How do you handle someone sitting in your seat when you board?
 

Was in 2D last night and when I boarded the person from 3A was in my seat with her husband who was in 2F.

I hate window seats and want an aisle (this was a full flex ticket so I got upgraded at purchase).

How do you handle?

How do you handle someone sitting in your seat when you board?
 

Is it really such a big deal?

Just suck it up. One day you will be traveling in FC with another and have split seats. Then you will want the switch.

I just say: "Excuse, but I think that is my seat". They usually look at their BP and move to where they belong.

I've been in this situation a couple of times and not been refused when I asked the person assigned to the seat to switch. There's a difference between asking and just plopping down.

As to the OP's situation: if an aisle is important, I would ask them to ask the other seatmate (3C here) to move ("I'd prefer not to, but if he/she won't then that will be OK"). While I would like to correct the seat-plopper behavior and offer a lecture about seat assignments etc., I let it go.

If someone asks me nicely, I'll switch for an equivalent or better seat according to my criteria.

If I find that someone has already taken over my seat without asking, I start with "excuse me, but this seems to be my seat...." I call the FA if the person doesn't move. I don't explain or negotiate, I just politely insist on getting my seat.

yes its a big deal. First its rude and extremely disrespectful to just poach someone's seat. 2nd its a big deal for me as I pick aisles for a reason. I need to get up and use a lavatory a lot and have no desire to wake people, step over people, and constantly pester them to get up.

and one day I might have split seats but I have the respect and courtesy to take my seat first...THEN ask the other person once they get to their seat. And if they say no thanks...which happens but its rare...I then suck it up because #1 they picked the seat before I did and #2 not sitting together for a couple hours is whats no "big deal" I often wonder how these people manage day to day life being apart 8-10 hours a day when going to work but you get on a 2 hour plane ride and you cant be more than a foot away from each other

"How do you handle someone sitting in your seat when you board?"

I take the direct route - "Hey Stupid, beat it."

[QUOTE=ANC;18807021]yes its a big deal. First its rude and extremely disrespectful to just poach someone's seat. 2nd its a big deal for me as I pick aisles for a reason. I need to get up and use a lavatory a lot and have no desire to wake people, step over people, and constantly pester them to get up.

No disagreement here. Although, I must admit it still pays to be kind even if others are not. Three weeks ago I flying a East coast to CH on an award ticket, an old man was sitting in my "aisle seat", his wife asked if it was ok as he was ill. She then proceeded to sit on the other aisle. The passenger whose seat she sat was pissed and fuming. A little while later the head purser came to me and said " Hi I have another seat for you upfront" I sat the next 8hrs in C on a Y award ticket, while the woman who was pissing and moaning wasn't even offered one upfront.
Moral of the story, kindness pays.

Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton gave sound advice:

Grow a pair, and if you can't, you can borrow mine.

There are several suggestions in the thread on how to confront the seat-stealer with grace. Try one.

If you ask nicely - I give you the seat if you offer an equal trade.

If you take - youre not getting it.

simple.

That's works 90% of the time. Heck, sometime, I misread my own boarding pass, and that's what the rightful seat owner says to me.

Other 10%, had your BP to the FA and let him or her fix it.

They should be able to find someone else who would switch a window for window or aisle for aisle. That's fair unless someone doesn't like bulkhead or you are moving from row 2 to 4 and care about food selection on the longer flights.

When someone just plops down in your seat in an effort to make a trade - it's a bit amateur and inconsiderate.

Yes it is. I just use my IPIV* device, and the matter is solved. Further, someone else will get a last minute upgrade out of it.

*Inconsiderate Passenger Instant Vaporizer

Wirelessly posted (beckoa's PWP wondrousdevice3.0: Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9810; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.0.0.583 Mobile Safari/534.11+)

Just sit in your seat. Should solve the problem :D