Seat Squatters WIn on DL1943 last night
 

On Saturday night two-seat squatters won and the FA said for the sake of the plane not leaving any later asked 10C to sit in a middle seat.

10C was the last to board because he made a fuss about the overhead bins being full and even had to have a conversation with the capt at the door. But that's another story and I don't have all the details.

I was 10A a woman and her daughter sat in 10B and 10C with an infant in arms. I don't check boarding passes so I thought it was their seats until mister 10C was done arguing about his bag and came on board and realized 33A and 33B (Basic economy) sat in 10B and 10C. When he complained the flight attendant told him he had to deal with the GA who he was dealing with regarding the bag issue, she was rather rude about it saying I don't want to hear it deal with the GA. GA came on board and he was confused about why 33A and 33B were in 10B and 10C. Finally, the lead FA just said please sit there because we are already late making 10C sit in I believe 13B or 14B couldn't really see didn't want to make my head turn too obvious. Lead FA told 33A and 33B that what they did was unacceptable but didn't make them move because the flight was already delayed. The lady plaid dumb but I heard her tell her daughter in Spanish to do just that "play dumb they won't move you"

Even with the flight late, I think the FA should have made the move. Instead of just telling them what they did was wrong. I know I would have made a fuss, having paid for C+ selecting 10c and two Basic Economies seat squatting and winning.

10C should have rather bluffed and asked to be offloaded from the flight. That would have sure delayed more.

And what was the flight leader doing all this time? It was his/her responsibility to move these seat squatters back to their assigned/paid for seats. And that is a scheduled 4h 2m flight! Disgraceful IMHO!

I’m really torn on this one. Mr. 10C sounds like he belongs to Club DYKWIA, but I also think it’s annoying when passengers think the seat on their ticket is just a suggestion and/or don’t work it out directly with the passenger actually assigned to that seat.

He was a bit of a DYKWIA but at the same time he paid for 10C and the bins above row 10 do say exclusively for comfort +, which isn't enforced.

I felt bad for his seat more than him having to check his carry-on.

Enforced or not, there's no guarantee of overhead space availability in C+. Even if you board last in F you could be out of luck. But seems like he really picked the wrong battle. :shrug:

So a much better way to deal with this is just to send Delta an email asking for a refund if you paid for the comfort seat. explain that you paid for the seat and you now understand that apparently all you had to do was sit there. You won’t get a refund, you will get a few miles thrown at you and the flight attendant will be told that this can’t happen again

Yep, international flight, so bags would have to be pulled.

Hopefully DL believes the OP's letter/complaint. One problem with this is that OP's boarding pass was scanned as 10C at the gate. The seat swap happened onboard and was done "off the books" by the FA. Unfortunately, as far as DL's records are concerned, OP flew in 10C and there's nothing other than the OP's story to say otherwise. I hope this isn't an issue and DL takes OP's word for it. If this ever happens to me, I'd be either requesting the FA to issue some form of compensation on the spot or I'd be requesting a hand-written letter from the FA with their name on it to help collaborate the story.

So much hate in the world…that a woman would think it is okay to do whatever she wants, and then the FA basically ignores then ignores the request of 10C.

had it been me (10C) we wouldn’t have left until I had my seat plain and simple. Somehow the FA tried to make that person out as the bad guy. Jesus! So 10C needs to report all of this and seek restitution and this whole thing has nothing to do with DYKWIA

I get the feeling that 10C had already used up all of his "customer service assistance" with his first argument. I am not saying right or wrong, just looking at the practicalities. And maybe 10C wasn't i a posiiton to wait for the next flight.

Even if the 10C guy was arguing about overhead bin space, he was 100% justified and deserved to push for and get the seat he paid for and chose. Those other two from basic econ seats were sitting in Comfort+ seats and did not pay for them. They should've been moved back to their original seats. Bad on the FA for allowing that.

I would have moved and spread out in 33A/B and then submit a complaint to Delta requesting compensation. Having a boarding pass defeats the purpose of both the GA and FA not enforcing the assigned seats, not to mention allowing poachers to sit in a "upgraded cabin" without recourse. Both need retraining.

