formeraa

As one who almost always travels by himself and pays for EBCI, I am offended by people saving seats in the exit rows. As a result of getting increasingly worse seating with EBCI, I have not used WN as much as I used to.

I will use WN for short flights where it really doesn't matter. However, longer business trip are a whole different ballgame.

mymousecapades

I agree with dgparent. The least jerk way is to just board with her to avoid any potential confrontation or awkwardness. But otherwise, I think a polite attitude and explanation is generally sufficient for most people.

glg

As others have said, don't worry about it too much, just take a window that's not in the first couple of rows or an exit row and put a jacket on the middle. The militant anti-savers will say even that's wrong, just ignore them. Most of what people actually get angry about are people who board and save a whole row or more.

eg, sitting in gate for MDW-MCO about a year ago, there's 2 kids playing on a wheelchair, then his mom (20s) sits in it reading a book for a bit, when it's finally time to board, grandma (late 50s-early 60s) takes the wheelchair and pre-boards with grandpa after having been walking around the entire time. I had a high-A from T-24, so I boarded before mom and kids did at family boarding. grandma and grandpa were saving the entire row 1. Naturally, grandma had no trouble walking off the flight and to baggage claim in MCO (miracle of flight!).

That's the kind of abuse of the rules that gets people mad at pre-boarding and seat saving. Saving a middle seat? Don't worry about it.

Allan38103

She can't board with your position, but you can board with her. Problem solved.

Give her your boarding position, and you take hers. (IOW, Swap.) Problem solved.

You carry her bags to put in the overhead when you get on. Problem solved.

Sit next to any empty seat, and wait for your wife. If someone asks. "is this seat open?", say "NO, I'm waiting for my wife" If they say instead, "Is this seat saved?", you say, "YES, I'm waiting for my wife." Just give an honest answer. Problem solved.

KRSW

...and this is why I don't like flying WN. I like the rest of their operation, but unless I'm traveling alone, I want to be able to pick seats. Even then, I still want to pick the seat.

Renard

People do this all the time and don't think twice--and they don't care. I wouldn't worry about it unless a WN employee challenges you on it.

Is seat saving annoying to another passengers? To some. It's one of the many things that make WN and their kabuki dance seating annoying. One either likes how they do this or you don't.
Is seat saving denying WN revenue? In a way. One can buy their way to the front.

If it concerns you just board with your wife at her position as others have suggested.

TiberiusOnTime

How about making the seat next to you less desirable? Pack some very stinky smelling food in a Tupperware container. Once you are seated, open the container inconspicuously. Everyone will be more than happy not to sit next to you. Once your wife is seated, close the container.

Mort

A couple years ago I created a nice little "Spouse" sign with a happy face flower on it and had it laminated. I place my backpack on the middle seat and the spouse sign on top of it. Everyone seems to get a kick out of it. People have even taken photos of it, including one or two flight attendants.

I've used this method at least 40 or 50 times (my wife joins me for most of my travel) and no one has ever asked me if they could sit in the seat. But I've sure seen a lot of smiles from people walking down the aisle. I doubt that anyone feels that I'm a jerk!

BCC

That is a nice pleasant way to save a seat !! Or he can pay the $15 for early bird seat assignment, if you don't want to board with her.

Peoriaman1

I've asked before and never got an answer. What is so fascinating about sitting in the exit row? Other than the Unlimited Legroom seat of course, but if you want aisle that's a non-issue I think. Is there an extra inch of space in the exit row I haven't noticed? The way some carry on and on about them, I think some people's trips are ruined if they don't get something in the exit row.

I've sat in UL and regular exit row seats and its always funny to have all six seats filled all the way across within just moments after general boarding begins. Even on flights which aren't even close to completely full.

elsenor

While I'd normally take the hard-line, no seat saving ever stance, it's usually where the person is saving a seat that bothers me and somewhat related, how many seat savers there are. It's most easily solved with: boarding with the passenger that has the later boarding position or sit in the last few rows.

My wife and I recently flew to CAN and on the flights there and back were multiple seat savers. One person was even saving 2 seats. In the middle of the plane. On one flight, it was 3 different passengers that due to saving a seat denied us the 2 open seats in the row and continued to push us further and further to the back of the plane (wife and i were ~A50). I checked us both in 24hrs in advance with very close boarding positions; if they cared about it similarly, why didn't they do the same or pay for early boarding??

"This is not 'Nam, there are rules."

Often1

WN's seating policy is anarchy. There is no rule permitting you to save a seat and no rule prohibiting another passenger from ignoring you.

So, grab what you want, put your coat on the empty seat you want to "save" and if someone wants it and won't move on because you tell them that your wife is behind them, there is nothing you can do to prevent them from taking the seat.

I know people who deliberately sit in seats with coats on them to make a point. Sort of silly from my perspective, but as WN has no seating policy, i guess that is what they get to do.

photomikey

After about a zillion miles flown on WN, I have only seen seat-saving vitrol on this forum, and never on board. Choose a seat you like with an empty seat next to it and sit there, put all your crap in the other seat. If you want a middle-window combo, this will work just fine.

joshua362

Due to Devolve seating, the legroom for me at 5'10'' is claustrophobic and insufferable especially when the middle is taken.

The Unlimited Legroom is the best. The entire row to that right has a few more inches which make a difference. The other exit row seats are not special and are just as cramped with nothing given for the extra responsibility.

Peoriaman1

Same here. Although I admit that as a single flyer I am immune to almost all the issues that couples/families/groups go through. Seat saving is a complete non-issue to me.