Rude Seat Swapping Stories from '10
Jan 18, 2011, 4:38 am
#61
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Ottawa
Programs: AC E (depressed former SE), Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 166
I was the jerk, apparently
Wife, son (travelling as lap child), and myself are trying to get home from EWR. Driving winds and rain that day at EWR (quelle surprise) and so we had 3 separate flights cancelled on us that day. Luckily there is an RCC in that terminal, so we had somewhere decent to spend 8 or 9 hours...
Anyways, the seats we were given for this full flight were 25F (wife) and 26F (me). We boarded first. Now, my son is quite the havoc-wreaker, so we figured that it would be best to swap with whomever was in the middle seat next to us - whichever passenger came first - 25E or 26E.
We asked 26E if he'd like 25F. Of course, he was more than happy to trade his middle seat for a window seat. The guy ticketed in 25E sits in 25E as one would expect. Case closed, right?
Another passenger comes down the aisle, looks at the new Mr 25F, and says "you're in my seat". He says "I don't think so, I just switched with them". We all show our boarding passes, and somehow, there are 2 people assigned to 25F. Confusion ensues, but hey, possession is 9/10ths of the law
Five mins later, yet another passenger comes down the aisle and looks at me in 26F and says "you're in my seat". Again, everyone whips out the boarding passes, and yet again, there are 2 people assigned to a seat - this time 26F.
So here's the odd(er) part - the GA comes on board, and states that by switching seats, even with people who had proper boarding passes, we caused this problem. And if we hadn't switched seats, then there would be room for everyone, and instead the two people with dup boarding passes weren't going to make it to Toronto that night.
Anyways, the seats we were given for this full flight were 25F (wife) and 26F (me). We boarded first. Now, my son is quite the havoc-wreaker, so we figured that it would be best to swap with whomever was in the middle seat next to us - whichever passenger came first - 25E or 26E.
We asked 26E if he'd like 25F. Of course, he was more than happy to trade his middle seat for a window seat. The guy ticketed in 25E sits in 25E as one would expect. Case closed, right?
Another passenger comes down the aisle, looks at the new Mr 25F, and says "you're in my seat". He says "I don't think so, I just switched with them". We all show our boarding passes, and somehow, there are 2 people assigned to 25F. Confusion ensues, but hey, possession is 9/10ths of the law
Five mins later, yet another passenger comes down the aisle and looks at me in 26F and says "you're in my seat". Again, everyone whips out the boarding passes, and yet again, there are 2 people assigned to a seat - this time 26F.
So here's the odd(er) part - the GA comes on board, and states that by switching seats, even with people who had proper boarding passes, we caused this problem. And if we hadn't switched seats, then there would be room for everyone, and instead the two people with dup boarding passes weren't going to make it to Toronto that night.
Jan 18, 2011, 7:03 am
#62
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Wonderful Weald of kent
Programs: BAEC Bronze
Posts: 989
^^^ Sounds a bit Irish there!!
The airline had double booked the seat - but it was YOUR fault that the late arrivals didn't get to fly????
Just as well you and Mrs L were first on!
The airline had double booked the seat - but it was YOUR fault that the late arrivals didn't get to fly????
Just as well you and Mrs L were first on!
Jan 18, 2011, 8:42 am
#63
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home Airports: CAE/CLT
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, National Executive
Posts: 5,452
We asked 26E if he'd like 25F. Of course, he was more than happy to trade his middle seat for a window seat. The guy ticketed in 25E sits in 25E as one would expect. Case closed, right?
Another passenger comes down the aisle, looks at the new Mr 25F, and says "you're in my seat". He says "I don't think so, I just switched with them". We all show our boarding passes, and somehow, there are 2 people assigned to 25F. Confusion ensues, but hey, possession is 9/10ths of the law
Another passenger comes down the aisle, looks at the new Mr 25F, and says "you're in my seat". He says "I don't think so, I just switched with them". We all show our boarding passes, and somehow, there are 2 people assigned to 25F. Confusion ensues, but hey, possession is 9/10ths of the law
When I was but a Kettle, back in '07, I had a rear middle seat on LH for a flight from FRA-ATL. When I got there an elderly gentleman was sitting in my seat, next to his wife.
