Advice on avoiding being a seat-saving jerk?
#76
Formerly known as billinaz
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Goodyear,AZ for now then FL Spacecoast
Programs: US Airways Dividend Miles, American AAdvantage, Avis Preferred, Budget Rapid Rez, Hilton Honors
Posts: 1,145
[QUOTE=Allan38103;28325443]
Well, then maybe I should solicit for some more posters who do care.............
Well in the context that I spent the extra time and money to get a better chance at a bulkhead row and this guy was trying to reserve a seat to get it without all of that puts his actions into more of the jerk territory.......
Well in the context that I spent the extra time and money to get a better chance at a bulkhead row and this guy was trying to reserve a seat to get it without all of that puts his actions into more of the jerk territory.......
#77
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: none
Posts: 1,668
[QUOTE=SpaceCoastBill;28325832]
Well, then maybe I should solicit for some more posters who do care.............
Well in the context that I spent the extra time and money to get a better chance at a bulkhead row and this guy was trying to reserve a seat to get it without all of that puts his actions into more of the jerk territory.......
To clarify, it shouldn't matter to anyone else why or how you purchased your ticket. You shouldn't feel like you have anything to explain.
Well, then maybe I should solicit for some more posters who do care.............
Well in the context that I spent the extra time and money to get a better chance at a bulkhead row and this guy was trying to reserve a seat to get it without all of that puts his actions into more of the jerk territory.......
To clarify, it shouldn't matter to anyone else why or how you purchased your ticket. You shouldn't feel like you have anything to explain.
#78
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MCO
Programs: Hilton Diamond, AA PP
Posts: 541
For some reason--even though I had booked three months out and bought EB--I ended up with a B25 the other day out of PHX. Between the pre-boards (all of whom were miraculously cured during the flight) and some families, by the time I got on there was one aisle seat left, and a guy said he was saving it for his wife. I asked if she were already on the plane and in the lav, and he said no. I sat down. He was very upset. About 30 pax later she showed up and they ended up moving. Not my monkey, not my zoo.
#79
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: BWI
Programs: Marriott LTT, WN A, Hertz PC
Posts: 575
by the time I got on there was one aisle seat left, and a guy said he was saving it for his wife. I asked if she were already on the plane and in the lav, and he said no. I sat down. He was very upset. About 30 pax later she showed up and they ended up moving. Not my monkey, not my zoo.
#80
Join Date: May 2002
Location: St Louis, MO
Programs: AA L.T. PLT
Posts: 3,281
#81
Formerly known as billinaz
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Goodyear,AZ for now then FL Spacecoast
Programs: US Airways Dividend Miles, American AAdvantage, Avis Preferred, Budget Rapid Rez, Hilton Honors
Posts: 1,145
For some reason--even though I had booked three months out and bought EB--I ended up with a B25 the other day out of PHX. Between the pre-boards (all of whom were miraculously cured during the flight) and some families, by the time I got on there was one aisle seat left, and a guy said he was saving it for his wife. I asked if she were already on the plane and in the lav, and he said no. I sat down. He was very upset. About 30 pax later she showed up and they ended up moving. Not my monkey, not my zoo.
#82
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, MLife Gold, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Caesars Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,942
I don't mind seat savers for a single companion. It's the row hoarders that bug me. Once a guy was saving two rows. My kids would've been scattered all over the plane if we hadn't just sat in his "saved" extra row. When his friends boarded, he and they were peeved at me. But that's the luck of the draw. I do think FA should remind people to be reasonable. Saving a seat should be tolerated. Mouthing off to a family who sits in your saved row bc otherwise kids scattered everywhere should not be tolerated by FA.
#83
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 1,868
I'm a jerk who attempts to save an exit row seat. Hopefully there's a row with the window taken, but regardless, I take the aisle and put my jacket in the middle seat. In an empty row, I pray a solo passenger asks for the window quickly, it makes my task easier. If asked, I say the seat is saved for my SO. If pressed, I remove the jacket and allow them to sit - I know I frown but I don't say anything. Then my (significantly larger than me) SO arrives, he takes my seat, and I grab a window (my actual preference) in a nearby row. I take a bit of joy knowing they aren't nearly as happy with that middle seat as I would have been.
