"But All Seats Are The Same"
#47
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Perth WA/ UK
Programs: BA Gold, Priority Club Gold, Accor Silver, Virgin Australia Gold
Posts: 1,750
I "would probably" have had this the other night BRU-LHR booked avios @ t-80mins. Board early and take middle seat (not many left). Couple come along and ask me to move to the window because they "accidentally booked seat A and C". For me it was a result moving to the window, but I did chuckle that they had "made a mistake with the seat booking and can they sit together". Off course, I did know that they were playing the seat game to try and snag an empty middle seat.
Not quite the same but you know what I mean.
Not quite the same but you know what I mean.
#48
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: East Cheam
Programs: QF, BA, VA
Posts: 198
I had a similar thing happen in F when I found an interloper from 4E in my 2K. Lots of mumbling but no f-off. I was the 2nd person to enter the cabin and this guy had so much stuff spread out already it looked like he’d been there from the previous flight. I was a bit surprised the flight attendants let him try to pull it off
#50
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: All over the place often South Wales and Lake District
Programs: BA Gold for Life Accor Platinum
Posts: 4,552
Ryanair have allocated seating now.
I have genuinely sat in the incorrect seat before travelling with a colleague and looked at the row from the incorrect angle. Has happened the other way too. When I find someone has made the same mistake, I tell them it's fine to stay where they are. The weirdest one I had was someone who was sitting in my colleagues seat that had to be threatened with offloading before he would sit with the person he was travelling with
#51
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 1,591
If, one day, they don't want to move then that's also no problem. It's their seat after all and it just means we lost our gamble this time. Plus, in reality, a few hours in my own little world watching TV etc is fine; I'd never chat with my partner over the middle seat person - that's be rude.
Last edited by adrianlondon; Mar 23, 2019 at 4:47 am Reason: typo
#52
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 152
Only time I've had someone in my seat was when flying WTP. Politely said to the chap "sorry, I think you're in my seat" whilst holding out my boarding pass. He got his pass out, and we both had the same seat number. Off we go to find a member of cabin crew, who when checking their system said "Ah, Mr Xp, we've upgraded you to club - follow me please". Little shrug to the other fellow, and off I went!
#53
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci Chevalier de Actes Bénéfiques pour les Autres, BAEC Gold.
Posts: 1,486
Very strangely on in AA Domestic Business Class last month, I had aisle seat 3B. I quickly realised that the lady in 3A (window) was travelling with the chap sat in 3E (just across the aisle).
I offered to either swap with the chap in 3E, so they could sit together in 3A&B, or swap with the lady in 3A, so they could chat across the aisle.
They declined both, but then continued to chat across both me and the aisle, which I found a bit odd to say the least.
Fortunately it was only a short hop from ABQ to DFW and I had my Bose earphones on.
BM
I offered to either swap with the chap in 3E, so they could sit together in 3A&B, or swap with the lady in 3A, so they could chat across the aisle.
They declined both, but then continued to chat across both me and the aisle, which I found a bit odd to say the least.
Fortunately it was only a short hop from ABQ to DFW and I had my Bose earphones on.
BM
#54
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,210
If cabin crew are reluctant to assist in situations like this just ask to speak to the captain.
#55
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: BA Exec Club - Gold
Posts: 171
We had something similar, but not the same, a few weeks ago on the way from TRN -> LGW.
We'd just done a B2B there so the crew recognised us and upon sitting down in our seats they said that as we were the only people in club, we could sit elsewhere if we'd prefer. (Sat in 1A and 1C which I didn't release at the time are straight onto the aircraft door - so lots of legroom but not so pleasant during boarding!) We took their offer and moved to 1D and and 1F which were much better. (As an aside the crew were fabulous on these flights - I particularly loved their "welcome back to all our customers and VERY frequent fliers" whit during the announcement".
Then two gentlemen sat in a couple of the other seats next to one another. The CSM (or CSD - I loose track and forget!) then approached them and asked to see their boarding cards to which they responded that "well we're not supposed to sit here but they're the same seats aren't they" and "go on just let us sit here". They were pretty persistent but eventually they realised they weren't going to get away with it. I must admit it was the first time I've come across anything like that!
We'd just done a B2B there so the crew recognised us and upon sitting down in our seats they said that as we were the only people in club, we could sit elsewhere if we'd prefer. (Sat in 1A and 1C which I didn't release at the time are straight onto the aircraft door - so lots of legroom but not so pleasant during boarding!) We took their offer and moved to 1D and and 1F which were much better. (As an aside the crew were fabulous on these flights - I particularly loved their "welcome back to all our customers and VERY frequent fliers" whit during the announcement".