The FA was hovering in the area and asked if I wouldn't mind swapping for a seat back upstream on a window. No problem. ^
I get to that seat and someone is there with a BP for that seat.
I work my way back to the door and explain what happened to the FA greeting pax onboard. I tell her that I am really flexible and can take a later flight. She asks me to stand off to the side and she will get me a seat.
A couple minutes later she disappears, returns and escorts me to my new seat, in J.
That was the first time I flew in a premium cabin and I was ruined forever!
Jan 18, 2011, 9:08 am
#64
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home Airports: CAE/CLT
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, National Executive
Posts: 5,452
On AA's MD-80s the A/B bulkhead has the worst legroom in F.
If DW and I are split up and one of us in one of those seats we will offer to trade with the person sitting in the other seat, which always gives them more legroom. It it is an even numbered flight we make sure the FA takes their meal order first, since they gave up the first selection option.
If DW and I are split up and one of us in one of those seats we will offer to trade with the person sitting in the other seat, which always gives them more legroom. It it is an even numbered flight we make sure the FA takes their meal order first, since they gave up the first selection option.
Jan 18, 2011, 9:56 am
#65
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Biloxi, MS (GPT)
Programs: AA Gold, DL FO, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,278
Now here is my story:
I have to fly a lot of CR2...I am tall and I absolute hate, hate, hate the window seats on these things. I always choose the bulkhead aisle seats. Well on one of my recent trips I step into the wretched vessel and see someone had made himself comfortable in my 1B seat and was enjoying a sandwich. Hm. I turn around to the FA and hand her my BP. She steps over and talks to him and turns backs to tell me he wants to sit next to his wife and if I would move to his window seat 1D.
So I have two choices: say no, boot him and his sandwich out and have to sit next to his wife giving me the evil eye for 2 hours. Say yes and have to be crammed in a dreadful window seat for 2 hours. And on top of it I was annoyed that he just took it upon himself to reassign himself.
I ended up moving to the window seat as I was tired and not in the mood to make a scene. But the whole thing was annoying. Regardless I ended up having a nice conversation with the guy next to me and it wasn't that long of a flight anyway.
I have to fly a lot of CR2...I am tall and I absolute hate, hate, hate the window seats on these things. I always choose the bulkhead aisle seats. Well on one of my recent trips I step into the wretched vessel and see someone had made himself comfortable in my 1B seat and was enjoying a sandwich. Hm. I turn around to the FA and hand her my BP. She steps over and talks to him and turns backs to tell me he wants to sit next to his wife and if I would move to his window seat 1D.
So I have two choices: say no, boot him and his sandwich out and have to sit next to his wife giving me the evil eye for 2 hours. Say yes and have to be crammed in a dreadful window seat for 2 hours. And on top of it I was annoyed that he just took it upon himself to reassign himself.
I ended up moving to the window seat as I was tired and not in the mood to make a scene. But the whole thing was annoying. Regardless I ended up having a nice conversation with the guy next to me and it wasn't that long of a flight anyway.
Jan 18, 2011, 12:02 pm
#66
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Peon Gold
Posts: 2,915
Swapping seats doesn't always suck. My story isn't from 2010 and it involves the opposite of rudeness. Still, here it is.
A few years back, I was flying LAS-DFW, seated in 5E. 5F and 6B board and are obviously 2 friends traveling together. I hear them pointing out their seats. Not complaining or saying "I hope that bozo moves for us", just saying, "I'm here and you're there". As I stand to let 5F be seated, I ask 6B if she'd like to sit with her friend. They accept (with profuse thanks) and I move my carry-on and reading material to 6B. A short time later, the plane pushes back with 6A empty.
Key points:
A few years back, I was flying LAS-DFW, seated in 5E. 5F and 6B board and are obviously 2 friends traveling together. I hear them pointing out their seats. Not complaining or saying "I hope that bozo moves for us", just saying, "I'm here and you're there". As I stand to let 5F be seated, I ask 6B if she'd like to sit with her friend. They accept (with profuse thanks) and I move my carry-on and reading material to 6B. A short time later, the plane pushes back with 6A empty.