It is rare that it comes to that - even in an exit row, middle seats aren't that desirable. We check him in as close to T-24 as possible and he's always onboard with time for me to grab a window seat.
I don't feel too jerklike about it, but it appears I am. I don't have any real intentions of changing the plan.
It is rare that it comes to that - even in an exit row, middle seats aren't that desirable. We check him in as close to T-24 as possible and he's always onboard with time for me to grab a window seat.
I don't feel too jerklike about it, but it appears I am. I don't have any real intentions of changing the plan.
Last edited by synergistic; May 18, 2017 at 8:30 pm
#84
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,624
That's approximately the edge of reasonableness. The people who won't yield the seat are the transgressors, IMHO. You are complying with common sense that if that seat is important to the person who gets there before the companion, it should be first come first seated.
#85
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Traveling the World
Posts: 6,072
Just board with the higher bording card and tell the gate agent you want to sit together and not reserve an open seat. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness or you could ask if your companon can board early with you so as to sit together.
#87
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 921
I'm a jerk who attempts to save an exit row seat. Hopefully there's a row with the window taken, but regardless, I take the aisle and put my jacket in the middle seat. In an empty row, I pray a solo passenger asks for the window quickly, it makes my task easier. If asked, I say the seat is saved for my SO. If pressed, I remove the jacket and allow them to sit - I know I frown but I don't say anything. Then my (significantly larger than me) SO arrives, he takes my seat, and I grab a window (my actual preference) in a nearby row. I take a bit of joy knowing they aren't nearly as happy with that middle seat as I would have been.
It is rare that it comes to that - even in an exit row, middle seats aren't that desirable. We check him in as close to T-24 as possible and he's always onboard with time for me to grab a window seat.
I don't feel too jerklike about it, but it appears I am. I don't have any real intentions of changing the plan.
It is rare that it comes to that - even in an exit row, middle seats aren't that desirable. We check him in as close to T-24 as possible and he's always onboard with time for me to grab a window seat.
I don't feel too jerklike about it, but it appears I am. I don't have any real intentions of changing the plan.
#88
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 1,868
I feel silly - is that an option? I'm A-List and as such get much better boarding position than him. If I'd thought we could trade boarding passes, we'd have been doing so all along. He would definitely have fewer people ask for the middle seat than I... The idea of us trading passes had literally never occurred to me, as it's tied to my name. Is that something a gate agent can process for us?
Obviously, we'd prefer to sit together, but him ending up with extra legroom is the priority for us. I try to make both happen but don't force the issue - either way he gets his preferred seat and I get something that works for me. Most of the time I end up getting to sleep on his shoulder, but occasionally I end up leaning against a window instead.
Obviously, we'd prefer to sit together, but him ending up with extra legroom is the priority for us. I try to make both happen but don't force the issue - either way he gets his preferred seat and I get something that works for me. Most of the time I end up getting to sleep on his shoulder, but occasionally I end up leaning against a window instead.
#89
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: Southwest RR, DL SkyMiles, AAdvantage
Posts: 130
I feel silly - is that an option? I'm A-List and as such get much better boarding position than him. If I'd thought we could trade boarding passes, we'd have been doing so all along. He would definitely have fewer people ask for the middle seat than I... The idea of us trading passes had literally never occurred to me, as it's tied to my name. Is that something a gate agent can process for us?
Obviously, we'd prefer to sit together, but him ending up with extra legroom is the priority for us. I try to make both happen but don't force the issue - either way he gets his preferred seat and I get something that works for me. Most of the time I end up getting to sleep on his shoulder, but occasionally I end up leaning against a window instead.
Obviously, we'd prefer to sit together, but him ending up with extra legroom is the priority for us. I try to make both happen but don't force the issue - either way he gets his preferred seat and I get something that works for me. Most of the time I end up getting to sleep on his shoulder, but occasionally I end up leaning against a window instead.