“Do You Know Who I Am?”: The Definitive Thread of DYKWIA Stories
Aug 15, 2019, 5:39 pm
#9541
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This reminds me of a similar incident involving my laptop case last December. I was on a 739 redeye, SEA-ATL, seated in Y, a few spots behind the exit row. Once per year my husband and I take our small dog (bichon frise) home to FL to visit family. Obviously the pet carrier was under my seat, causing my laptop case to be placed in the overhead bin. My husband had his carry-on under his seat, so the overhead bin was the only option for my laptop case. Towards the end of boarding a woman from presumably zone 3 or basic came up and starting literally taking people's bags out of the overhead bin and setting them in the aisle! One of which was my laptop case. She was muttering something along the lines of "These will just have to go elsewhere" as she placed her rather larger roller board in the bin. The FA's refused to get involved and everyone was left trying to scramble to find other places for their items. Luckily we crammed my laptop case under my husband's seat in addition to his carry on, but it made for a very uncomfortable 5 hours.
Under normal circumstances I ALWAYS put my laptop case under my seat, regardless of cabin class, just because I don't want to have to fight for overhead bin space.
This upcoming December I am traveling solo with the pet, so I have opted for F to hopefully have more room (and FA support) should it happen again.
Under normal circumstances I ALWAYS put my laptop case under my seat, regardless of cabin class, just because I don't want to have to fight for overhead bin space.
This upcoming December I am traveling solo with the pet, so I have opted for F to hopefully have more room (and FA support) should it happen again.
.....and I would have watched it all happen, waited until the person walked away and did the same thing (removed) her large (translates - should have been checked at the gate bag) roller board and replaced it with my original stuff in the stolen bin space. Place the bag in the aisle and let the FA walk up and down asking "whose bag is this?". Musical bins?, yes. If people (including FAs) continue to remain passive and at the mercy of some hothead who wants their way (after I had the bin use before them), then this behavior will continue. I totally get it and more than not will try to avoid creating waves but really, some people need to be called out at the moment of their offense.
Aug 15, 2019, 5:49 pm
#9542
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When I remember, I tend to close the bin over my seat to save space for my seatmate or other FC passengers who board late. FAs generally don't enforce the "this space for FC" signage.
Aug 15, 2019, 9:53 pm
#9543
Join Date: Apr 2012
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Aug 16, 2019, 2:18 pm
#9544
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Home Airport: PDX
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Posts: 116
"Because she is unhappy"
This one was from earlier this year; just remembered to post it because my colleague mentioned "DYKWIA" to me today:
On DL 41 LAX->SYD on 2019-01-18. Waiting for a GUC to clear with only one D1 seat remaining, so I went to GA and asked if maybe she could clear me a bit early. She kindly called down to ticketing and got permission to clear me early, which is a huge relief T-70 for a ~15 hr flight! I gave GA a JWD and sat down waiting to board. I notice while sitting an entitled looking D1 passenger giving GA a hard time (not sure about what; couldn't hear them). We'll call her "Ms. Because"; she's the main character in our little story here.
I'm surprised at boarding to find I wasn't given the dreaded "lav door opens up right into your seat" that I usually get when clearing a GUC on this equipment. I fly this flight round-trip once a year for a conference in Australia, and that seat is always (understandably) avoided by pax with regular paid tickets because it's admittedly annoying, but it's still a D1 seat and I can sleep fine in it with a sleep mask on, and it's a GUC for a $5k+ plane ticket, so what do I have to complain about when I get that seat? I just was glad for my luck to instead get a standard D1 seat along the single-aisle at the windows just two rows back, and settled in for a comfortable D1 flying experience.
I do however hear a commotion over by "the seat no one in D1 wants". Ms. Because is throwing a tantrum with the FAs because she drew the shortest straw and got that seat. The flight leader intervenes quickly. She's an old-school mid-60s Air France FA (who, talking to her later, switched to Delta after moving to USA later in life) . She listens patiently to the complaint, and proceeds to walk up and down the aisle asking people if they'll switch with Ms. Because.
Flight Leader gets to me, greets me by name, thanks me for being a DM, and asks if I might consider switching seats. I asked which seat, and at that moment her eyes swell with absolute exasperation, and gestures back to Ms. Because. I ask: "What is the reason for the seat switch?", and Flight Leader sighs, and says -- in her beautiful French accent, now with frustration just on the edges of her voice: "Because she is unhappy." I think for a minute and say: "I think I'd like to stay where I am, would that be ok?" and the Flight Leader smiles and says: "I am glad for you to stay."
We're still boarding, so I race back to visit my friend in coach and tell him and his seat-mates the story. My friend volunteers: "I'll switch with her; let her know!" I decline to deliver his offer, of course.