Key points:
- The separated couple make no assumption that the world will rearrange itself for them
- I get the chance to be the proactive "good guy", rather than feeling coerced
- I'm swapping like-for-like as far as I'm concerned
- Karma rewards me with an empty row
Back in July, me and the gf are flying STL-DFW-HNL in AA F, on the 763. I booked the seats months in advance, 4E and 4F, purposely on the 767 to avoid those miserable 757s out of LAX.
Naturally, AA cancels my STL-DFW segment and then forces me to reroute via ORD to HNL. We managed to retain the 767 F, but our seats were seperated. We arrive at ORD and go to the AC where an amazing AAngel manages to find a person on the same flight flying by himself and then pages him to the front desk. The guy was nice enough to trade us seats, window seat for window seat so he didn't lose anything out of the deal and actually got a bonus in getting choice of meal(we were the last ones served, FEBO).
The take away from this is that it's not always the person's fault that they don't have seats together. Involuntary reroutes suck.
Jan 18, 2011, 1:47 pm
#67
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: JAX
Posts: 142
DH and I decided to plan a quick trip to Chicago this weekend (Bears/Packers) with our children, ages 6 and 4. It took me a little while to get all of the best-timed flights lined up since we were using miles, but I did. When I went to select our seats, I find only middle ones available on our return. UGH! Dh and I conferred and (obviously) decided that we wouldn't and couldn't ask anyone to switch out of an aisle or window to a middle seat. Our last minute planning is not anyone else's fault so to ask a stranger to take our middle seats to accomodate our family is not fair. Ended up booking a multi-stop flight home so we could all sit together.
Jan 18, 2011, 2:44 pm
#68
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Location: USA
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Posts: 9,538
Jan 18, 2011, 3:35 pm
#69
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SEA, SoCal
Programs: AS 75K, DL Plat, AA, WN, Hertz, HHonors, Marriott
Posts: 1,306
Flying Southwest SEA-LAS. GA makes the announcement for boarding group A to line up and I position myself at the proper stanchion with my A17 boarding card. Since there's only 1 guy on this flight in "Business Select", I'm third in line with a big gap between A1 and A15.
GA announces BS boarding and some lady scurries up to the scanner behind the suit with A1. The GA turns her away and I overhear her tell the confused lady "your group isn't boarding yet. General boarding commences and I snag 4C.
About 10 minutes later, boarding is almost complete. The confused lady pops into the plane, walks up to me, and points in my general direction. I take this to mean she wants the empty middle seat next to me and I stand up to allow her to get in, but to my surprise and shock she plops her butt right down in my aisle seat!
Now I'm standing in the aisle and suddenly everything is very awkward. I say something to the effect of "I'm sorry, but I was sitting there." She looks up and me obliquely, and then points at her seat and states, "I seat C4". At this point I haven't put 2+2 yet together, but the guy in 4A who had been reading his Kindle, starts patiently trying to explain to her the concept of open seating. At this point I also realize that her English skills aren't the best, but luckily 4A manages to persuade her to move to 4B and I reclaim my seat. She then proceeds to open up and Styrofoam container of smelly ethnic food which she nibbles on for most of the flight.
GA announces BS boarding and some lady scurries up to the scanner behind the suit with A1. The GA turns her away and I overhear her tell the confused lady "your group isn't boarding yet. General boarding commences and I snag 4C.
About 10 minutes later, boarding is almost complete. The confused lady pops into the plane, walks up to me, and points in my general direction. I take this to mean she wants the empty middle seat next to me and I stand up to allow her to get in, but to my surprise and shock she plops her butt right down in my aisle seat!
Now I'm standing in the aisle and suddenly everything is very awkward. I say something to the effect of "I'm sorry, but I was sitting there." She looks up and me obliquely, and then points at her seat and states, "I seat C4". At this point I haven't put 2+2 yet together, but the guy in 4A who had been reading his Kindle, starts patiently trying to explain to her the concept of open seating. At this point I also realize that her English skills aren't the best, but luckily 4A manages to persuade her to move to 4B and I reclaim my seat. She then proceeds to open up and Styrofoam container of smelly ethnic food which she nibbles on for most of the flight.
