I guess it would depend on the situation whether or not I would move, but I would certainly not give up a desirable seat for a stinker. I have been asked in the past to trade a window or aisle for a center seat and have refused outright.

On my recent way back from Hawaii, a couple had the aisle and middle-single in BF. The concierge came over and asked me to swap my window for the middle-single (I was the only single person onboard, everyone else was a couple) - at first I didn't want to because I really like to be at the window, but they seemed like a nice couple and I felt bad, so I swapped with the lady so they could sit together. As long as the trade is equal to or better than my original seat, and I am being asked nicely (not seeing someone else sitting in my seat when I board), I see no reason not to switch.

As far as the OP, there is no way I would have swapped in that situation :) Guyy was well within his right to decline to move.

So many good replies, I didn't know which one to quote (and I'm too lazy right now to quote several :D ), so here goes:

bocastephen, what I would do in that situation is to offer to switch seats once we're in the air. I too like the window seat because I love to look outside (mostly in coach, being a lowly Silver), but once you are up in the air, there ain't all that much to see. OTOH, just yesterday I enjoyed leaning against the wall of the plane in 7F to catch some ZZZZs, plus I got to exit the aircraft faster than accepting middle exit row (I was flying standby and gave up both JungleJet and mainline exit rows to fly standby to get to work on time).

As for screaming babies, that's a non-starter :td: :td: :td:

As for giving up a exit / bulkhead to accomodate a couple sitting together, that's a no brainer - I fly to earn my (lowly) Silver, and I've payed for that right.

One last thing, the couple may have been flying standby, purchased the tickets late and didn't get assigned seats, so it may not have been their fault that they are not sitting together. Still, it would take a lot for me to vacate exit / bulkhead seats or accept a middle row.

Oh, and dirty looks, well I can understand that from pax who don't appreciate what they are asking us to give up, BUT the FA should know better.

EmailKid

I understand that people are reluctant to move and I would be in many cases. However, I do thank people who have moved when I have requested. Got my daughter a companion upgrade on NE recently and someone nicely switched out an aisle for an aisle father back. Ojkay, sitting next to a 3.5 year old is a big incentive!

One way to address the moving back issue in FC--food choice--is to offer the person agreeing to switch back you food choice. I am sure most FA would accomadate the request if you explain.

I think its common decency to try and help people out. But if you can't or won't it should not be held against you.

I do think that some of these issues could and should be addressed pre-boarding. FA and Pax should not be involved in these negotiations while the boarding process is underway.

Maybe pre-boarding the GA should try and resolve these seat issues. They could ask I need an aisle seat and anyone willing to trade an aisle for an aisle or any seat will get a free drink!

When I'm in coach, seems like most of the time, I plan my seat assignment with care. I've only been asked a couple of times to move. I only moved once, from a window to an aisle in the same row. The other times it's been someone towards the rear in a middle seat. A definte no! When I'm in First and by myself, I'll change with someone, as long as it's an aisle (I drink too much coffee). When my wife and I both get upgraded, we are usually in different rows. Sometimes we'll ask if someone will switch, and sometimes we don't ask. Depends on the length of the flight, if seatmates are together, and seats we have. I do have to say we've never been turned down in switching seats in First. :)

I hate when that happens!
 

Recently, I had my favorite middle BF seat out of Rio, but a less desirable middle seat out of San Paulo. Then it occured to me to just stay there, since I had all my 'baby things' in the overhead, and ask whoever was to be in the seat, if they would change. Since it didn't make any difference to the women, who came to claim the seat, I was in, she took the seat I preferred not to travel in. It made no difference to her, which she sat in, wheras it did to me. Everybody was happy! :cool: :cool: :cool:

Same here. I think I'm probably 90%+ for people volunteering to switch in first. The funny part is, the cases where they refused, I was offering them something better! (ie, 2B instead of 4B) "NO. I PICKED THIS SEAT AND I LIKE IT."

Some people will always just be mean :(

I was on a flight and had the guy next to me ask me if I would switch with his girlfriend. He had given her his FC seat, but they wanted to sit together. Of course, my reaction was "sure, if she really doesn't mind". :D

Oh the things we do for love...

A better move on their part would have been to ask the person behind you in the aisle or window to switch with the husband in the exit row middle seat. If I was asked in that way to switch, I probably would have (given the right aircraft). In the past on full flights, I have taken a middle row exit seat or bulkhead seat over an aisle.

But the way they went about it was completely ridiculous.

I just don't get it
 

Call me weird but I just don't get how adults become practically traumatized at the thought of sitting 10 feet away from one another for a two hour flight. Unless I'm feeling really generous, I usually decline requests to move.

Ohhh, not with the JavaScript quirks on the NW website. Copy the link to a valid seat, paste it into the taskbar, change the seat number to the exit row seat of your choice, and hit enter. It's yours.

I suspect they'll have this bug fixed shortly now that you've alerted them.

Doubt it. It's been posted numerous times, and they haven't fixed it yet.

Hi y'all,

Different strokes for different folks. To me, 4B is better than 2B (other than less of a chance for my preferred menu selection), so don't always assume the seat you're offering in exchange is a "better" seat :) (tho in this example the difference is so minor that I don't care)

I'm usually upgraded and usually switch seats when asked, but have recently been thinking 'bout changing that easy going policy.

How many times have I changed to a less desirable seat then....
1) watch the couple sleep the whole flight
2) after settling into my "new" seat have someone board and say "you're in my seat"
3) determine later on that the manifest shows the seat I'm now sitting in as assigned to a non-rev ... and of course the F/A didn't see/remember the switch so treats the employee in my original seat like a Platinum while I get last menu choice, strange looks when asking for another re-fill etc.
:rolleyes:

Switch in F/BF but not Coach
 

It happened to me on BF had middle bulkheead. Women had three kids with her so I moved one row back. While she could have easily attended to them I was actually better not sitting next to the kid who played video games the whole flight. Having kids of my own this was not a big deal as there is not that big a dif in BF or even domestic F. I have switched with people in F but I agree with you in the cattle car it is a whole different story - you did the right thing.

You're not weird.

I will move under the right circumstances--on a DEN-EWR flight, I swapped aisle bulkhead seats with a woman who had a cast on her leg, and my seat would have been more comfortable for her w/r/t extending her leg, but I negged the next request which would swapped me out to a middle seat in row 27-ish, or so. The dewd's next gambit was to complain to an FA, who looked at my BP while I explained that I had already switched once for the injured lady, and wasn't inclined to move back to the hinterlands, where the overhead space was undoubtedly gone already, etc. She ruled in my favor, EOS.

Another time, on AF, I was surprised that I wasn't asked to switch. I was in another bulkhead seat, and the bassinet attaching device thingy at the opposite end of my (center) row wasn't functioning. I called the FA over and explained that if the one in front of me would work, I'd switch. It did, and I did.....and, happily, the baby in question was slept quietly in it's crib the whole flight. ^ :)

O/H