ordiahnl

I don't know if you've had a similar experience as mine. To cut it short, I was upgraded 3 days before a flight and selected the bulkhead window seat as what many would consider prime real estate. Out of 20, only 3 seats were confirmed and assigned at that time, with two upgrades. 24 hours before the flight, a further 3 were upgraded leaving 14 seats still open up for grabs, most of them 'tandems' or vacant pairs. Somebody selected the seat beside me which was fine.

Here's the thing: that somebody actually had a companion who for reasons I am not privy to was still in the upgrade list (maybe a gold companion, I'm not sure). There were still open tandem seats but the guy seems to select a seat next to me though he must be cognizant of the fact it would be better to select a vacant tandem seat for him and his companion.

Boarding came and this guy who seemed to assume he can get everything he wants, requested that I change my seat with his companion's. I tactfully responded that " I'm sorry but I prefer to remain in my selected seat" . Then he muttered , and not just once , 'unbelievable' and made a big fuss about it. I kept silent but stood my ground. Apparently, his wife's seatmate would not give up his seat also. The guy continued to make a fuss about it, and pressed on to the FAs that they do something about it.

One good thing was the FAs never asked nor requested me to reconsider which I think was vindication. Another good thing was, in all the musical chairs that happened in the last 3 rows of the first class cabin, somebody was 'upped' to the aisle bulkhead. He just said : " whatever happened earlier, I came out
with a better deal".

Bottomline is: isn't it my right to hold on to my previously selected seat ? I believe that guy could have selected an open paired seat from the outset.

Or was he just assuming he can get to have someone move from a prime seat to accommodate his wife. That just negates the whole purpose of selecting your seat early on.

By midflight, he was still yakking to the FAs. And he was just in his 50s. Too early to be cranky.

SirRagnar

You are actually answering it yourself; you were absolutely in your right to keep your seat ^ - especially since you had followed the seat map in the days/hours up till departure and knew he could have grabbed a tandem seat.
He clearly thinks he made a clever move by grabbing the seat next to the best seat in the hopes of a willing 'victim'.

Klockman

Behaviour like this isn't limited to old men. I'm flying another airline from YYZ-BOG (about a 5.5 hour flight) The airline I'm on lets you choose exit row seats for a fee which I did and paid. I take the aisle seat.

We board and this big guy comes lumbering up the aisle and gestures that the window seat is his but he needs me to move up a few rows so his girlfriend could sit with him. I decline and he complains to the FA who came over to "reason" with me. I tell her I paid for the seat and I ask if she's in any position to reimburse me, she says no.

Dude's GF is in a middle seat sitting beside apparently as I would find out, her mother. I tell the FA that she can move the mother to the window exit row seat beside me and dude can sit on the aisle with his girlfriend.

He then complains that he "needs" the legroom, I point out, I'm taller, I paid for the seat and have offerred a solution. FA says she has to agree with me and argument is over. 10 mins into flight he falls asleep and doesn't awake until our final descent into BOG

ordiahnl

I believe that some people, whether innate or just the way they were 'molded', have that inordinate sense of entitlement that when someone hinders their whims, they regress to being bratty toddlers.

Russell745

I believe I have ended this problem for myself.
When I see it coming I pick up my phone and call my wife.
They never seem to try to catch your attention while you're on a call and heaven help them if they do.

There's always that guy though isn't there?

eastcoastcan

I agree your seat was premium and you have every right to keep it. Full stop.

That said I was flying SJO-IAH a few weeks ago and I was upgraded at the 1 day mark. My wife was upgraded as a companion at the gate.

The person who's seat was beside Mrs. Eastcoastcan obviously had the same impression that you did. He said "you should have selected two seats together".

I mean, come on. Did he think that I intentionally selected a seat that was beside someone else and didn't try to find an open set of 2? So the guy sits there and refuses to move. I am not really the argumentative type and frankly Mrs. and I don't really care all that much (we both had work to get done post vacation) but the guys mutters (without prompting) "I like the aisle seat anyway, I don't want to move". The funny thing is I was offering him my aisle seat just one row back.

