MrsBiggles

This happened to me three times recently.

​​​​​LAS: asked to move from 64K to 60A (no chance)
FNC: very polite gent asking me to swap seats from 3F to 2D so he can sit with his wife. I agreed. It was an unpleasant flight in 2D (LGW bulkhead) as almost anyone or anything kept bumping into me.

So, when flying back from MLA only days after the unpleasant FNC flight, I could hear an angry commotion in the galley. Phrases "seat paid", "was in row 5" and "sit with my wife" come to my ears. And yes, I'm a winner. A huge pile of newspapers is being thrown on to the middle console. The flustered passenger has seat 3D, next to mine. I'm being asked to move from 3F, this time to 1C. Now, I prefer a window seat, as I can rest better and love looking out watching the world fly by. So I politely decline the change. Angry passenger then lectures me that there's nothing to see outside, so I do not need that window seat. I decline again and also mentioned I swapped on another flight and did not like the front aisle seat then. He straps himself in, but no, he hadn't given up, he turns over to me "when we are airborne, you change seats with my wife" and the whole discussion started again. Unreal. As he was so rude, I stuck to my guns and did not move. He eventually calmed down after a few drinks.

msm2000uk

I'm going to leave this here, and wait to be lynched!

I flew back from JFK last weekend in 64K. As I came upstairs, there was a Dad and his 2 year old son sat on the crew jump seat. It transpired that the Dad was meant to be in 64J, and the son had been put into 60B. This had happened, because it was a totally full flight, and they had not paid in advance for seating. However, BA promise that no child will be seated away from their parent.

So, the plane boards, and we're ready to go. However, the Father and Son are still on the jump seat. The crew then go about the task of talking to literally every single passenger upstairs, to see if they can find a pair of seats together. They actively avoided coming to me to begin with, despite me (and 60A) being the two most obvious passengers to start with.

Finally, a crewmember comes to me, and asks if I had specifically wanted a window seat. I said that I wanted 64K specifically, and she huffed away rather grumpily.

No more than 30 seconds later, the CSD came upstairs, popped round the corner, and sternly tried to move me by guilt-tripping me. I told him that he could move me to F, but otherwise, I would not move. He told me that was impossible, and that "upgrades are only for the highest Executive Club members". Needless to say, he was rather taken aback when I asked him if my GGL/CCR status qualified me for that. He apologised, and I appreciated that the problem really ought to have been resolved by the ground-staff and not the crew.

Anyway, to cut the story short, they managed to seat the Father and Son together. However, before judging me, let me add a little twist.

After takeoff, the CSD came back to me (with his iPad this time). He told me that there was another parent to this family; the Mother. She was sat in F, and had refused to move to CW. Now sure, this is understandable perhaps, but if the situation is as desperate as it was, surely she ought to have yielded

As a new parent myself, I felt for the Dad, but families really should pay to ensure they are seated together. I have an upcoming trip on EasyJet, and I have paid for seats together. I could leave it to check-in time, but I'd rather ensure there is no risk taking needed.

M

V10

msm2000uk maybe that should have been posted in the DYKWIA thread?

Anyway, it certainly encapsulates along with other posts that all too often there is an element of wanting to have their cake and eat it on the part of those asking to move. And my positioning on this seems to be aligned with yours - I will never agree to any requests like this, no matter who from, unless there is also something in it for me. Otherwise, not my problem.

golfmad

I understand people not wanting to be overly disadvantaged by moving to an inferior seat but your position on this seems to go a step further as you seem to suggest you won't move even if it's to an equivalent seat somewhere else. I once agreed to move twice for two different people in domestic F on AA at different stages in the boarding process. I was slightly disadvantaged but not overly so. What's wrong with being nice to people from time to time even if there is nothing "in it" for you?

V10

There are myriad other factors that could be at play apart from the seat itself that people aren't always up front about.

It's not worth the risk.

rockflyertalk

dougzz

@OP. Not wrong at all, I see no problem not moving.

BA have this problem because the CW seats are so very different, 62/64 A/K on the 747 are very superior in terms of space and access to most other CW seats. I remember a recent thread/post where someone argued they didn't want an upgrade to First because they found one of these seats better.

I refused to move once in WT+ because the guy asked in such a pressing and awkward manner, and I'd already seen him ask a lady who'd refused, and a crew member who'd told him to take his allocated seat for the time being. He was getting ever more stressed and had 3 crew dealing with him, at which point I suggested I would move. I think he was so stressed about it all that'd he'd lost reason. Obviously the crew were pleased as I got a bottle of Champagne and a thank you.

yrin

I have never been asked to move, but also don't often have desirable seats due to being too cheap to pre-select them. However on a recent flight back from Lisbon my partner and I were seated apart (we missed our flight and there were no 2 seats together on the next departure). I had a middle seat, my partner had an aisle seat. A short time after take off a very kind lady sat next to me offered to swap with my partner and the offer was gratefully accepted. Same cabin and seat no different, but made us both much happier.

dylanks

For what it's worth I was in 1D on ATH-LHR recently and saw a couple sitting down in 1C and 1F. They made no attempt to ask me to move, but I proactively offered to switch to 1C which they very much appreciated.

Obviously very different than the OP as it was a like for like trade. I was rewarded on the following flight (LHR-PHX) where I was in 1A and 1K was empty and offered as I used 2K as the bed!

Dave Noble

I am not sure what the relevance is of there being another parent in 1st class. The person was booked in another cabin and it is BA's own policy to sit a child next to a parent; there is no reason to expect a passenger to downgrade themselves to help BA avoid having to meet its responsibilities itself ; of course the airline could have downgraded the passenger and given a 75% refund if it was the appropriate solution

Also, there is no reason for the cabin crew member to have mentioned it and seems to be something that is completely wrong for a member of staff to do

RollAnotherFatOne

There was a time many years ago when a number of young ladies wanted to sit next to me and asked my wife if she would mind swapping! She gave them an answer alright..
TBH I wouldn't have minded. It was quite a compliment. These days I am very happy to help other people, particularly those with kids or partners. I am lucky to have a lot of fortune in life and I'd be happy for other people to have some good luck too (every now and then).

Blueboys999

I agree. The Upper Deck isn't the place to be if sitting together is that important.

lorcancoyle

LTN Phobia

Quote them £1,000, in a way that their wife/husband would hear it.

They will probably turn it down. Your revenge is the resulting daggers from their wife/husband to the person asking (not you) that sitting next to them isn't worth £1,000 to them

If they pay it - then that's your good luck!

Phil the Flyer