Since you're such a giver, let's apply your generosity a little differently. Let's say you're on a non-stop cross-country trip. Knowing that WN only provides modest snacks and beverage service, you plan ahead and pack a lunch. Along comes the family of four who have made no provisions to feed themselves or their hungry little rugrats. Do you feel obligated to share your lunch since this family didn't have the foresight to bring lunch on-board? At what point should people be held responsible for their lack of planning?

While you're at it, could you be a little courteous and make my car payment this month? Thanks for the luv.

I'm not saying anyone is obligated to move seats, etc. But karma and courtesy go a long way as tumustbjokim pointed out.

Yes, if the kids were really that hungry, I would share. I've seen others offer their food to other passengers on quite a few occasions. Are they required to? Absolutely not.

Sounds like there are a lot of frequent flyers on this board with no children.

Karma is an irrational religious belief in some kind of universal providence. Helping someone out or not has no bearing on future events and there is no evidence that actions are judged by the universe and justly rewarded.

It is not discourteous to turn down requests from people. It is more discourteous to get angry with someone who refuses to comply with your request, particularly when that someone is well within their rights according to the rules. Each situation is different and it is up to the requestee, not the requestor, to decide.

If it is no skin of my nose, I may do it. But I am not an a-hole for declining to do so either.

Excatly!

Hey, if the seat saver wants to give me 10 bucks out of his wallet to cover my EBCI costs, or pay me the diff between my BS ticket and his WGA, I will do it.

Irrational it may be - call it "pay it forward" if you like. All I know is, while I can convince myself I feel better when I demand all that I believe is due me(e.g. the seat someone is saving for their SO), I actually do feel better when I do something that benefits someone else. Self-fulfilling karma?

On a somewhat unrelated note - there was an observational study done to see how long it takes to pull out of a parking place when someone is waiting for that spot versus no one waiting. On average, people took significantly longer when someone was waiting. I find that a little scary. :p

I have absolutely no problem with this bartering approach at all.

I feel better when I belive in Unicorns..feeling better doesn't legitimize magical thinking.

I think the main philosophical difference on this issue is directly related to rate of travel.

If you are the kind of flyer who is in the air at least 2 times per week (especially two times a week on WN with open seating) who is nearly always solo, you get sick of this seat-saving/seat swapping bs very very quickly. As well as everything else like TSA, Kettles, cornball FA jokes, lines etc. As such, your patience is likely long since run out.

If you are the sort who flies less, maybe a few times a month or even as little as a few times a year, tolerance for this is greater. It's not a weekly battle you have to fight and your courtesy is in greater supply.

If I were a selfless saint, I may be able to be constantly seat poached or cheated out of my higher value benefits with a smile. I could allow myself to be constantly taken advantage of, with a smile. But I am not and I can't.

Sure, special situations arise, but they had better be damn special.

^ :)

^
So, this past week, I had the most unlikely scenario . . .
Paid for EBCI and boarded with A 20, and A 21 for my daughter.
Lo and behold, there in the bulklhead aisle seat was the SAME MAN who had saved the whole row of seats on my other flight that had prompted the start of this thread.
This SAME MAN, who had previously been booted off the previous flight by the FA for cursing, is now seated in the aisle seat, once again saving the ENTIRE ROW, with his random personal belongings spread across two seats. Except, this time, he also was saving the other aisle bulkhead seat as well. That's THREE saved seats. (the other two bulkhead seats were taken.)

As this was a continuing flight, most of the front cabin was already full.
So, we moved into the bulkhead row. This time, he grumbled to himself and moved his stuff to the third saved seat.
Once again, his wife boarded with the C group, but since all his personal stuff was now piled high on the bulkhead aisle seat across from him, she was able to just sit.
Yeah, I am sick of the seat saving nonsense.

There are airlines with assigned seating. @:-)

Flying MHT-MDW-TUS-MDW-MHT in a few weeks w/ wife and daughter. I'm AL but wife is on CP and daughter on an old std award so no opp for EBCI.

So does everyone agree I should save the exit row? :D

Honestly, I have my doubts even if I'm vigilant w/ T-24 for them that we'll even be able to sit together.

Guess that's just one more reason why I haven't flown a WN flight since April and RR2.0. I think the new 2.0 did me a favor and this will be an excellent reminder why I'm preferring and really enjoying my UACO Gold/1p status and soon to be Platinum/1k (even if it sticks me with a fair # of WN replacement flights on US as mere *G)

I board early, sit close to the front, no exit or bulkhead, and save the middle seat by placing a single item of importance in it. I have taken the last 20-25 flights this way, almost half sold out and completely full. The seat is reserved to no later boarding passenger. Oh, people ask and I have to nicely tell them to move along that the seat is reserved. One man grumbled that it is WN and one can not reserve seats.

http://www.southwest.com/images/trav...t_reserved.gif

:p

I do not understand. You could EBCI both the CP and the standard award ticket. I did when my family and I took a trip to Vegas.

Exactly, and those people that want to save seats, should fly one of those ailrines that reserve seats so they can sit together.

I honestly don't understand why people make a huge deal if they can't sit together for a few hours. I understand a parent needing to sit with a small child.