Ha ha I hope one day you refuse to move when an FA tells you to. You do know that's a crime right?

I've had this happen twice, both times I refused to move (I explained to the FA, calmly and quietly, why I was unwilling to do so) and both times the parent and child were removed. It is not a crime to refuse to switch seats while on the ground.

We had a saying in aerospace: The lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.

Take care of you own special needs. Don't expect strangers to inconvenience themselves for you.

^^^ your last sentence sums things up very well.

And if a FA decides to move you from bc/fc to y, and you balked, it would be a crime:confused::confused:--airlines sell seats in advance and pax are allowed to choose seats (in many instances paying extra for "premium" ones); pax should therefore expect to be sitting in the seat marked on their bp--otherwise stop allowing advance options.

I think if you study the situations where people recount being asked to trade seats, being asked to trade seats from 31A to 29F is rarely a problem. It's being asked -- or bullied -- to trade from say 7C to 33B, where C is an aisle seat and B is a middle seat, that causes tempers to flare. So now you are talking about trading a seat that will allow one to have a fairly comfortable flight for one that will force one to spend hours in abject misery.

You don't understand why it's a big deal? It's a huge deal. Most airlines sell this seats for very big money unless one is an elite. And now you expect someone to just give up a seat worth $25 or $50 if paid up front for free in order to sit in a torture chamber? Anyway, maybe now you understand now why it is a big deal. Very few people have a problem with exchanging similar seats on airplanes; it's only when they are asked to exchange a premium seat for an inferior seat that they refuse and are a bit taken aback that someone would ask.

Headphones can sometimes be a boon even if you're not listening to anything on them! :)

Right on the money. I've traded seats plenty of times. It's all a question of where I'm being asked to trade to, when I am asked (I don't like moving forward if I've already stowed my gear in the overhead and there's no room forward -- I don't like to swim upstream when I deplane) and how I am asked.

I fly a lot without my wife - business etc. I totally understand from her point of view that when we travel together we sit together even if it means me giving up a confirmed UG to first.

Not to question your honesty, but I am extremely skeptical about this. If an airline removed a parent and child from a flight because passengers refused to let them sit together, it would have made national headlines, triggered petitions and protests from interest groups, resulted in discrimination lawsuits, etc.

Perhaps you thought they were removed but two passengers somewhere else on the plane agreed to give them their seats?

All I can tell you is that (1) it was on UA, and (2) I wrote about it in the UA forum when it happened. Each incident involved a squatter parent who took my seat and played the, "what am I supposed to do?" card.

I suppose it's possible, but in at least one instance the parent was threatened with security and forcible removal from the plane.

Playing hypotheticals, would all of those who feel a husband and wife (male and female) should be given special treatment and not be separated also feel that a (legally) married male/male or female/female couple should also be given special treatment?

I was recently on a flight where "a senior executive from a major corporation" was sitting next to me at the pointy end of the jet and his wife was back in cattle class.

Fair enough, his company was paying for his seat and his wife was just tagging along but I couldn't help but wonder about the dynamics of their relationship.

IMO a married couple is a married couple. This shouldn't even be an issue these days.

Could you link me to your report on the UA forum? I would be interested in reading it.

Sitting next to each other on a flight doesn't indicate you have a better marriage than couples who don't sit next to each other.

I am travelling tomorrow MAN to FCO with family. Luckily none of us have adjoining seats. I prefer to travel on my own. (not a misery - honest) I will get on my QC 15's and enjoy some peace and quiet - well as much as you can get on a LCC.

I would also be interested to read that. :)

Twice I've flown with my wife and child when the seats we were assigned were not appropriate for an infant car seat. (Too close to the window exit.) The FA forced us to switch with the people behind us. The people behind us were forced to move up a row.

I was once in this situation by chance - ran into a friend on a flight by chance who happened to have the window and I had the aisle - I asked the middle if she wanted to switch with either of us and she said no. So we just talked over her during the hour flight.

I doubt that many people would have a problem with that, if it were like for like.

Who would insist on sitting in a middle seat?

The only time I have ever asked anyone to switch was when my friend was in a window and I was in the aisle. The person in the middle happily made the change.

Since she was tagging along on a company trip, I stuck my friend in the middle. :D

It was exactly like for like. We moved into the seats right behind us; they moved into our seats.

Nobody complained.

Based on some of the comments on this thread, many posters here would not do it.

If was just that, I would have switched with you. I'm talking about situations in which the parent wanted me to give up my E+ window for an E- middle in the back of the plane.

It would pretty much depend on how the request was framed. Someone already in the seat, or the slightest hint of entitlement would probably result in no seat change from many people.

Do you take this same position even for a short haul flight? What if they are traveling as an emergency trip and needed the soonest flight but seats were separate? Would you really be so unwilling to move to accommodate and ruin someone's day? I'm sure a parent would not choose to be separated from a child. I would consider the person to be uncooperative... If it was the same aisle seat but in another row, would that be workable?

I'm just curous what you mean by "another row"? Are you asking would I trade my seat in 24C for 6C? No problem! But trade 6C for 24C? Big problem. Many people, when seeking swaps, somehow always seek swaps that improve their relative position in the airplane.

(I might still make the trade, but I can see how many wouldn't want to be stuck in the back of the aircraft. And if I had paid extra for my seat, I certainly wouldn't give it up to sit in back).

Yes.

Apparently, you haven't read the thread. I always try to help in an emergency.

No, but a parent would either book seats apart and expect strangers to move for them, or run the risk of an equipment change, etc., and rather than take a later flight, expect strangers to move for them.

