Asked to move from Comfort+ to Economy
Dec 14, 2021, 10:30 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 4
Asked to move from Comfort+ to Economy
On a ATL-LAX flight, my assigned seat was an aisle in Comfort+. The two other passengers on my row were little kids, probably in the 5-7 year old range. Their mom asked me to move two rows back to her seat in the aisle. Her seat wasn’t Comfort+. I didn’t want to move, but reluctantly did so because of the looks I got from everyone around me, including the mother and kids.
Of course, upon moving, I found the screen in my new seat broken and the floor power outlet faulty. And I didn’t get the Comfort+ legroom or snacks I had been expecting. So for the whole flight I stewed over the fact that Delta placed me in this position by allowing 2 kids to sit together without their parent. I have to assume the parent gamed the system by buying the two Comfort+ tickets assuming she could move.
What would you have done? Was I just SOL due to circumstances outside my control?
Of course, upon moving, I found the screen in my new seat broken and the floor power outlet faulty. And I didn’t get the Comfort+ legroom or snacks I had been expecting. So for the whole flight I stewed over the fact that Delta placed me in this position by allowing 2 kids to sit together without their parent. I have to assume the parent gamed the system by buying the two Comfort+ tickets assuming she could move.
What would you have done? Was I just SOL due to circumstances outside my control?
Dec 14, 2021, 10:44 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: on the path to perdition
Programs: Delta, United
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I would have said the best course of action would be for the kids to move to the seats in the back with their parent. Especially given little kids do not need the leg room.
About the only time I would move is if a FA demanded that I move. After that one gets it documented so to claim compensation for an involuntary downgrade.
Welcome to FT ... stick around there are lots of similar stories. One learns to stand their ground or in this case stay in their seat.
About the only time I would move is if a FA demanded that I move. After that one gets it documented so to claim compensation for an involuntary downgrade.
Welcome to FT ... stick around there are lots of similar stories. One learns to stand their ground or in this case stay in their seat.
Dec 14, 2021, 10:52 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: LAX
Posts: 10,909
my guess is that full row was not available so she was assigned 2 seat together and another one nearby..
one option is to ask kids to move to her row swapping with pax there but aside from that it was just bad luck of travel.. that being said, you did a very nice thing helping a person in need - i would leave it at that... and welcome to FT!
Dec 15, 2021, 5:29 am
#4
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: DL Diamond, UA Premier Gold
Posts: 2,937
I would have rung my flight attendant call button and let them deal with it.
Dec 15, 2021, 6:18 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 782
I agree that you were put in a difficult position.
I think you did the right thing by moving, rather than vocally complaining.
However, after takeoff, I would have gone to the galley, explained to the flight attendants what happened, and asked if they could give you the premium beverages and snacks you would have received in Comfort +. Flight attendants like passengers who keep their emotions to themselves, much more than they like passengers who make things difficult, and if you had spoken with the flight attendants after takeoff they would have tried extra-hard to make your flight nice.
I think you did the right thing by moving, rather than vocally complaining.
However, after takeoff, I would have gone to the galley, explained to the flight attendants what happened, and asked if they could give you the premium beverages and snacks you would have received in Comfort +. Flight attendants like passengers who keep their emotions to themselves, much more than they like passengers who make things difficult, and if you had spoken with the flight attendants after takeoff they would have tried extra-hard to make your flight nice.
Dec 15, 2021, 7:11 am
#7
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If I purchase a C+ ticket or get a comp upgrade to C+ (a DM perk
), I want to enjoy the ammenities to which I am entitled. That you received "looks I got from everyone around me, including the mother and kids", too bad for them, why should you suffer by sitting in a less comfotable seat and lose the C+ food/drink perks to which you were entitled, especially on a (long) atl-lax flight? Was plane a wide body (767-400) those seats are are really Premium Select, even more reason to stay in your assigned seat.
PS: Welcome to FT, your first post.
), I want to enjoy the ammenities to which I am entitled. That you received "looks I got from everyone around me, including the mother and kids", too bad for them, why should you suffer by sitting in a less comfotable seat and lose the C+ food/drink perks to which you were entitled, especially on a (long) atl-lax flight? Was plane a wide body (767-400) those seats are are really Premium Select, even more reason to stay in your assigned seat.PS: Welcome to FT, your first post.