There is a lot of seat movement within economy cabin than some people realize. Some of the moves are legit, and legally required (eg. kids in emergency row, seat disabled) and some not (malfunctioning entertainment system/power port, separated from family/party). True, flight attendants have access of seat and associated names, but policing every situations is near impossibility without the help of its passengers'. Luckily, many people know and stay within their economy seat cabin but we all have to stay alert. Also keep in mind that some seating assignment are made for weight and balance reasons for take-off. I do think it's ok to move to a different open areas within the same cabin, after take off is completed.

(I think United's enforcement is much more strict than Delta.....)

Jiburi

Agree 10C, whether he used up his goodwill or not in the earlier argument, would have been justified in demanding his sitting in the seat for which he paid.
When airlines started charging for seat assignments within the same 'cabin' like this, they opened a can of worms, and they need to deal with the attendant consequences.

If Delta is going to offer basic economy, the full-paying customer should never bear the burden. This goes for people flying with kids with basic economy. Delta should find a solution that benefits whoever moves or that is an equal move for that person. It isn't a full paying passenger's obligation to "be nice" to the parent. Delta created the problem with its offerings and should fix the problem, not the passenger. Even if the passenger was being unreasonable about another issue.

seat squatters
 

Simple problem to solve. Tell them they have to move back to their assigned seats. If they refuse remove them from the flight, place on the no fly list, and sue them civilly for any additional delays. About time the airlines developed a spine.

10C paid for C+, and was seated in C+. Seat changes happen all the time due to various issues, especially in row 10.
Now the fact that this was due to seat squatting means something. But not even sure if 10C knew they were squatters or if he just figured a family needed to be accommodated.

It doesn't matter that he got the same class, it is the fact that he didn't get the seat he paid for (or something equivalent in comfort). People understand that they may get moved for unusual circumstances, but nobody should be moved to a worse seat to accommodate two people who weren't willing to be pay to be seated together in the first place.

I am particularly sensitive about this after another airline gave away my premium seat when I had to go to the back to find overhead space, and wouldn't address it because they wanted to take off. I expect better from Delta. It's pretty simple - people should be required to sit in their assigned seat unless another passenger agrees to swap (without undue awkward social pressure from the crew, which I have also seen and isn't a good way to treat customers).

He knew they were squatters they showed him their tickets 3 in total (33A, 33B and INF) they tried to just show him the INF one only at first but he was smart enough to know what INF stood for and said that was for the baby.

If a jerk, provided he didn't break any rules, paid for a certain seat, the jerk should get that seat.

If this were a CLT-ATL flight, I'd tolerate it. But JFK-SDQ? No way.

Nothing gets me more annoyed than these seat poacher posts - the customer should have just stood in the aisle and refused to move until these poachers were sent back to their original seats. If he agreed to sit in the middle, at that point they only had themselves to blame - and insisting they have overhead space reserved for Y+ if that is a feature of the product, does not make them a DYKWIA - in fact, the crew should have asked everyone in the Y+ cabin to confirm their bags, and just pulled down the ones not identified and gate checked all of them.

I can't speak for the OP, but honestly if I was in 10A, I would have started screaming at them to get out. This crap really kicks off my temper.

:rolleyes:
why on earth would you insert yourself into someone else's argument about a third party occupying their seat(s)? once you start down that road, you're equally -- if not more -- likely to be asked to deplane along with them

and just sayin' ... that would probably get you more annoyed than these posts

I only fly with carry-on (= if I can't make this work I won't fly). After reading this thread, especially for INTERNATIONAL flights, I'd now consider checking a "throw-a-away" bag which contains only "my lucky paper-clip", if I'm in the predicament noted in this tread, if I'm not seated in my purchased cabin (especially if a seat thief is occupying my seat), I can always say "I'm not flying" causing DL to retrieve my checked luggage, guaranteeing a flight delay.:rolleyes::p:mad:--some or all of these.
On an AA flight from JFK ro CDG several years ago a woman (who wanted to sit in a bulkhead Y seat) feined that she felt ill and needed extra leg room, when a FA heard this, EMT personell were called to check her health--90 minutes later after threats of deplaning the woman permenantly--she was allowed to reboard (to join her husband and son) to a round of BOOS--AA had no qualms of delaying the flight.:confused: [PS: on the PA the FAs kept pax informed of the soap opera in progress.]