It doesn't end there: I get back to my seat and hear Ms. Because still ranting at any Delta employee that will listen about how much she paid for the seat. Ms. Because then gets on the phone with her assistant and complaints to the assistant that "something must have gone wrong with this booking".
30 seconds or so later, there is an announcement over the intercom (apparently contained only to D1 cabin? I didn't realize they could narrow in this way, but my friend says it wasn't played back in coach), asking if any D1 pax would like 5k miles to please switch to the seat (named by seat number), as it would be much appreciated by the flight crew. There are no takers, since most of us in D1 have already heard Ms. Because ranting for 20 minutes now.
As we takeoff, I come up with a theory on what must have happened: the assistant booked the flight and failed to select a seat. I suspect the GAs do generally give GUC upgrades the "lav door opens to your seat" seat, because of course someone who got a complimentary upgrade is less likely to complain. Then, I remembered Ms. Because was giving the GA a hard time about something else (clearly not seat assignment, given how things played out), and the GA, who had already cleared my GUC, just decided to drop me in the better seat.
The one piece of advice I'm always sure to give folks who aren't FFs when they start flying is this: GAs control the universe, because they can put any pax in any seat they want if they can think up a reason why it "assured pushback happened on time". Folks should be nice to everyone unless and until they give you a clear reason not to be, but with GAs, your comfort for your flight depends on how nice you are. I wonder if Ms. Because learned that lesson. I suspect not.
Postscript to the story was that Ms. Because's spouse and child appeared to have been on the flight in the back, as the daughter came up to visit many times during the flight. I'm not sure how this impacts the DYKWIA-ness of the behavior, but it did remind me of how when I am traveling with my wife and one GUC to use, I offer my wife the up-front seat. I don't think Ms. Because is that kind of sharing spouse.
On DL 41 LAX->SYD on 2019-01-18. Waiting for a GUC to clear with only one D1 seat remaining, so I went to GA and asked if maybe she could clear me a bit early. She kindly called down to ticketing and got permission to clear me early, which is a huge relief T-70 for a ~15 hr flight! I gave GA a JWD and sat down waiting to board. I notice while sitting an entitled looking D1 passenger giving GA a hard time (not sure about what; couldn't hear them). We'll call her "Ms. Because"; she's the main character in our little story here.
I'm surprised at boarding to find I wasn't given the dreaded "lav door opens up right into your seat" that I usually get when clearing a GUC on this equipment. I fly this flight round-trip once a year for a conference in Australia, and that seat is always (understandably) avoided by pax with regular paid tickets because it's admittedly annoying, but it's still a D1 seat and I can sleep fine in it with a sleep mask on, and it's a GUC for a $5k+ plane ticket, so what do I have to complain about when I get that seat? I just was glad for my luck to instead get a standard D1 seat along the single-aisle at the windows just two rows back, and settled in for a comfortable D1 flying experience.
I do however hear a commotion over by "the seat no one in D1 wants". Ms. Because is throwing a tantrum with the FAs because she drew the shortest straw and got that seat. The flight leader intervenes quickly. She's an old-school mid-60s Air France FA (who, talking to her later, switched to Delta after moving to USA later in life) . She listens patiently to the complaint, and proceeds to walk up and down the aisle asking people if they'll switch with Ms. Because.
Flight Leader gets to me, greets me by name, thanks me for being a DM, and asks if I might consider switching seats. I asked which seat, and at that moment her eyes swell with absolute exasperation, and gestures back to Ms. Because. I ask: "What is the reason for the seat switch?", and Flight Leader sighs, and says -- in her beautiful French accent, now with frustration just on the edges of her voice: "Because she is unhappy." I think for a minute and say: "I think I'd like to stay where I am, would that be ok?" and the Flight Leader smiles and says: "I am glad for you to stay."
We're still boarding, so I race back to visit my friend in coach and tell him and his seat-mates the story. My friend volunteers: "I'll switch with her; let her know!" I decline to deliver his offer, of course.
It doesn't end there: I get back to my seat and hear Ms. Because still ranting at any Delta employee that will listen about how much she paid for the seat. Ms. Because then gets on the phone with her assistant and complaints to the assistant that "something must have gone wrong with this booking".
30 seconds or so later, there is an announcement over the intercom (apparently contained only to D1 cabin? I didn't realize they could narrow in this way, but my friend says it wasn't played back in coach), asking if any D1 pax would like 5k miles to please switch to the seat (named by seat number), as it would be much appreciated by the flight crew. There are no takers, since most of us in D1 have already heard Ms. Because ranting for 20 minutes now.
