Why would SQ put a stranger between us with multiple other seats available?
 

Flying SQ economy soon. Looked at a seatmap and saw a less-than-full cabin.

Reserved the aisle and window seats in very normal seats (no extra legroom, not up front, nothing special), leaving the middle seat empty.

Checked yesterday and I now see the middle seat filled by a stranger, even though there are a number of other aisle, middle, and window seats available (but no two side by side that we could move to).

The call center refused to consider either contacting the other traveler or manually changing their seat assignment.

I understand I don't have a right to an empty seat between us, but I do have Star Alliance Gold status and it seems very odd that Singapore Air would place someone between us when many better seats are available.

It will certainly keep me from booking SQ again for quite a long time, if ever.

Your thoughts on why they would intentionally punish the other traveler and simultaneously irritate a frequent flyer?

Perhaps the traveler chose the seat (no idea why they would) but not sure why you think it was some sinister act by SQ. And, since you (rightly so) didn't expect to be guaranteed the middle seat anyway, hardly seems like a good reason to write off airline completely...

It seems unlikely that SQ would do that. I suspect the seat between you was chosen by the passenger or their travel agent, perhaps by mistake.

I dun think SQ will allocate seats before Checkin open. SQ does block some seats though.

That pax maybe dun like aisle or windows or maybe he/she dun like other parts of airplane. Each person have their own preference. Or maybe there is 2 paxes traveling together and since no more double seats, they just choose 2 seats which might be close. The other pax might be sitting in front or behind.

And since you purposely keep one seat, you need to expect it will be fill up esp if the flight is in Dec.

Don't want to be mean but I find it a bit funny looking at this line. As far as I know, SQ will not changing seat assignment other than aircraft swapping or sudden upgrade on overbooked flight. I would say stay calm for now and check the seat map few days before your flight, there might be more seats opening up and you might find a better seats for you. You really shouldn't be mad at something that isn't yours to begin with.
Hope you have a great flight ahead.

OP chose the window and aisle seats. If he wanted to be seated with his companion, he should have chosen adjoining seats, e.g. one of them in the middle or perhaps one of them just across the aisle.

Perhaps the other passenger will be quite happy to swap with you and take the aisle, so that you can be seated with your travel companion.

Don’t blame SQ for this at all. I have heard of some singles picking these idle seats on purpose hoping that 1] they will strike up an interesting conversation or 2] they luckily end up between two people traveling together who will relent and give one of their aisles to this poor chap.

Exactly. This is the risk of electing to picking window aisle and leaving middle empty.

That's a selfish attitude!
Why didn't you choose better seats originally if you're gold?

Just ask at check in. If you are *G they usually accommodate you unless the passenger himself booked that particular seat. Is it an exit row or a bulkhead or an extra leg space kind of a seat?

There was likely no actual human consideration on the assignment of that traveller to that seat, but ultimately it doesn't matter. Change seats, you have no recourse

Writing off an airline on the basis that someone else selected a middle seat is frankly speaking, a bit ridiculous. OP - if this feels so traumatic, just select another pair of seats.

I'm sorry, I didn't quite understand the issue? Did you pay for all three seats and thus expect to have access to all three seats?

Except that there are about 12 aisles already available--many with the middle seat occupied and many without. If it's a poor chap, it's only because they didn't look at the rest of the seatmap.

You don't understand the issue or you don't consider it to be one? Nevermind--I'm sure we all got your message.