More seat swapping/poaching fun!
Nov 17, 2017, 7:57 am
#46
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: SE USA
Programs: DL DM/MM , IHG Plat, MR Titanium, HH Gold, EK Frequent Kettle, UA Silver, AA Hater
Posts: 2,020
Given that this will always happen to frequent flyers, sometimes it is good just to chuckle about it. My favorite experience was a few years ago. I boarded a flight departing from Zurich and was one of the first seated in J. I opened my Kindle and started reading, when an elderly lady came up and started speaking to me, but I had no idea what she was saying. So the woman seated in front of me turned around and told me that the older woman was speaking in German, and was telling me that she and her husband had been separated, and would I switch seats with one of them so they could sit together. I obliged. Gathered my things and moved to the other side of the aisle. Resettled my stuff, reopened my Kindle, started reading, when another guy comes up to me and, in French, asks if I might swap seats with him so he can sit with his wife. (At least I spoke French so got the gist of what was going on). I didn't care and had already been unsettled. So I gathered my things and moved one row back, restored my stuff, and got back to my book. Well, wouldn't you know it. Another woman comes up and addresses me in Italian! (Which I understood). She says that she and her young son were supposed to be seated together, but because we had an aircraft change, they were separated and. . .would I mind, blah, blah, blah. But at this point, everyone in J had already seen me switch seats so many times that all of the pax seated around me burst out laughing and cheering me on. When I took my fourth seat, the passenger I sat down next to joked that she didn't want to get too familiar because she assumed I would be moving yet again. And of course people all around leaned over and said I was being a really nice guy, especially for an American. So everyone ended up happy and I thought it was amusing. Ordinarily this stuff irritates me, but where else but Switzerland could one be asked to change seats in three different languages!
Nov 17, 2017, 11:09 am
#47
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,933
How's your Romansch? 
Perhaps my second favorite part of riding the Glacier so-called-Express (1st being the scenery of course) was all the announcements being given in four languages.
Apr 16, 2018, 11:04 am
#48
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Home
Posts: 469
When poaching first class - act disoriented
More seat poaching - MSP - STL on MD-90.
I boarded and took my seat in row 2, after about half the plane had boarded a sharply dressed gentleman came and took 1D (1C was already seated). FA asked him for PDB and he said he is fine with water.
Fast forward about 10 mins - boarding is complete and we are waiting for the door to close and in walks a lady who looks at 1D with a puzzled look and then talks to FA in the galley.
FA comes over and asks gentleman in 1D for his boarding pass and he acts disoriented, has trouble checking his pockets and then goes thru his carry on personal item which he still had by his feet but couldn't produce a BP
FA - "Do you remember your seat number?"
Gentleman - "I think row 28"
Mini eye roll from the lady and FA...his bags were over row 2 and FA was kind enough to allow him to keep his bags there.
I suspect he is a frequent flyer because very often delta keeps 1A and 1D open and he knew poaching those might be successful
I boarded and took my seat in row 2, after about half the plane had boarded a sharply dressed gentleman came and took 1D (1C was already seated). FA asked him for PDB and he said he is fine with water.
Fast forward about 10 mins - boarding is complete and we are waiting for the door to close and in walks a lady who looks at 1D with a puzzled look and then talks to FA in the galley.
FA comes over and asks gentleman in 1D for his boarding pass and he acts disoriented, has trouble checking his pockets and then goes thru his carry on personal item which he still had by his feet but couldn't produce a BP
FA - "Do you remember your seat number?"
Gentleman - "I think row 28"
Mini eye roll from the lady and FA...his bags were over row 2 and FA was kind enough to allow him to keep his bags there.
I suspect he is a frequent flyer because very often delta keeps 1A and 1D open and he knew poaching those might be successful
Apr 16, 2018, 1:50 pm
#49
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: DL PM, 1MM, DL SC, Kimpton Inner Circle
Posts: 2,416
Originally Posted by jeet;29646557...
his bags were over row 2 and FA was kind enough to allow him to keep his bags there.
Apr 16, 2018, 2:16 pm
#50
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,808
More seat poaching - MSP - STL on MD-90.
I boarded and took my seat in row 2, after about half the plane had boarded a sharply dressed gentleman came and took 1D (1C was already seated). FA asked him for PDB and he said he is fine with water.
