goingnow

Edited.

AS Flyer

Why do some people have such a hard time doing something nice just because, without feeling like they should get something in return? If your daughter was opposed to sitting in another coach seat then she shouldn't have made the switch. Perhaps your daughter did it to be nice and didn't expect an upgrade in return. Where do you suppose she learned to act that way?

gottigotti

its not worth a letter unless your daughter has elite status and was entitled to sent in FC. FA's are not authorized to give upgrades while in the air.

semiretired

I have changed seats a number of times in order to make someone else's trip smoother, but I ALWAYS ask where I'm being moved to before agreeing to do so, and on a recent occasion declined to move because of the seat exchange offered.

buck hunter

I have switched once or twice, but only after I know where I would be going. Oh, and the FA in the air do have authority to upgrade as I have seen it happen..maybe did not have the authority - but did it. (The Pax had assisted the FA with an ill person onboard).

crimguy1976

She certainly didn't learn it from her mother!! Happy New Year..



[This message has been edited by crimguy1976 (edited Jan 02, 2004).]

slippahs

Ouch

Good deeds don't go unrewarded.

goingnow

Edited.

AS Flyer

I'm sorry goingnow, you're last statement pretty much seemed to sum up the whole situation. You briefly mentioned that the F/A made your daughter feel stupid for asking for a better seat. What exactly did the F/A say to make her feel this way? You never mentioned. If the F/A was rude or insulting then that is a whole different issue. Basically, it seems that your daughter did something nice when asked and now you are mad because they didn't "reward" her by moving her to F/C instead of giving her a seat at the back of the airplane. Your daughter should have asked where she was going to move before agreeing.

parra

Just because someone has a small child it does not entitle them to elite seating. If the mother of the child wanted to sit with her child she should have requested seating when making her reservation. If at the time of reservation two seats were not available then she should have tried different flights or a different carrier, or not been such a retard and learned to use online checkin like everyone else.

asnovici

It was very nice of your daughter to switch seats, however she did not HAVE to do it. As other mentioned here, she should have asked where she was being moved to, and if she did not like the new seat assignment, she should have refused to switch seats.
As to "she paid way too much for a ticket"....well, I think these terms are relative. Also, if your daughter is not Elite with NW or CO (or Platinum Elite with KLM), there should not be an expectation that she would be upgraded for switching seats when she did not have to. Just my 2 cents

santo

In general, I put some good effort to choose my seat in advance, either buying online, or thro the elite line, checking in 36 hrs in advance or simply requesting it at the gate. Many times,I have got requests for a seat-exchange, I have agreed on some occasions, and politely said 'no' on other occasions, depending upon the situation. You do not have to blindly agree for a seat exchange, you could always ask for the seat being offered.

If I had grabbed a front row seat for the physically challenged/ seats with bassinets and the request come from a person truly deserving that seat, I have always agreed. On one occasion, while seated on a seat 5C on a 319, just before landing, the FA came and asked me whether I could exchange my seat for a lady sitting in the back, who had a tight connection, and was on her way to see her father who was involved in a tragic accident, which I agreed without any further discussion. On my way out, at the aircraft door, the FA gave me some amenity coupons worth 4000 miles!

At the same time, I have refused to give my front row seats for some pair who simply want to sit together, but didn't make any effort until they got onboard,and also have heard some rude comments for that!!

Reg. the original post, I don't think the FAs are authorised to make any upgrades onboard, which has to be done at the gate. it is a different story though that they do it for their airlines colleagues, esp. pilots and at times collude with the gate agents to facilitate this, wherrby leaving the First calss seats open without upgrading the elites on the waitlist and then pull up their friends to FC!

Alpha Golf

I've usually switched when asked, but have declined when the alternative seat was much worse. I always ask what I'm getting first.

The exception was once on Horizon when they told me (and a pilot in uniform) I had to switch to accomodate a family. I asked for the open window exit seat, which they told me I couldn't take -- then gave it to the pilot. I was pretty miffed.

And F/As can upgrade -- or do anyway. I was on BWI-MSP on Wednesday, and they upgraded a number of soldiers on home leave from Iraq. A very nice gesture IMO.

goingnow

chalk it up as a learning experience.

bou hunter

It's too bad there are idiots who will book a flight with a small child and not take the necessary steps to make sure ahead of time they'll be together......