Last edited by hgdf; Jan 18, 2011 at 3:41 pm
Jan 18, 2011, 6:58 pm
#70
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SLC/DCA
Programs: DL DM (and NRSA), UA NA, HH Dia, National Exec Elite
Posts: 1,764
That flight was also the first encounter with what I call a 'complete seating ....up' where it felt like a quarter of all the passengers did not get seats next to other members in their group. People were constantly swapping seats for a good 30 minutes, no exaggeration. I've since come to learn of KL as the leading dysfunctional European carrier. There's *always* something wrong on their flights.
Jan 18, 2011, 7:16 pm
#71
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Fairmont Platinum, Aeroplan Diamond, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 18,686
On a flight from ORD to TPA I walked on the plane to find a man sitting in my seat which was an aisle seat in E+. It turns out that his girlfriend was sitting in the middle seat of my row. He tried to convince me that his middle seat in E- was as good as my seat.
I politely suggested that his girlfriend offer her E+ seat to someone in E-. He tried to argue with me and was subsequently moved to the back of the plane by the FA.
I politely suggested that his girlfriend offer her E+ seat to someone in E-. He tried to argue with me and was subsequently moved to the back of the plane by the FA.
Jan 18, 2011, 7:20 pm
#72
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Fairmont Platinum, Aeroplan Diamond, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 18,686
WOW.
When I was but a Kettle, back in '07, I had a rear middle seat on LH for a flight from FRA-ATL. When I got there an elderly gentleman was sitting in my seat, next to his wife.
The FA was hovering in the area and asked if I wouldn't mind swapping for a seat back upstream on a window. No problem. ^
I get to that seat and someone is there with a BP for that seat.
I work my way back to the door and explain what happened to the FA greeting pax onboard. I tell her that I am really flexible and can take a later flight. She asks me to stand off to the side and she will get me a seat.
A couple minutes later she disappears, returns and escorts me to my new seat, in J. That was the first time I flew in a premium cabin and I was ruined forever!
When I was but a Kettle, back in '07, I had a rear middle seat on LH for a flight from FRA-ATL. When I got there an elderly gentleman was sitting in my seat, next to his wife.
The FA was hovering in the area and asked if I wouldn't mind swapping for a seat back upstream on a window. No problem. ^
I get to that seat and someone is there with a BP for that seat.
I work my way back to the door and explain what happened to the FA greeting pax onboard. I tell her that I am really flexible and can take a later flight. She asks me to stand off to the side and she will get me a seat.
A couple minutes later she disappears, returns and escorts me to my new seat, in J.
That was the first time I flew in a premium cabin and I was ruined forever!
Jan 18, 2011, 7:23 pm
#73
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: MSP
Programs: AA PLT, DL, QF, CO, Married (does that count as a program?)
Posts: 205
Jan 18, 2011, 11:58 pm
#74
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Northeast Kansas | Colorado Native
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Jan 19, 2011, 7:33 am
#75
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BWI,IAD,DCA
Programs: UA gold, Hyatt Plat Marriott silver,Hilton Gold, PC Plat., SPG Gold.,Hertz Gold, Global Entry
Posts: 650
I was flying from MUC sitting in BC. A woman and a man came to my seat. She stated that I was in her seat, and get out and go back to the cattle car where you belong. She states to the male he just up here to soak up the liquor. I said it must be a double booking, and the FA will sort it out. She demands to see my ticket stub. I tell her I don't have one. She says get back to the cattle car where you belong. The FA arrives and wants to see my boarding card. I tell her it is with my jacket in the closet. The woman is trying to impress the man with her loud talk. I am having the predrink saying nothing. She states he just here to soak up the liquor. The FA arrives with my coat and states Mr. Powerlifter I have a seat for you in first class please follow me. I finished my drink got my bag, and stated to the woman you can have your seat now. Funny how some things work out.