Fast forward about 10 mins - boarding is complete and we are waiting for the door to close and in walks a lady who looks at 1D with a puzzled look and then talks to FA in the galley.
FA comes over and asks gentleman in 1D for his boarding pass and he acts disoriented, has trouble checking his pockets and then goes thru his carry on personal item which he still had by his feet but couldn't produce a BP
FA - "Do you remember your seat number?"
Gentleman - "I think row 28"
Mini eye roll from the lady and FA...his bags were over row 2 and FA was kind enough to allow him to keep his bags there.
I suspect he is a frequent flyer because very often delta keeps 1A and 1D open and he knew poaching those might be successful
I boarded and took my seat in row 2, after about half the plane had boarded a sharply dressed gentleman came and took 1D (1C was already seated). FA asked him for PDB and he said he is fine with water.
Fast forward about 10 mins - boarding is complete and we are waiting for the door to close and in walks a lady who looks at 1D with a puzzled look and then talks to FA in the galley.
FA comes over and asks gentleman in 1D for his boarding pass and he acts disoriented, has trouble checking his pockets and then goes thru his carry on personal item which he still had by his feet but couldn't produce a BP
FA - "Do you remember your seat number?"
Gentleman - "I think row 28"
Mini eye roll from the lady and FA...his bags were over row 2 and FA was kind enough to allow him to keep his bags there.
I suspect he is a frequent flyer because very often delta keeps 1A and 1D open and he knew poaching those might be successful
Apr 16, 2018, 4:09 pm
#51
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Home
Posts: 469
There was bin space available over row 2. All other pax were already seated - few with only carry-on item by their feet and lady's bags got into bins as well.
Apr 16, 2018, 4:21 pm
#52
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Back in Reds Country (DAY/CVG). Previously: SEA & SAT.
Programs: DL PM 1MM, AA PLAT, UA Silver, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 10,356
My guess is the FA made a judgment call in that if all passengers who were in FC were now in their seats and all their carryons has been accommodated in the OH bin, that there was no point in chancing the seat poacher dragging his bag back to Y only to spend more time trying to find space for it or waste time having to gate check it. While the outcome is perhaps frustrating in that the seat poacher still somewhat “won” in their abuse of the system,, I can understand the FA’s logic in just telling the seat poacher to leave their bag for the greater good at that point.
Apr 16, 2018, 4:57 pm
#53
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MEM
Programs: Starbucks Green Card
Posts: 5,431
There are a lot of people who would rather have the plane delayed 10 minutes than to let a scofflaw get away with such a crime against humanity.
Apr 18, 2018, 9:09 pm
#54
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Somewhere
Programs: Delta Plat
Posts: 3,363
I was on a SDQ JFK flight this evning, GA in SDQ boarded plane and said over the loudspeaker that swapping seats was against dominican republic aviation regulations and that no one should change or move seats . Probably BS as its the first time I heard that there, but then again its the DR.
Apr 19, 2018, 2:38 pm
#56
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: DL PM, 1MM, DL SC, Kimpton Inner Circle
Posts: 2,416
Apr 19, 2018, 9:44 pm
#57
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: NYC and SFO
Programs: UA 1MM (former 1K, Delta Platinum))
Posts: 1,244
My neighbor this morning was forced out of his original seat (aisle on the outside two, transcon 767) by a large passenger whose armrest wouldn't go down, who intruded well into his seat space.
Last edited by Syzygies; Apr 20, 2018 at 4:12 am
Apr 19, 2018, 10:47 pm
#58
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MEM
Programs: Starbucks Green Card
Posts: 5,431
So what's your plan to "disabuse them of this notion"???
Apr 20, 2018, 6:54 am
#59
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,201
Flight attendants should inform Fatso they either pay for an additional seat or deplane. After the first time, they would stop taking advantage.
Apr 20, 2018, 7:10 am
#60
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DTW
Programs: DL 2MM, Marriott LTT, Hilton Gold, United Silver
Posts: 223
A few times, when my wife and I are traveling together and both got the gate upgrade (happened only when at least one of us was PM or DM), the seats are always separated and usually two window seats. Not a big deal - we've been married 25 years and can tolerate being a few meters apart for a couple of hours - we just take the assigned seats and have never asked to switch with anyone. However, more than once, the person in the aisle seat by one of us voluntarily offered to switch seats so we could sit together. Nice gesture that we appreciated. (We did accept the offer - hate to appear ungrateful.)