Whereas I would consider parents in the above two categories to be rude, selfish and entitlement-demanding. Strangers don't have to cooperate with you, and to expect them to solely because you are engaging in discretionary travel with a child is unrealistic and entitlement-demanding.

Which row? If not too far apart, no problem, depending on the attitude of the parent, e.g. I don't respond well to someone already sitting in my seat who says, "You HAVE to move so I can sit with my child." That discussion would never even get to, "where is your seat?"

I guess I see your point - I was asked to move a handful of times last year, and in all cases it was a 'relative' move - 31A to 29F etc - So no skin off my nose.

When I travel with my family we would not mind if I was seated in a different location in the cabin let alone if I was in the First Class cabin. I love the window seat or bulkhead seat so if my Parent's wanted to sit next to each other I would let them sit towards the back and let them have their peace and quiet.

When I was flying with my Mother for a conference I upgraded myself to First Class roundtrip asking her if she would like my seat. She declined like after the 20th time I asked her in the month proceeding the trip. We went to the lounge and she could not believe she could get a coffee for free. She kept asking the agent how much is it for the latte. I roll eyes and laugh to myself.

On one international trip the airline upgraded my seat and I asked my Father if he wanted it he just said no. I could not believe he would decline my First Class Sleeper seat with real Dom P, Steak, Cheese platters, ice cream sundaes, Audio Video on Demand and a great breakfast. I was enjoying myself and asked the cute flight attendant serving me to bring a glass of Dom P to my Father(:

Its usually the other way around where the parents are in First and kids in coach. I once talked the flight attendant to see if she could get my Brother and I into First Class since they needed our seats at the very last minute for two people going to a funeral. There were no two seats together in First but what did we care? I heard the conversation and told her that if you needed our seats please let us know. This was in the days when OP Ups could be done onboard. So before our international flight took off we were moved.

Honestly I've had some of the best flights alone or away from my Parents as they could talk about whatever and not bother me every second about how to turn on the AVOD system , create a playlist lol. Before we took off I already had the Airshow Map up and switched to the camera my Father was bewildered about the camera views. I had some great playlists ready to go.

On short-haul flights, I don't care who I sit next to. Having been married for 42 years, I can stand a few hours without sitting next to DH.

However, on long-haul, I'd rather fall asleep on his shoulder than a stranger's and I'd rather DH encroached on my space than a stranger did.

Nuff said!

On international or cross country flights with my brother (who is a 1K), since we both like window seats, I will just book 2 window seats. I also monitor the seat assignments to try to get as close to an empty full row as possible. On our last flight to China, I had the most comfortable flight, slept 8-9 hours across 3 seats in coach (and still had time to watch a movie and eat). Woke up with almost no jetlag. My brother and I don't feel the need to sit next to each other, and since he was in the row in front of me, I could still talk to him if I wanted to.

As I said, in this case it was a request/order by the FA. We would have preferred not to move at all.

I understand that, I was talking about cbn42's comment, rather than your situation specifically.

Taken For Granted...
 

This post baffles me. Of course you want to sit next to the person you're traveling with. No?

ESPECIALLY if that person is a friend or family member. If you don't want to sit next to them, you probably shouldn't be traveling with them in the first place!


PS

www.askthepilot.com

This thread has been interesting discussion about a question that the OP didn't ask. The OP asked, "Why the need to sit together?", but most people seem to be answering the question, "Why the desire to sit together?"

It's obvious why most people would want to sit together, but other than to give care to a seatmate with special needs, it's still not clear to me why they need to -- especially to the point of seat poaching, getting the FA involved, or having such a sense of entitlement that they raise a fuss when they don't get their way.

1) If I'm flying with someone it means I enjoy their company. Odds are I will enjoy the company of my companion in close quarters more than the company of a random stranger.

2) If I'm flying with my GF we can put up the armrest if in coach and sleep much more comfortably next to each other rather than trying to avoid physical contact with a stranger. If in First I'd much rather have her climb over me to the restroom instead of some random dude. Or vice versa. Even if flying with a friend it's much more comfortable enjoying the flight not worrying so much about invading personal space and trying to share a tiny area.

My husband and I fly together probably 3 times a year at most so its part of the trip for us. I can completely understand if people fly a lot that its no great shakes but me I wouldn't be a happy cookie sat on my own.

On our first flight from Manchester to JFK we were split up but at check in they kindly bumped us into Business so we could sit together.

We both work full time and spend about 3 hours a day together so holidays are quite a treat for being together.

I also don't enjoy flying so I don't feel as bad holding/gripping my husband's hand as I would a stranger's on take off :D

On a flight from LGA to DFW. I was in the aisle seat. Went to the bathroom, when I came back a woman was in the middle seat.
There was a guy in the aisle in front of me. He turned around and asked "can we switch seats so I can sit next to my fiance"
I said "sure"
He said "i have the middle seat"
I said "middle seat on a 3plus hour flight? Sorry, maybe the other folks will switch"

"plus you are getting married, u will be together for the rest of ur lives, 4 hours apart is nothing, and might even be a good break from each other"

They didn't find my comment amusing, oh well

After a long time with no one asking, two weeks in a row I have been asked to swap my F aisle for an F window. The first time was a married couple; neither I or the other aisle was willing to switch, and they were okay with it. Today it was two female friends traveling together, and they were quite a bit more put out...."I don't understand it...don't you want to look out the window?". No, I don't. I just want to sit here and not be made to feel guilty because you can't sit with your friend. Of course, the other aisle also wouldn't switch!