be together. (Predictably, he was such a toddler the rest of the flight.)

In another case, when about 9 of us random folks weren't upgraded to FC until minutes before our flight was about to board MKE/SEA, I noticed an obvious couple who weren't placed beside each other, and one of them seemed clinically anxious about it (I am sorry; I'm not trying to be a dolt; I just don't know the best term to use for what they seemed to be experiencing). I went up to them, asked if they were the folks who'd been put in 3A and 3F, and offered to switch my 3C with 3F. I could tell it was a consequential result for them, not just a chance to hold hands a bit more that day or something.

So I keep a polite 'No thank you' at the ready in case this happens to me, but also aim to give a quick evaluation of the dynamic at play before responding. </my2cents>

777 global mile hound

Thank You I'm with you Ford The Fair one!
I remember Flyertalk back in 1999 when it was kind and almost magical perhaps just about the spirit of great community
even if there were some characters at the time lurking around
Kudos to Randy wherever you are today for the vision to create FT.This was a cool accepting place to be for most everybody.

I like to accommodate on board when people are polite, friendly,have good energy about them and not pushy,demanding,rude or obnoxious.
Seeing happy others creates a good energy onboard which may make it more fun.
Practicing kindness and gratitude is essential for a good fulfilling life
That said there a few times when I do decline & say no.
When I look over to where I may be heading and don't think I'm going to like my seatmate especially if its a long journey.
They may be loud,talking someones ear off things that are subjective to the eyes of the beholder.

Also sadly with age comes the need based on the day and needs for comfort with leg room for the achy breaky back, knees,access to the rest room etc
So a long flight and not being able to stretch and get out boxed into a window may not be my preference.I'm an aisle person at the end of the day
Basically if I like you I'll probably do it! Have I won the Nobel Peace prize yet?

Ford Fairlane

Certainly not! Not with a contentious, divisive attitude like that, anyway. And what of these rumors of you using your Pulitizer Prizes as doorstops?!

Completely off topic, sorry @dayone, but as wiser folks have said here, life is short, so what the heck. Your comment reminds me of an interview with the founder of Geocities I read this week (Remember geocities.com? tripod.com? vip.ie?). The statement that stood out to me most was that the early web was about creating communities, but since, it's become about self promotion. (And, I would argue, about argument for argument's sake.)

The Founder of GeoCities on What Killed the 'Old Internet'

steveholt

If you don't want to move, don't move. I'm not sure what someone boarding last has to do with anything or why it makes them something less than people who board first. Maybe they had a late-arriving connection. I'm not sure of AS's policy, but plenty of airline upgrade procedures have been you board, you lose, so maybe they were waiting to board to see whether their spots at the top of the upgrade list would hold up.

Carolina2Cali

Have not read all of the replies to your post, but I have zero doubt you'll take some heat/flames. I am here to offer my support. Some people simply don't want to be bothered, but don't want to be a jerk either. By asking, he was a teensie tiny jerk... maybe thats too harsh a word, to someone weak like you in that very moment who didn't want to move but thank god it was a short flight. I suppose many people put on the spot would agree and then have regrets later. BUT... some percentage of people, I would guess 3-4 out of 5, wouldn't mind. I personally prefer aisles where my right hand is free (in the aisle) unless it is sleeping time, then I like window on the right of the plane. Indeed you were smart by actually asking if the lady would move back, but then buckled when she was sleeping... though I imagine take off would be waking her soon shortly anyway...

So, I DO think he should have asked, but I also don't think you're a meanie or baddie for now remembering why you don't like to swap. So if you got any flames, ignore and move on, and be glad you learned the lesson on a hopper instead of a long haul.

Carolina2Cali

LOL has this worked? Has anyone ever pulled a 20 or 50 from their wallet?

Chugach

I will usually move for apples to apples. To me it’s just not that big of a deal.

Only time I didn’t was an ANC-IAH overnight flight on UA/CO. I had a window reserved and a mom wanted me to take a middle a row back so her husband could have the window with her and her kid. Wasn’t going to happen on a 7 hour red eye. Her kid then kicked me the entire flight after he fell asleep. It was still better than the middle seat. 🤷‍♂️

minhaoxue

I fly in the bulkhead seat 99.9% of the time because I want to get off the flight fast. One time , I was a little late boarding the flight and there was someone sitting in my bulkhead seat. I mentioned it to the flight attendant as I was boarding and he stated they were a couple and wanted to sit together. Yes, I was little annoyed because they did not ask me but life went on and I meandered back to the 3rd row.

Ghoulish

Your ad hominem fury to someones's venting on an anonymous platform is equally, if not more pointless.

That the brazen irony was lost on you suggests someone should warn whoever now occupies your childhood home of the high likelihood of lead in the water supply.

StevenSeagalFan

Mods can I suggest we merge into this thread: What's the stupidest, least substantive thing you can complain about?

Ghoulish

Logic dictates yours is the least substantive complaint, being subordinate to the one you took the time to write about.

jrl767

esp since the link is to a thread in the AA forum

notquiteaff

LOL, yes.

The United forum has a suitable thread about this topic. Many of the posts mirror what’s said there. Nothing in here seems to be Alaska specific

How do you handle a seat change request? Do you ever feel like a jerk for saying no?

Eastbay1K

Once again, the theme from Days of our Lives is playing in my head while reading the drivel posted since my last visit of yesterday afternoon.

I might (and in fact will) suggest that if this were a run if the mill seat swap thread, the thread would be on different rails (or rails altogether). The "don't ask" plus regrets that may last a lifetime (or the lifetime of FT) are the issue. At least with this poster (as in me, not the OP). And I am unanimous in that!

Ask me nicely. You may get a no, you may get a yes. Don't get upset if you get a no. And consider that I probably paid for that F seat and chose it specifically before you get upset because you can't sit together on your last minute upgrades (the most frequent reason for your request).