Dec 15, 2021, 7:41 am
#8
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When it comes to seat swaps, the (not legally binding) rule is if you are the one asking for a swap, you need to offer a seat that is either better or at least equal to the seat you are requesting to swap to. Of course, "better than or equal to" is in the eye of the beholder and itself subjective to each person, but I have to think that in most cases, a C+ aisle is almost always going to be preferred to a standard Main Cabin aisle seat.
In this case, if the mom wanted to sit with her kids (which itself is probably not an unreasonable request), she should have been asking the people a couple rows back in Main Cabin if they would like to move up to C+ so she and her kids could sit together in a row in Main Cabin. And while I'm not one to like confrontation, I would have had no problem suggesting this to the mom, or letting her know I paid for a C+ seat and I'm not moving back to a Main Cabin seat. If she still balked, then get the FA involved who will either sort it out themselves or contact the gate agent. Did the mom know what she was doing by moving her party to the better seats while playing the "I have kids" guilt card? The pessimist in me says probably but I cannot say with 100% certainty if the mom knew what she was doing by suggesting you move to the worse seat of if she was unaware of the difference between C+ and Main Cabin and just happened to have some of her party assigned to C+ and some assigned to main cabin by the GA or the system - all the more reason to say if you're uncomfortable with the situation, to then get the FA involved who will if necessary, also get the GA involved.
In this case, if the mom wanted to sit with her kids (which itself is probably not an unreasonable request), she should have been asking the people a couple rows back in Main Cabin if they would like to move up to C+ so she and her kids could sit together in a row in Main Cabin. And while I'm not one to like confrontation, I would have had no problem suggesting this to the mom, or letting her know I paid for a C+ seat and I'm not moving back to a Main Cabin seat. If she still balked, then get the FA involved who will either sort it out themselves or contact the gate agent. Did the mom know what she was doing by moving her party to the better seats while playing the "I have kids" guilt card? The pessimist in me says probably but I cannot say with 100% certainty if the mom knew what she was doing by suggesting you move to the worse seat of if she was unaware of the difference between C+ and Main Cabin and just happened to have some of her party assigned to C+ and some assigned to main cabin by the GA or the system - all the more reason to say if you're uncomfortable with the situation, to then get the FA involved who will if necessary, also get the GA involved.
Dec 15, 2021, 7:52 am
#9
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Yep, I think I would have eagerly said "I bet those two next to you in your row, ma'am, would be tickled pink to swap with your kids so you can be together." Puts the burden back on her, and uses language that reinforces what her true objective (supposedly) is.
Dec 15, 2021, 7:58 am
#10
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When it comes to seat swaps, the (not legally binding) rule is if you are the one asking for a swap, you need to offer a seat that is either better or at least equal to the seat you are requesting to swap to. Of course, "better than or equal to" is in the eye of the beholder and itself subjective to each person, but I have to think that in most cases, a C+ aisle is almost always going to be preferred to a standard Main Cabin aisle seat.
In this case, if the mom wanted to sit with her kids (which itself is probably not an unreasonable request), she should have been asking the people a couple rows back in Main Cabin if they would like to move up to C+ so she and her kids could sit together in a row in Main Cabin. And while I'm not one to like confrontation, I would have had no problem suggesting this to the mom, or letting her know I paid for a C+ seat and I'm not moving back to a Main Cabin seat. If she still balked, then get the FA involved who will either sort it out themselves or contact the gate agent. Did the mom know what she was doing by moving her party to the better seats while playing the "I have kids" guilt card? The pessimist in me says probably but I cannot say with 100% certainty if the mom knew what she was doing by suggesting you move to the worse seat of if she was unaware of the difference between C+ and Main Cabin and just happened to have some of her party assigned to C+ and some assigned to main cabin by the GA or the system - all the more reason to say if you're uncomfortable with the situation, to then get the FA involved who will if necessary, also get the GA involved.