Because I don't like to see someone getting short changed by the unacceptable behavior of others - and I've injected myself into disputes before over the years, all without being asked to deplane. I've had at least a dozen first class poachers identified to the crew and thrown out over the years. There is right and wrong, and these seat poachers need to be thrown off the flight, not asked to take their original seats.

my reaction was more about "start screaming at them" ... I agree that it's a PITA to see it happening uncontested, but how far does one push when the FA is unwilling to engage and resolve the issue properly?

I was unaware there was a domestic/international distinction in pulling bags from planes when someone doesn't board or gets offloaded.

So if it were a domestic flight and he were offloaded would there be a good chance his bag flies without him, but if it's an international flight they CAN'T fly your bag without you? And is that only a rule for international flights from USA? It would be good to know this stuff in case I'm ever in that situation of daring a flight attendant to offload me from a domestic or international flight because I stand up to a poacher.

Thanks.

Depends on the circumstances, but my context was my sitting in the row in question, beside them, and would have no qualms yelling "Get out!" right at them, but if I was sitting somewhere else, I would not be yelling from a distance. When getting first class poachers evicted, I just pointed them out to the FA, not getting directly involved, and not one was allowed to remain. I've had poachers in my own seat a couple times over the years where I had to yell "get out!" when they ignored the FA, and that seemed to do the trick, and on one occasion I had someone try to sit in an extra/empty seat that I paid for, so I quickly slid over and physically blocked them from getting into the row. I just don't accept this kind of nonsense.

I also don't doubt that FA's can be swayed in their decisions by the chants of the peanut gallery.

I took pictures. I told Delta I had them, they didn’t ask to see them but I did get miles thrown at me

I have had my bags fly separately from me many times on international flights with VDB vouchers bumping me to the next flight.

For int’l travel you’re not supposed to be voluntarily separated from your bags. It can still happen involuntarily because you misconnect or your bag misconnects.

I’m speculating here but I’m guessing this is an exception then because no one plans on a VDB when they are initially planning travel.

I would demand a new boarding pass from the GA. That would take a lot longer than getting the seat thieves moved.

Correct. After 911, Congress mandated 100% security screening for all bags. Before it was X percent could skip, but of course had positive bag matching required. After the change the feeling was positive bag matching wasn't really needed. However international flights are governed by international rules. Thus they still require bag matching, even to say Canada

Correct. In this case the passenger didn't know they were going to get bumped. As long as passenger isn't voluntarily separating (excluding VDB) the bag can fly separate from passenger.. ie my bag missed my flight JFK-AMS two years ago. I was then flying AMS-TPE-AKL. DL went ahead and sent onward to SYD (via LAX) and on VA to AKL. It got in about 30 minutes after I did. I had no clue when took off that bag wasn't onboard JFK-AMS flight.

Is there any reason the FA couldn't have waited until takeoff and seatbelt sign off to move the squatters to the seats they paid for?

No need to throw-away a bag. Just check a cardboard box. Even better, save all those Amazon boxes you've received and throw away one of those.

Better yet, if you find yourself in this situation, just claim you have a checked bag and will cause a bigger delay. I can't imagine the FAs iPhones have that info or that lying to FAs is a crime.

Interesting. what would the justification be for demanding a new boarding pass? I mean, if the FA tells you "Just sit in 13B we're taking off" and we assume they will throw you off the plane if you refuse, why would saying "I refuse unless I get a new boarding pass" change that outcome? Why wouldn't she just say "No, take 13B now or we're throwing you off the plane."

If you refuse to take your seat and the police have to drag you off the plane, can't you be charged with obstructing a flight crew or something?

Don't flight attendants have the power to move people out of ticketed seats to accommodate families or address security/safety issues or something? If the FA had dug in here and the passenger caused a major scene, couldn't the FA have defended her actions by saying "I didn't tell him to take 13B just because I'm lazy and it seemed like the easiest thing to do. I was accommodating woman with daughter and infant and there was a safety/health reason why I thought it was best to let them stay in 10C?"

Caesars Casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas have very sturdy bags, you get these when you shop in many of their retail outlets to hold your purchases.