How do you handle someone sitting in your seat when you board?
Jun 12, 2018, 8:04 am
#766
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
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Just out of curiosity, how would one handle it if two people had the same seat assigned, and the flight attendant told them to sort it out. I would be reluctant to go into business class on an economy class ticket unless authorized to do so by the crew. Occupying another seat would likely lead to being asked to move because in my experience most flights are sold out in economy. Maybe going to the purser would work I would not want to get off of the plane to talk to a gate agent. What is the protocol for handling this in a way that is not confrontational and not interfering with the crew?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Jun 12, 2018, 9:40 am
#767
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Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,808
My run of seat sitters continues, my third such one in the last month. This one was the first really bad one.
I boarded a UA A-320 from IAD-RDU pretty late in the boarding process. I got to the exit row and found someone sitting in 21D, the reclining exit row aisle. I said to him "I believe you're in my seat" to which he responded "I was under the impression this airline had open seating". When I said it most certainly did it he produced two boarding passes including the one for IAD-RDU stamped with "Basic Economy" and Seat 26E and then claimed he "read the boarding pass from the last flight". He then sat there looking at me hoping I'd take his seat which I didn't. Took several minutes for him to finally leave.
I boarded a UA A-320 from IAD-RDU pretty late in the boarding process. I got to the exit row and found someone sitting in 21D, the reclining exit row aisle. I said to him "I believe you're in my seat" to which he responded "I was under the impression this airline had open seating". When I said it most certainly did it he produced two boarding passes including the one for IAD-RDU stamped with "Basic Economy" and Seat 26E and then claimed he "read the boarding pass from the last flight". He then sat there looking at me hoping I'd take his seat which I didn't. Took several minutes for him to finally leave.
Jun 13, 2018, 3:49 pm
#769
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"This thread is too long, so I'm going to make it longer."
Feel free to ignore it entirely.
Jun 13, 2018, 4:08 pm
#770
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Jun 13, 2018, 7:46 pm
#771
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: united, Hilton, Amtrak
Posts: 1,190
My questions were pertaining to concerns about seating on international flights
I read a post in this thread where a flight attendant actually told somebody that. On a domestic flight of a couple of hours, a particular seat is an issue. On a 14 hour flight a seat in the exit row is worth standing ground for.
Jun 13, 2018, 8:41 pm
#772
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Jun 14, 2018, 9:50 am
#773
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Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,808
I have encountered that too. More than once. Usually the FA simply has tunnel vision about push-back being on time and not "taking the late". NEVER stand for this. It IS their job to boot poachers and handle seating conflicts.
Jun 14, 2018, 10:28 am
#774
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Jun 18, 2018, 6:37 am
#776
Join Date: Jun 2012
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I think there are hoards of professional seat-sitters around. They find nice seats that you've paid extra to book and sit in them. As you board they tell you a sob story and look confused. It p*ssed me off no end when I ended up with a middle seat on a long flight a few months ago after booking an aisle seat.
A woman was sat in my seat. I questioned her seat number and she asked if she could stay in my allocated seat as she was travelling with her family (her husband was in the middle seat next to my allocated seat). She pointed to another aisle seat two rows further back as being her allocated seat. I agreed to move so she could be with her family.
She had lied! A couple of minutes later the passenger who had my new seat allocated to him turned up! I asked the woman to check her boarding pass, which she sheepishly did, and it emerged that her allocated seat was a middle seat further down the plane. That put me in an awkward situation as she was sat with her family and I couldn't look like a bar steward and demand my seat. So, I sat in a middle seat for the next five hours having lost my paid-for aisle seat.
Going by her mannerisms and the way she had acted, I think this wasn't the first time that she had played this trick. Groups/couples/families are the worst offenders.
Next time, if I've paid for a seat then I won't move.
A woman was sat in my seat. I questioned her seat number and she asked if she could stay in my allocated seat as she was travelling with her family (her husband was in the middle seat next to my allocated seat). She pointed to another aisle seat two rows further back as being her allocated seat. I agreed to move so she could be with her family.
She had lied! A couple of minutes later the passenger who had my new seat allocated to him turned up! I asked the woman to check her boarding pass, which she sheepishly did, and it emerged that her allocated seat was a middle seat further down the plane. That put me in an awkward situation as she was sat with her family and I couldn't look like a bar steward and demand my seat. So, I sat in a middle seat for the next five hours having lost my paid-for aisle seat.