Then two gentlemen sat in a couple of the other seats next to one another. The CSM (or CSD - I loose track and forget!) then approached them and asked to see their boarding cards to which they responded that "well we're not supposed to sit here but they're the same seats aren't they" and "go on just let us sit here". They were pretty persistent but eventually they realised they weren't going to get away with it. I must admit it was the first time I've come across anything like that!
#56
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, Eurostar Carte Blanche
Posts: 712
Definitely had this with couples before - eyeing up pair of seats by the window I'm sat in. "Excuse me, any chance you could move". A polite but firm "No, I specifically booked the window".
#57
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IC Hotels Spire, BA Gold
Posts: 8,668
i seem to have this problem with my seat being occupied quite a few times, I would say 2-3 times a year out of about 25-30 flights. I reckon it is because:
1. I always board right at the end of the process (mild claustrophobia means I want to spend as little time as possible on the plane).
2. 99% of the time I have the exit aisle seat. This probably means towards the end of boarding, someone starts to think that extra legroom seat is free and decides to bag it before someone else does.
But apart from this week, everyone I have mentioned to that they are in my seat has been very apologetic and got up straight away once I arrived. No one so far has been so aggressive as the bloke a few days ago. So there is probably a rational explanation but no excuse for the aggressiveness...
1. I always board right at the end of the process (mild claustrophobia means I want to spend as little time as possible on the plane).
2. 99% of the time I have the exit aisle seat. This probably means towards the end of boarding, someone starts to think that extra legroom seat is free and decides to bag it before someone else does.
But apart from this week, everyone I have mentioned to that they are in my seat has been very apologetic and got up straight away once I arrived. No one so far has been so aggressive as the bloke a few days ago. So there is probably a rational explanation but no excuse for the aggressiveness...
#58
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Ontario, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, IHG, Enterprise, Avios, Nexus
Posts: 8,355
The OP handled it well including not giving into the temptation to respond to eff off. Once the interloper is gone, you have you seat and further interaction is not required.
My approach is slightly different. Mistakes do happen and sometimes a person gets into the wrong seat by accident. Should I find someone in my assigned seat, I show them my boarding pass and they have once chance to leave. Any disagreement or debate and the call button is pushed and the FA can help sort it out. I suspect in the original post had an FA been involved the moron would have been more polite. Telling an FA to eff off can result in one being taken off the plane.
My approach is slightly different. Mistakes do happen and sometimes a person gets into the wrong seat by accident. Should I find someone in my assigned seat, I show them my boarding pass and they have once chance to leave. Any disagreement or debate and the call button is pushed and the FA can help sort it out. I suspect in the original post had an FA been involved the moron would have been more polite. Telling an FA to eff off can result in one being taken off the plane.
#59
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: London
Programs: BA GGLfL, WoH Lifetime Globalist, HH Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 711
Of course the reverse situation can apply.
On a recent flight from IAD to LHR, I was seated in 64K. A lady said to me: You’re in my seat. I responded by showing my boarding card which confirmed 64K. The said lady talked to the FA, who then approached me and said: please follow me, you’ve been upgraded.
Seems there had been some confusion on boarding and I had not been advised of the upgrade when my CW boarding pass had been scanned.
Doc Copper
On a recent flight from IAD to LHR, I was seated in 64K. A lady said to me: You’re in my seat. I responded by showing my boarding card which confirmed 64K. The said lady talked to the FA, who then approached me and said: please follow me, you’ve been upgraded.
Seems there had been some confusion on boarding and I had not been advised of the upgrade when my CW boarding pass had been scanned.
Doc Copper
#60
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: UK. BAEC AAdvantage
Programs: Mucci Des Oeufs Brouilles et des Canards
Posts: 3,671
I "would probably" have had this the other night BRU-LHR booked avios @ t-80mins. Board early and take middle seat (not many left). Couple come along and ask me to move to the window because they "accidentally booked seat A and C". For me it was a result moving to the window, but I did chuckle that they had "made a mistake with the seat booking and can they sit together". Off course, I did know that they were playing the seat game to try and snag an empty middle seat.
Not quite the same but you know what I mean.
Not quite the same but you know what I mean.
I had thought about playing the "leave the middle seat free" game, but it was a full flight so those checking in late would have had little choice.
Last edited by dddc; Mar 23, 2019 at 9:18 am