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F seat giveaway!

F seat giveaway!

Old Jul 19, 2010, 10:38 am
  #1  
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F seat giveaway!

Was on a flight ATL-SLC the other night and boarded with my Y seat and after getting settled GA came and found me and told me they had an F seat available. My seatmate who was still putting his stuff in the overheads had a meltdown, yelling about the terrible day he had had, and how he felt he deserved the F seat. Fighting the urge to not reward what I felt was bad behavior (the parent in me) I offered the F seat to the man who was clearly upset. His response was, "Really? SURE!" And off he went, no thank you, or hey I appreciate that. The whole thing left me a little bemused to be honest, especially the passenger's lack of any kind of social etiquette. I have wondered in the past if I should offer my F seat to another passenger for various reasons, but I am not sure I will again.

So it got me thinking, anyone else ever offer their F seat to another passenger, what were the circumstances and/or reactions? Just curious...
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Old Jul 19, 2010, 10:45 am
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Paying it forward only works when you don't offer it to ... holes.
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Old Jul 19, 2010, 10:50 am
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A couple weeks ago I was flying from somewhere to somewhere (can't keep track anymore, but I may have been going to MEM, or FFL, or GSO). There was a very tall man in a wheel chair who was moving slowly with a cane. The FA said to him, "Your seat, 10D, is right over there, but I'm a little worried about whether your feet are going to fit because with the bulkhead, there's not a lot of room." With that, I asked the woman in 2C if she would mind sliding over and I went to 10D.

The upshot: Nobody was in 10E, so I had the row to myself, I'm short and don't need the leg room and I got all the free drinks/Twix/Bananas I could use. Plus, a woman gave me a hug because she thought it was such a nice thing to do! The man thanked me over and over on my way off the plane. (He remained seated.) He told me that he had never flown in F before and it was such a thrill.

Another time, the woman sitting next to me in F gave her seat to a soldier. He was a very nice guy on his way home from Iraq. He was supposed to be going to base for a week or so, then on to home to see his wife and daughter. They were at the airport waiting for him past security. OK, I'm crying again remembering it.
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Old Jul 19, 2010, 10:59 am
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Why in the world would you have given your seat to such a pompous jerk?
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Old Jul 19, 2010, 11:06 am
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Originally Posted by CJKatl
A couple weeks ago I was flying from somewhere to somewhere (can't keep track anymore, but I may have been going to MEM, or FFL, or GSO). There was a very tall man in a wheel chair who was moving slowly with a cane. The FA said to him, "Your seat, 10D, is right over there, but I'm a little worried about whether your feet are going to fit because with the bulkhead, there's not a lot of room." With that, I asked the woman in 2C if she would mind sliding over and I went to 10D.

The upshot: Nobody was in 10E, so I had the row to myself, I'm short and don't need the leg room and I got all the free drinks/Twix/Bananas I could use. Plus, a woman gave me a hug because she thought it was such a nice thing to do! The man thanked me over and over on my way off the plane. (He remained seated.) He told me that he had never flown in F before and it was such a thrill.

Another time, the woman sitting next to me in F gave her seat to a soldier. He was a very nice guy on his way home from Iraq. He was supposed to be going to base for a week or so, then on to home to see his wife and daughter. They were at the airport waiting for him past security. OK, I'm crying again remembering it.
^
I think it's awesome you did this for the man in the wheel chair. I'll bet he'll be talking about it to a lot of people for a long time. There's infinite value in generousity.
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Old Jul 19, 2010, 11:07 am
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
Why in the world would you have given your seat to such a pompous jerk?
My thought exactly.
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Old Jul 19, 2010, 11:16 am
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Originally Posted by SFO777
My thought exactly.
It's not exactly a short flight, either.
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Old Jul 19, 2010, 11:23 am
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The OP is Spreading Peace and Love

Originally Posted by bocastephen
Why in the world would you have given your seat to such a pompous jerk?
I certainly understand the above sentiment. If it were me, I might have handed the jerk a Skymiles brochure from the seat pocket, and said, "Read this, and learn how you can sit upfront for free." (Just like the "Hilton Honors Check-in line scene from the movie "Up in the Air.")

However, the OP's approach is admirable.

It reminds me of a flight on UL from CMB-SIN. A bunch of monks boarded, and the senior monk was seated in biz class. His businessman seatmate was having a "bad day" and crabbed at the FA. It was strange, but the businessman's negativity just rolled off of the monk, who seem to throw off this unbreakable calm and serenity.
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Old Jul 19, 2010, 11:26 am
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
Why in the world would you have given your seat to such a pompous jerk?
I got the impression he wasn't all that bad when the seat was offered, at least not initially. Nevertheless I am sure in hindsight, this certain type of hole was anything but deserving of it.

Love the story about the older gentleman. I have given my F seat to soldiers. Ashamed to admit this part but I really don't want to do it if they are assigned middle seats.
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Old Jul 19, 2010, 11:36 am
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
Why in the world would you have given your seat to such a pompous jerk?
I would have never switched seats with someone who "deserved" an upgrade because he's had a bad day. I have switched seats in the past with military personnel, given I teach on a military post and BNA-ATL is military heavy.
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Old Jul 19, 2010, 12:10 pm
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Was feeling super nice

Did not give up a F seat, but did switch from a D to a B to allow wife and kids to sit together (they had B, E, F), on a 4 hour flight. I kinda thought to myself that I am foolish, then during the flight the daughter and the lady were holding hands and I thought it was worth it. I certainly would have appreciated (but not expected) someone to do this for my family in the same situation. They said thank you and were very nice.

Seats were the exit row type "fixed" width.

When you do give up a F, do you do it before boarding? or do you wait for the soldier / person in wheelchair / other to go to their seat and then walk back to them and say "hey, you can switch with me "?
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Old Jul 19, 2010, 12:55 pm
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Originally Posted by delayedinLGA
Seats were the exit row type "fixed" width.

When you do give up a F, do you do it before boarding? or do you wait for the soldier / person in wheelchair / other to go to their seat and then walk back to them and say "hey, you can switch with me "?
I stopped a Marine going back home when he was walking by F and we swapped in the aisle.

very nice of you, OP, but i wouldn't want to reward someone having a temper tantrum with an F seat.
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Old Jul 19, 2010, 12:58 pm
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Originally Posted by delayedinLGA
When you do give up a F, do you do it before boarding? or do you wait for the soldier / person in wheelchair / other to go to their seat and then walk back to them and say "hey, you can switch with me "?
During boarding - GA's have the flexibility (but not requirement) to upgrade uniformed service members if there are seats remaining after all elites are upgraded, which wouldn't be known before boarding.
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Old Jul 19, 2010, 1:05 pm
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Originally Posted by WBurcham
Paying it forward only works when you don't offer it to ... holes.
^

Originally Posted by bocastephen
Why in the world would you have given your seat to such a pompous jerk?
Exactly. If I were you, I would've taken it myself because I earned the seat being a medallion, not him.
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Old Jul 19, 2010, 1:21 pm
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Originally Posted by icurhere2
During boarding - GA's have the flexibility (but not requirement) to upgrade uniformed service members if there are seats remaining after all elites are upgraded, which wouldn't be known before boarding.
And some (apparently in ATL) like to upgrade military before processing upgrades for Elites, and in one case, removing a paid F customer from their seat in order to give it to a military person and then trying to humiliate the F customer on board into allowing it to happen.
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