Going by her mannerisms and the way she had acted, I think this wasn't the first time that she had played this trick. Groups/couples/families are the worst offenders.
Next time, if I've paid for a seat then I won't move.
Jun 18, 2018, 6:48 am
#777
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I think there are hoards of professional seat-sitters around. They find nice seats that you've paid extra to book and sit in them. As you board they tell you a sob story and look confused. It p*ssed me off no end when I ended up with a middle seat on a long flight a few months ago after booking an aisle seat.
A woman was sat in my seat. I questioned her seat number and she asked if she could stay in my allocated seat as she was travelling with her family (her husband was in the middle seat next to my allocated seat). She pointed to another aisle seat two rows further back as being her allocated seat. I agreed to move so she could be with her family.
She had lied! A couple of minutes later the passenger who had my new seat allocated to him turned up! I asked the woman to check her boarding pass, which she sheepishly did, and it emerged that her allocated seat was a middle seat further down the plane. That put me in an awkward situation as she was sat with her family and I couldn't look like a bar steward and demand my seat. So, I sat in a middle seat for the next five hours having lost my paid-for aisle seat.
Going by her mannerisms and the way she had acted, I think this wasn't the first time that she had played this trick. Groups/couples/families are the worst offenders.
Next time, if I've paid for a seat then I won't move.
A woman was sat in my seat. I questioned her seat number and she asked if she could stay in my allocated seat as she was travelling with her family (her husband was in the middle seat next to my allocated seat). She pointed to another aisle seat two rows further back as being her allocated seat. I agreed to move so she could be with her family.
She had lied! A couple of minutes later the passenger who had my new seat allocated to him turned up! I asked the woman to check her boarding pass, which she sheepishly did, and it emerged that her allocated seat was a middle seat further down the plane. That put me in an awkward situation as she was sat with her family and I couldn't look like a bar steward and demand my seat. So, I sat in a middle seat for the next five hours having lost my paid-for aisle seat.
Going by her mannerisms and the way she had acted, I think this wasn't the first time that she had played this trick. Groups/couples/families are the worst offenders.
Next time, if I've paid for a seat then I won't move.
Jun 18, 2018, 8:30 am
#778
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 80
I think there are hoards of professional seat-sitters around. They find nice seats that you've paid extra to book and sit in them. As you board they tell you a sob story and look confused.
.
...Going by her mannerisms and the way she had acted, I think this wasn't the first time that she had played this trick. Groups/couples/families are the worst offenders.
Next time, if I've paid for a seat then I won't move.
...Going by her mannerisms and the way she had acted, I think this wasn't the first time that she had played this trick. Groups/couples/families are the worst offenders.
Next time, if I've paid for a seat then I won't move.
Jun 18, 2018, 8:41 am
#779
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 814
A woman was sat in my seat. I questioned her seat number and she asked if she could stay in my allocated seat as she was travelling with her family (her husband was in the middle seat next to my allocated seat). She pointed to another aisle seat two rows further back as being her allocated seat. I agreed to move so she could be with her family.
She had lied! A couple of minutes later the passenger who had my new seat allocated to him turned up! I .
Jun 18, 2018, 8:52 am
#780
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Posts: 8,355
A woman was sat in my seat. I questioned her seat number and she asked if she could stay in my allocated seat as she was travelling with her family (her husband was in the middle seat next to my allocated seat). She pointed to another aisle seat two rows further back as being her allocated seat. I agreed to move so she could be with her family.
She had lied! A couple of minutes later the passenger who had my new seat allocated to him turned up! I asked the woman to check her boarding pass, which she sheepishly did, and it emerged that her allocated seat was a middle seat further down the plane. That put me in an awkward situation as she was sat with her family and I couldn't look like a bar steward and demand my seat. So, I sat in a middle seat for the next five hours having lost my paid-for aisle seat.
She had lied! A couple of minutes later the passenger who had my new seat allocated to him turned up! I asked the woman to check her boarding pass, which she sheepishly did, and it emerged that her allocated seat was a middle seat further down the plane. That put me in an awkward situation as she was sat with her family and I couldn't look like a bar steward and demand my seat. So, I sat in a middle seat for the next five hours having lost my paid-for aisle seat.