Would you mind switching seats with me...
Apr 23, 2018, 1:10 pm
#211
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Tampere
Programs: BA EC Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,237
How funny is that?
Apr 23, 2018, 2:11 pm
#214
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: London / Brighton
Programs: BAEC Gold / M-Life Gold / HH Diamond
Posts: 1,634
Apr 23, 2018, 4:22 pm
#215
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: LHR, JFK, FRA
Programs: BAEC, HHonours, IHG, Bonvoy, KFC Colonel's club
Posts: 36
Most of the times I do agree to switch seats when babies/children are involved so the parents can sit next to them.
Once however I had my seat in 2C but found the mother of 2A (adult on this occasion) already in my seat. When I approached her she just turned to me and said she's sitting in 3C and if I could switch. I thought it was rather rude to just sit down before asking/the way she asked. However I was very tired and it was only an hour flight from FRA to LHR and the seat really didn't matter that much to me, so I didn't kick up a fuss. Reading all the comments however I was probably way too nice...
Once however I had my seat in 2C but found the mother of 2A (adult on this occasion) already in my seat. When I approached her she just turned to me and said she's sitting in 3C and if I could switch. I thought it was rather rude to just sit down before asking/the way she asked. However I was very tired and it was only an hour flight from FRA to LHR and the seat really didn't matter that much to me, so I didn't kick up a fuss. Reading all the comments however I was probably way too nice...
Apr 24, 2018, 4:29 am
#217
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 5,380
Coming back from ANU on an old 777 in Y, was sat next to my partner in 25B (he was in 25C). To my left was a lady in 25A. Another lady in 24A turned round to me and asked if I would swap with her as she wasnt able to get a seat next to her friend (who was in 25A). The bemusing thing was that she and her friend were most put out when I (nicely) refused, saying I did not want to be separated from my partner...cue needless tense atmosphere with my neighbour in extra narrow seats (row25) for the flight.
Apr 24, 2018, 4:55 am
#218
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: UK
Programs: BA Blue, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 303
On TXL-LHR flight a couple of years ago, in ET, I had bagged a window seat at OLCI, and found some guy sat in it. I politely pointed out that 22A (or whatever) was mine, and I'd really like it. He asked if he could have the window, but I was not keen swapping for his middle seat so took my allotted seat. He then proceeded to tell me he was a photographer, and often shoots video from 'plane windows when approaching over major cities. Apparently, passenger aircraft are a very stable platform for shooting video from, and he was hoping to get some footage of LCY, and reckoned he could get a few hundred quid from Getty Images or the like. I feel he could have handled this differently for a different outcome, maybe 'Hey, I know you booked the window seat, but I can get a few hundred quid for some video shot from there, so how about I give you £50 for your seat?'. Suffice to say he didn't, but I got this great aerial photo of London with my phone.
Start the bidding at £200 ...??
Start the bidding at £200 ...??
Apr 24, 2018, 5:25 am
#220
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,609
It's not infrequent for me to be happily seated in, say, D, and be challenged by another passenger who indignantly believes that to be their seat, at which I confidently reach for my boarding pass to dismiss the usurper and find C written on it. D being the seat I was sitting in on the outbound.
On requests to move, it really depends. I wouldn't move from a right centre aisle WTP seat for anything else, as long haul I need to get up quite frequently and it tends to be the best seat to be in for that, and also not being disturbed (for some reason people tend to go left rather than right when going to the toilet). I seriously annoyed an Indian family that way and I still feel a little rotten about it, they wanted me to move to another aisle seat in the window section and didn't really understand my reasoning for not wanting to do it. I will tend to proactively offer if there's an obvious family group - it just oils the wheels of travel a little better if you do that. One time as described in the GGL thread I moved from a poor seat to a great exit row seat so an adult daughter and mother could sit together - they were delighted but I felt so guilty about doing it I bought them a drink each from BoB.
I would definitely object if I found someone already seated in my selection, or if the request was a demand. But it's very rare something like that happens.
On requests to move, it really depends. I wouldn't move from a right centre aisle WTP seat for anything else, as long haul I need to get up quite frequently and it tends to be the best seat to be in for that, and also not being disturbed (for some reason people tend to go left rather than right when going to the toilet). I seriously annoyed an Indian family that way and I still feel a little rotten about it, they wanted me to move to another aisle seat in the window section and didn't really understand my reasoning for not wanting to do it. I will tend to proactively offer if there's an obvious family group - it just oils the wheels of travel a little better if you do that. One time as described in the GGL thread I moved from a poor seat to a great exit row seat so an adult daughter and mother could sit together - they were delighted but I felt so guilty about doing it I bought them a drink each from BoB.
I would definitely object if I found someone already seated in my selection, or if the request was a demand. But it's very rare something like that happens.