The entire flight he does not get up once and when Mrs. does need to get up 2x to go to the washroom this guy makes a HUGE deal of it (huffing and puffing, etc).

Anyway, there was a silver lining. Mrs. is a Doctor (surgeon), and when he first responded to me she whispered "he is definitely a surgeon -- so typical" .

Sure enough, on her way back from the 2nd washroom trip he is getting up to let her in (more huffing and puffing) and she says "hate to say it, but you must be a doctor. Surgeon right?" and the guy lights up and says "how did you know?" --- she then had some explaining to do...

Richard Chen

I agree with all of the above. It's great to see an active stand taken against snide, boorish folk who do this sort of arrogant act not only with CO but likely on the road, at the office, on the soccer field, and all through their lives.

TommyC80

I've been there before as well. 1B is my seat and I make a lot of effort before hand to ensure I get that seat as often as possible when I upgrade.

That said, there have been cases where I will move. If I am asked *nicely* and it's an aisle seat a row or two back I'll take it. If there is a child or military person involved I will always move. Other than that, my butt stays in 1B

One of the main reasons I like to sit a the front of the plane is that I like to have all meal choices available, eat, and get to sleep....especially on those transcons and long midcons. That's what I tell people and it typically shuts them up.

IndyDavid

This is one of those classic Mac/PC religious debates -- it will always inspire passion and it will never be resolved.

I personally will always move around within first class to let people traveling together sit together. The seats are all good, the flights aren't that long, and I'd rather be gracious & build good karma than have someone sitting next to me seething the whole time.

I personally believe anyone asked to move should move, as a matter of common courtesy, unless there's some reason why they can't (injury, disability, etc). "I don't wanna" is not a reason. We all need to be a tad bit less selfish these days -- I think that's what's going on in politics and in the economy, too.

David

PhlyingRPh

I don't think it's a debate at all - rather clear cut IMO. If one asks someone if they wouldn't mind moving to another seat and they say decline, the debate is over. One can try alternatives (if available), but jacking around with that individual's choice of seating again should not be an option unless there are very compelling safety/security concerns (actually, I'm not even sure I want to go there either since an FA can turn anything into a safety/security issue these days).

Edited to add: I just realized, that sounded like a grumpy old man response.

cricklewood

My wife and I are both platinum and always fly on separate tickets.
At least one of us normally gets upgraded at the 5 day mark and I'm always moving seats to find the best exchange if necessary and will not try be together if I have to ask an aisle passenger to swap to the window.

It's interesting you consider the bulkhead a primo seat up front - not me.

radonc1

Ah, the things that make for a horse race . If I am trading like for like, it makes little difference to me.

usa18dca

Crickle has a fetish for Bulkhead Seats =)

ordiahnl

There is such a thing as being charitable , which believe me, a virtue that I would try to emulate especially in helping out disadvantaged individuals. At least twice have I switched with older individuals to give them more space and to a pregnant mom to have better access to the washroom.

And there's the other scenario when it's pretty clear that a person has the intention of playing it smart and make a brusque assumption that he should get what he wants. The point is that he had the option of not having separated seats. He made a conscious effort taking the bulkhead, relegating his wife to a seat behind for even though there were paired seats available, albeit with less legroom in mid-firstclass cabin. But again as you've pointed out, every seat in FC is comfortable , they could have thought the same.

I agree with you totally on the admirable courtesy of giving in, but it does not take a smart man to sense if what you're going to do is helpful or kowtowing to a man's selfish, manipulative intentions.

There's a difference between a nice gesture and being taken for a ride.

jgcii

My first thought when asked to move is that they somehow did not plan well enough to accomodate their desires. The classic "your lack of prior planning is not my emergency, blah blah blah"

However I see from one post that my thought is likely wrong more times than not. That being said - if my wife is upgraded as a companion I can assure you that she is more than satisfied with the upgrade alone. I think if the GA cannot help you put seats together then you should accept what you have - just my 2 cents.