As we takeoff, I come up with a theory on what must have happened: the assistant booked the flight and failed to select a seat. I suspect the GAs do generally give GUC upgrades the "lav door opens to your seat" seat, because of course someone who got a complimentary upgrade is less likely to complain. Then, I remembered Ms. Because was giving the GA a hard time about something else (clearly not seat assignment, given how things played out), and the GA, who had already cleared my GUC, just decided to drop me in the better seat.
The one piece of advice I'm always sure to give folks who aren't FFs when they start flying is this: GAs control the universe, because they can put any pax in any seat they want if they can think up a reason why it "assured pushback happened on time". Folks should be nice to everyone unless and until they give you a clear reason not to be, but with GAs, your comfort for your flight depends on how nice you are. I wonder if Ms. Because learned that lesson. I suspect not.
Postscript to the story was that Ms. Because's spouse and child appeared to have been on the flight in the back, as the daughter came up to visit many times during the flight. I'm not sure how this impacts the DYKWIA-ness of the behavior, but it did remind me of how when I am traveling with my wife and one GUC to use, I offer my wife the up-front seat. I don't think Ms. Because is that kind of sharing spouse.
Aug 16, 2019, 2:28 pm
#9545
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The SYD route is the 777, right, now with suites? Which is the seat that no one wants?
It sounds like Ms. Because was not an upgrade, at least not on the day of departure. Perhaps it was a business trip for her, so it would have been inappropriate fo give the D1 suite to husband (and wouldn't have been allowed for a small child).
I would have been tempted to complain about the D1 cabin visits and ask the FAs/purser to put a stop to it and force the spouse and kid to stay in the back or alternatively she could have visited them at their seats.
It's too bad you didn't offer your friend's/colleague's coach seat as a swap. The reaction might have been priceless.
It sounds like Ms. Because was not an upgrade, at least not on the day of departure. Perhaps it was a business trip for her, so it would have been inappropriate fo give the D1 suite to husband (and wouldn't have been allowed for a small child).
I would have been tempted to complain about the D1 cabin visits and ask the FAs/purser to put a stop to it and force the spouse and kid to stay in the back or alternatively she could have visited them at their seats.
It's too bad you didn't offer your friend's/colleague's coach seat as a swap. The reaction might have been priceless.
Aug 16, 2019, 2:34 pm
#9546
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 354
1. Racing back to tell your friends - A bit childish no?
2. Doing it during Boarding - SUPER Annoying for folks trying to get to their seats and settled. Don’t be that guy (or girl). Sit and drink your PDB 🍸
Aug 16, 2019, 5:26 pm
#9547
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If OP was in Y, I would agree. But in F on most aircraft, there should be enough OH space for every F passenger to put their bag in the bin above their seat, barring too many F passengers exceeding carryon limits and placing it all in the bin. I’m not saying I would do it, but I don’t see it as poaching at all, especially when F pax are supposed to have dedicated bin space and when there are more legitimate reasons to late boarding than your preference of staying in the SC longer. Many connections at or around MCT mean you arrive at your next gate well after boarding has begun or a delayed inbound may mean you’re getting to the gate for your connecting flight well after boarding has begun.
I would say you shouldn’t prevent other F pax from
using that bin if needed. But closing it to prevent Y pax from throwing their stuff in there as they board is hardly “poaching” or inappropriate in my opinion.
Aug 16, 2019, 5:35 pm
#9548
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: RDU
Posts: 5,242
I can agree with keeping the space for F. However that should involve pointing it out to the FA. Actually on two recent flights the FA saw Y passengers place bags in F. One asked them what they thought they were doing! The other let them put it in, waited for boarding to be complete and then asked everyone in F whose bag it was. (Knowing passenger was in Y) She took it out and had it valet tagged. Then told F passenger to put his underseat bag up there if he wanted as theres space. It was a little douchy but sometimes a lesson gets learned.
Aug 16, 2019, 5:50 pm
#9549
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Home Airport: PDX
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I was heading back anyway to wish him a good flight and check in logistics/plans upon landing for our 12 hour layover in SYD. We'd arrived on different connections and hadn't seen each other prior to boarding. Plus, we're both regular DYKWIA story tellers so I definitely couldn't have waited for takeoff for this juicy tidbit. If having strong urges to share fun stories with your friends makes someone ipso facto childish, I'll plead guilty as charged. What's my sentence?
Sorry for not being clear; boarding, as often happens on a big long haul like that, was nearly completed 20 minutes before departure. The only people still boarding were waves of people coming in from tight connections. I wouldn't have blocked anyone. My friend was also in DC+ near the bulkhead so it was trivial to duck back into galley as needed to appropriately give way.
