mikebg

Many years ago I was flying on another airline on a rather old 747-200. They had stopped selling First Class on these old aircraft as the upstairs was not really up to First Class standards, but the seats were considerably better than the other business class seats. Three rows of 2-2. The back row was by far the best - quiet and with slightly more room. I was pre-booked in one of these seats. At checkin I was asked if I minded moving to a different seat so a couple could sit together. I decided to be kind and agreed. On boarding I saw it wasn't a couple at all, but the governor of the central bank and his deputy, who wanted to work together.

Suffice it to say that I was more that a trifle annoyed, and have been very wary of accepting similar "deals" ever since.

LTN Phobia

Yes, but it still does not make it a nice practice.

Schultzois

I quite agree... and for what it's worth, I think just about every carrier has a similar CYA policy saying they can re-assign seats at any time for any or no reason... but that doesn't mean they should.

MSPeconomist

Globaliser

It substantially increases the chances of you getting a seat that you like, even if it does not guarantee it.

Like so much else in life, this isn't binary.

MSPeconomist

frb98mf

Yep, happened to me too in J on a short night flight where every minute of sleep counts, except the guy actually tried to pull rank by waving his Silver card, like it entitled him to move lesser mortals out of seats he really wanted to have. At that time I actually had top tier across all 3 alliances and LY (couple of cheeky status matches!), so a sheaf of cards came out and I asked him whose hand did he think was better.

Globaliser

That's the one you signed up for! The T&Cs are disclosed in advance, so you can't claim to have been taken unawares.

More seriously, if one were to get really pedantic about this, there might be implied good faith / best endeavours obligations. In theory, lawyers could probably get very rich on such arguments. But this equally probably falls into the category of nobody ever going that far to test it.

In the meantime, most of the time it works but sometimes it doesn't. C'est la vie. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean that seat pre-allocation is pointless; there is a wide spectrum between pointless and guaranteed.

adrianlondon

Does the crew iPad show that a seat has been paid for?

Lucanesque

Good question, but I wonder why should it matter if someone has paid for a seat or not? If someone pays for a seat and is moved for operational reasons then they get a refund of the seat fee. If someone hasn't paid then they have either been allocated a seat at check in or have allocated their own seat in advance by virtue of OW status.

Do you reckon it relates to how likely it is you will be moved, which I'd guess is linked to CIV... someone who may not have paid for seat allocation but has top tier status should be less likely to be moved than someone who has paid for their seat allocation, who in turn should be less likely to be moved than someone who was allocated their seat at checkin?

Dave Noble

Because it is a very rare situation where the airline invokes it, I have had about 1 time ever where I have been moved

simons1

I imagine all airlines ultimately have some clause or small print allowing them to shift people for operational reasons. I agree whether 'paid for' or not is largely irrelevant.

Ultimately anyone could be shifted, I imagine a GGL would be shunted if Prince William wanted to fly in 1A with entourage.

This will always be an emotive area, personally I always play my own game. If instructed to move under the authority of the captain then that is non avoidable, otherwise I select a seat I am happy with and stick to it. People staring daggers really don't affect me, nor do I feel a need to rub it in.

Lucanesque

I've only done around 300 flights, considerably less than other people I know, but the only time I've ever been moved is going in / out of LCY when the aircraft has changed from a EJ170 to EJ190 or vice-versa. Never been moved as a result of someone else requiring my seat.

Fife_Flyer

Reminds me of a trip in Y with Qantas a couple of decades ago, long before paying for seats was an option. Travelling myself, I'd asked everyone from check-in agent to cabin crew if I could have an exit row (I'm 6'4"). CC advised the exit row (which was empty as I boarded) was probably taken, but he would move me forward if it was still empty when the doors shut. I sat down in my window seat, but least I had a spare seat beside me in an otherwise completely full flight. Last to board were a couple who took their seats in the exit row, both of them rather smaller in stature then myself, and the CC member immediately went up to them and explained they would have to swap seats with me since I needed the exit row more than they did!
I felt guilty for about 10 seconds, then enjoyed the exit row all to myself! (window and aisle, I guess it was a 767)
A memorable trip, made even better thanks to an upgrade to J on the return flight, SYD to LHR!

So with this in mind, these days I'll generally say yes to a request to swap seats, the last one being a swap from aisle to middle in Y. I've benefitted in the past, so I'm happy enough to let others benefit within reason.

And to this day I'll choose to fly with Qantas when I have the option!

Tiffywren

A number of years ago, then-hubby and I were travelling on a holiday charter (TUI or Thomas Cook type of thing) and we had the very last row (of 2 seats) before the galley, with hubby in the aisle seat. Unbeknownst to us several passengers had already asked if they could move to the empty extra-cost bulkhead exit seats and been denied by the CC. Hubby was 6'4" with very broad shoulders which were sticking out into the aisle and I think the CC realised that getting the trolley past him was going to be a bit of a nuisance so they moved us to the bulkhead row... Oh my, I thought there was going to be a mutiny! One very irate woman was shouting that she'd asked first and needed the extra legroom more (she must've been all of 5' ) she was eventually told to shut up and sit down by the crew, but every time I or hubby went aft to the heads she and her party all glared daggers at us...