Zorak

I'm sitting in 1C on a 75S, 2B is standing in the aisle trying to broker a swap between 2A and his buddy further back in the cabin but 2A is with 1A/B/D and they want to remain close together.

I prefer a window anyway, and take the risk of intruding (OMGeavesdropper evil blah blah blah) to see what's on offer: 4A. So I move there, the family gets all of row 1, the buddies get 2A/B, and I get my window, so all 5 people involved are happier (exchanged small talk with 4B who doesn't seem to care either way).

​​Amazing what can happen when people aren't antisocial and don't mind "impositions"

Lomapaseo

Try swapping meals with them and see how that goes

sethb

Nonrevs get seat assignments before being allowed to board. (Clearing them to board is assigning a seat.)

defrosted

I get an at the gate upgrade to C+, the dreaded "hope it isn't a middle seat" ticket prints out upon scanning my boarding pass. Luckily MD-88 so less chance of a middle.

Anyway I arrive at my newly assigned seat. A young lady is already sitting there trying to ignore everyone and had the giant headphones on. I am trying to ask her if that is her seat, when she finally acknowledges me, she looks at my slip and says yep, that's my seat and looks super annoyed I bothered her. So as I have already held up the line, and dread swimming upstream I head for the FA in the back. I tell him my story. He swims upstream and tells me he will motion for me after resolving the issue. A few moments later he holds up the line and motions for me to come forward. As I get close he tells me nobody is in my seat. Then I see her in Main cabin about 4 rows back, purposely not looking in my direction.

It could have been an honest mistake, but who knows. I just hate the FA was annoyed with me because she didn't want to bother to check her boarding pass while I was standing right there.

Flyinlion1000

rucksack

charlesdemar

Agreed, my Bose means no's. Never been bothered with those on - hit my head before my butt hits the seat.

ethernal

Is this other passengers or is it gate agents/FAs? Two different problems that have different solutions.

RRDD

I usually buy BE tickets, I usually fly alone and I'm usually in the air less than 2 hours; thus I really don't really care where I sit. I trade any time I'm asked.

3Cforme

Being asked by whom? I don't think a Delta/Northwest FA or GA has asked me to switch seats three times in over 1,500 flights.

estedman

Pretty sure OP is is talking about other passengers asking him to switch.

ethernal

Yes.. in my experience they just move you without being asked.

Hasn't happened much to me lately but I was on a streak for a while where I got moved 7-8 times over the course of a few months without consultation.

gooselee

I don't mind if asked politely and being asked to trade like-for-like. Have an upcoming flight with Mrs. Lee where her ticket was booked much later, and there weren't two seats together anymore. So, I'll be asking 25C if they'd be okay trading for my 24C. Same aisle, one row up, and they can recline into me all they'd like. If they say no, then I guess we'll try 24A for 25A, or we'll just fly apart.

But I'd much rather have someone ask me than just show up and have them all settled into my seat because they wanted to be with their spouse, friend, coworker, emotional support rabbit, whatever, and then point me to their middle seat 75 rows back.

Flyinlion1000

Flyinlion1000