Aug 16, 2019, 6:04 pm
#9550
Join Date: Dec 2011
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Posts: 116
Never go in against a DYKWIA when....
Note the date of Jan. 2019 mentioned in my story. This was definitely the old D1 cabin, the one that has an older look to it than what I typically see on transatlantic flights (which I take much more often than transpacific). I have a vague memory of being disappointed that this was one of the last flights before the refit, but I may be misremembering.
Anyway, I think it was a 777 not with suites but with that old equipment where there's that lav and smaller galley mid-D1 cabin and the lav door opens almost into the seat (as in, if someone tripped coming out of the lav, they'd definitely fall into the person in the seat).
I recall this DL 41 was this way in 2016-2018 as well. I'm glad to hear that if I go to that conference again this Jan., I'll have a shot at a suite (provided I earn DM -- the spend requirements are leaving it not-looking-good at the moment.
I forgot one part, BTW: late in the flight, she was actually awake once when I came out of the bathroom. She made a comment about how horrible it was for her seat to be positioned there, clearly looking for commiseration. I decided silence was the only response.
To modify-quote The Princess Bride, "never go in against a DYKWIA, when stuck-closeby-in-a-cabin-for-15-hours is on the line". I put my headphones on and tried to ignore the visits.
Last edited by shipitfish; Aug 16, 2019 at 6:05 pm Reason: typo fixes
Aug 16, 2019, 6:11 pm
#9551
Join Date: Dec 2011
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Aug 16, 2019, 6:29 pm
#9552
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: RDU
Posts: 5,242
I was heading back anyway to wish him a good flight and check in logistics/plans upon landing for our 12 hour layover in SYD. We'd arrived on different connections and hadn't seen each other prior to boarding. Plus, we're both regular DYKWIA story tellers so I definitely couldn't have waited for takeoff for this juicy tidbit. If having strong urges to share fun stories with your friends makes someone ipso facto childish, I'll plead guilty as charged. What's my sentence?
Sorry for not being clear; boarding, as often happens on a big long haul like that, was nearly completed 20 minutes before departure. The only people still boarding were waves of people coming in from tight connections. I wouldn't have blocked anyone. My friend was also in DC+ near the bulkhead so it was trivial to duck back into galley as needed to appropriately give way.
Sorry for not being clear; boarding, as often happens on a big long haul like that, was nearly completed 20 minutes before departure. The only people still boarding were waves of people coming in from tight connections. I wouldn't have blocked anyone. My friend was also in DC+ near the bulkhead so it was trivial to duck back into galley as needed to appropriately give way.
Aug 16, 2019, 6:34 pm
#9553
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 354
I was heading back anyway to wish him a good flight and check in logistics/plans upon landing for our 12 hour layover in SYD. We'd arrived on different connections and hadn't seen each other prior to boarding. Plus, we're both regular DYKWIA story tellers so I definitely couldn't have waited for takeoff for this juicy tidbit. If having strong urges to share fun stories with your friends makes someone ipso facto childish, I'll plead guilty as charged. What's my sentence?
Sorry for not being clear; boarding, as often happens on a big long haul like that, was nearly completed 20 minutes before departure. The only people still boarding were waves of people coming in from tight connections. I wouldn't have blocked anyone. My friend was also in DC+ near the bulkhead so it was trivial to duck back into galley as needed to appropriately give way.
Sorry for not being clear; boarding, as often happens on a big long haul like that, was nearly completed 20 minutes before departure. The only people still boarding were waves of people coming in from tight connections. I wouldn't have blocked anyone. My friend was also in DC+ near the bulkhead so it was trivial to duck back into galley as needed to appropriately give way.
Aug 16, 2019, 8:21 pm
#9555
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Yeah, I always loved 7A and 7D (and even had to evict people from these seats at times as they were all *mine* according to my boarding pass), but they're disappointing in suites as you lose a window.
On the old 777s, I think the bad seat would have been 10C or 10D. IIRC the rows in the second D1 cabin were 10, 11, and 12 (although I think earlier versions, perhaps before there were flat beds, had business class going back through row 14). The big lavatory was in front of row 10 on the D side, which IMO was a reason to pick 7D over 7A if both were available, although others liked 7A in order to be able to deplane first, assuming that the second door is used.
On the old 777s, I think the bad seat would have been 10C or 10D. IIRC the rows in the second D1 cabin were 10, 11, and 12 (although I think earlier versions, perhaps before there were flat beds, had business class going back through row 14). The big lavatory was in front of row 10 on the D side, which IMO was a reason to pick 7D over 7A if both were available, although others liked 7A in order to be able to deplane first, assuming that the second door is used.