In this case, if the mom wanted to sit with her kids (which itself is probably not an unreasonable request), she should have been asking the people a couple rows back in Main Cabin if they would like to move up to C+ so she and her kids could sit together in a row in Main Cabin. And while I'm not one to like confrontation, I would have had no problem suggesting this to the mom, or letting her know I paid for a C+ seat and I'm not moving back to a Main Cabin seat. If she still balked, then get the FA involved who will either sort it out themselves or contact the gate agent. Did the mom know what she was doing by moving her party to the better seats while playing the "I have kids" guilt card? The pessimist in me says probably but I cannot say with 100% certainty if the mom knew what she was doing by suggesting you move to the worse seat of if she was unaware of the difference between C+ and Main Cabin and just happened to have some of her party assigned to C+ and some assigned to main cabin by the GA or the system - all the more reason to say if you're uncomfortable with the situation, to then get the FA involved who will if necessary, also get the GA involved.
Several years ago flying on AA from LAS to JFK, a fc pax wanted his girl friend (booked in Y) to sit next to him offered $2000 to the person sitting next to him to make the swap...too bad I wasn't sitting next to him
, he must have won BIG.
Dec 15, 2021, 8:08 am
#11
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Why on earth did see book the kids in C+ and herself in economy????
I would NEVER move from an aisle to anything else but another aisle and would certainly never move from C+ to regular economy.
Seeing the kids would qualify as UM's, I don't understand how she could have booked them in different cabins. Unless she bought three BE tickets and somehow they got put into those two C+ seats.
I wish airlines would require people travelling with a kid considered young enough to be a UM to be forced to select seats together when booking and not allow BE tickets to be purchased. It would save a lot of hassle for eveyrone.
I would NEVER move from an aisle to anything else but another aisle and would certainly never move from C+ to regular economy.
Seeing the kids would qualify as UM's, I don't understand how she could have booked them in different cabins. Unless she bought three BE tickets and somehow they got put into those two C+ seats.
I wish airlines would require people travelling with a kid considered young enough to be a UM to be forced to select seats together when booking and not allow BE tickets to be purchased. It would save a lot of hassle for eveyrone.
Dec 15, 2021, 8:29 am
#12
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: Marriott, IHG, Delta, United
Posts: 575
Perhaps the family were BE tickets, but it could have been an IRROPs situation as well where the parents and kids were assigned that flight and a row in coach wasn’t available last minute.
Traveling with kids, I will never book BE… but I have been put in the IRROPS situation and struggled to find last minute coach seats together on an alternate flight. But I agree with the other posters in that the proper request would have been to ask the other pax in Y to move to C+. My kids don’t need the leg room and can’t have the adult beverage, so the advantages of C+ are mostly moot to them.
Traveling with kids, I will never book BE… but I have been put in the IRROPS situation and struggled to find last minute coach seats together on an alternate flight. But I agree with the other posters in that the proper request would have been to ask the other pax in Y to move to C+. My kids don’t need the leg room and can’t have the adult beverage, so the advantages of C+ are mostly moot to them.
Dec 15, 2021, 8:44 am
#13
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: none
Posts: 1,668
Let me get this straight. OP chose to do a kind gesture for another traveler because of someone else’s “looks”, then felt bad (stewed) about it?
OK. I got it.
OK. I got it.
Dec 15, 2021, 9:17 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2005
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I was flying from DEL to EWR in C+ aisle . A woman was sitting in the middle seat. The husband was siting in the second seat next to a female with six across. Told me I had to switch, because a man cannot sit next to married female. I said no. I then stated have the wife sit next to the female, and you take the middle seat. The woman started coughing very loudly. He got the female who had the window seat to move. She sat next to me the whole flight.
Dec 15, 2021, 9:29 am
#15
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Should've been resolved before the plane left the gate. Doesn't matter what 'looks' etc you get. You had a C+ seat. Other pax were in C+ and Econ which makes no sense and leads me to believe they intentionally booked that combination in order to do exactly what they did... get you to move and they get a free upgraded seat. I wouldn't be surprised if they were actually on BE tickets and were just assigned those because thats what was left.