Seat Swap Request Horror Stories
Oct 24, 2014, 4:27 pm
#211
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Seattle
Programs: Delta DM; *A FO. UG since(1/1/15): 11/14
Posts: 683
My philosophy: since the likelihood of getting a much better seat is close to zero, I will simply decline (barring actual critical issues such as minors separated from parents). There's a dutch saying told to children: "van ruilen komt huilen" which translates to: if you trade, you end up crying.
Oct 24, 2014, 5:57 pm
#212
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: SYD
Programs: QF
Posts: 490
I only fly medium to long haul transoceanic flights and this more or less is my method.
Oct 24, 2014, 7:34 pm
#213
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AA, UA lowly commoner
Posts: 782
Recently I had 2C (bulkhead aisle) on a 4+hour domestic Delta flight. Upon boarding I find someone sitting in my seat and asked him to check his boarding pass. He said he had switched at the request of couple now together in 1AB to sit together on the basis he was switching and aisle for an aisle. Turns out the lady had 2D and duped this man into switching his aisle seat for her window seat and now he was sort of huffy. He asked to stay in aisle but I politely declined and said I had picked this seat specifically. He moved into window seat begrudgingly. The lady across the aisle just ignored this whole scene and acted like she had done nothing wrong. If in his shoes, I think I would have asked for my original seat back!
Last edited by Giggleswick; Oct 24, 2014 at 7:41 pm
Oct 24, 2014, 8:16 pm
#214
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: QFF Gold, Flying Blue, Enrich
Posts: 5,366
When I boarded, they baby couple had obviously been given the bassinet seat on the other side of the plane and, surprise, they didn't use the bassinet at all, the operated their infant as a lap-child. I would have been really pissed off if I'd complied with the request, but at least they didn't try to blackmail me in front of the doting parents.
Oct 24, 2014, 9:39 pm
#215
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Gold Coast, Australia
Posts: 16
Honestly guys, you are taking this way out of proportion, but I guess some of us don't have much work to do on a Friday. Call it what you want. I asked, got declined, came on flyer talk to complain about it, but ultimately I still managed to find a nice guy who was willing to swap seats with me (who took a window in exchange for an aisle BTW). People get so riled up on the internets these days.
I've been asked multiple times to swap seats for a variety of reasons. My deductive reasoning goes like this:
1. Are you sitting in my seat already? If so, I'm going to say no and kick you out of my seat regardless
2. Are you asking me politely and trading an equivalent seat, I oblige
3. Are you asking me politely and trading me a non-equivalent seat but have some circumstance that could help the other individual out (sitting with a child, newlyweds on their honeymoon, old people), I will typically oblige when the flight is domestic and I'm not being downgraded among classes (main cabin extra to main cabin)
4. On a transatlantic or transpacific, unless there is an extenuating circumstance, I'm keeping my seat as I've usually pre-selected it months in advance because of legroom, proximity, etc.
We all have our reasons. The lady apparently had her own, warranted or not. I thought it was funny (as honestly by all deductive reasoning she did not seem "allergic" to anything), thus shared it online. Also for someone who is allergic to the sun, she sure wasn't wearing any "sun protection." I don't think a t-shirt and shorts really are the protective type of clothing. Don't go painting yourselves as saints, because I'm sure you've never gone on the internet to complain about something trivial.
Either way, we were both upgraded in business class and wouldn't have lost any sleep if we were separated, but it doesn't hurt to ask. If I felt the ladies response was stupid, that is my opinion, which I chose to share.
I've been asked multiple times to swap seats for a variety of reasons. My deductive reasoning goes like this:
1. Are you sitting in my seat already? If so, I'm going to say no and kick you out of my seat regardless
2. Are you asking me politely and trading an equivalent seat, I oblige
3. Are you asking me politely and trading me a non-equivalent seat but have some circumstance that could help the other individual out (sitting with a child, newlyweds on their honeymoon, old people), I will typically oblige when the flight is domestic and I'm not being downgraded among classes (main cabin extra to main cabin)
4. On a transatlantic or transpacific, unless there is an extenuating circumstance, I'm keeping my seat as I've usually pre-selected it months in advance because of legroom, proximity, etc.
We all have our reasons. The lady apparently had her own, warranted or not. I thought it was funny (as honestly by all deductive reasoning she did not seem "allergic" to anything), thus shared it online. Also for someone who is allergic to the sun, she sure wasn't wearing any "sun protection." I don't think a t-shirt and shorts really are the protective type of clothing. Don't go painting yourselves as saints, because I'm sure you've never gone on the internet to complain about something trivial.
Either way, we were both upgraded in business class and wouldn't have lost any sleep if we were separated, but it doesn't hurt to ask. If I felt the ladies response was stupid, that is my opinion, which I chose to share.
Oct 25, 2014, 2:34 am
#216
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: *G
Posts: 12
I've been asked multiple times to swap seats for a variety of reasons. My deductive reasoning goes like this:
1. Are you sitting in my seat already? If so, I'm going to say no and kick you out of my seat regardless
2. Are you asking me politely and trading an equivalent seat, I oblige
3. Are you asking me politely and trading me a non-equivalent seat but have some circumstance that could help the other individual out (sitting with a child, newlyweds on their honeymoon, old people), I will typically oblige when the flight is domestic and I'm not being downgraded among classes (main cabin extra to main cabin)
4. On a transatlantic or transpacific, unless there is an extenuating circumstance, I'm keeping my seat as I've usually pre-selected it months in advance because of legroom, proximity, etc.
Oct 25, 2014, 3:55 am
#217
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Tehran (IKA), Vancouver (YVR), Nice (NCE)
Programs: QR Platinum (Oneworld Emerald), AZ Freccia Alata (Skyteam Gold), Shangri-La GC (Jade)
Posts: 235
I refuse ESPECIALLY when it is the case a couple separated by a few rows. I find it ridiculous. I am sure, they will survive without seating next to eachother for a few hours. For heaven's sake, in some places in the world people are separated by war and they don't make such a fuss!
In one of those situation, I refused the swap from an aisle to a middle seat in Y (on a 9+ hour flight to Iran) so the wife could sit next to her husband. The guy seemed extremely shocked by my "rudeness" and looked at me as if I were the devil. They eventually persuaded some other fellow to move.
Iranians can't say no to eachother and if soemeone does, they find him rude and awful. We have something called "taarof" which means that you do or refrain from doing something only to be polite even if it is against your interests. For instance, if you are dying from thirst and someone offers to share his drink with you, you're supposed to refuse the offer and insist vehemently on the refusal. Very counterintuitive custom IMO. In that sense, I am soooo not Iranian.
In one of those situation, I refused the swap from an aisle to a middle seat in Y (on a 9+ hour flight to Iran) so the wife could sit next to her husband. The guy seemed extremely shocked by my "rudeness" and looked at me as if I were the devil. They eventually persuaded some other fellow to move.
Iranians can't say no to eachother and if soemeone does, they find him rude and awful. We have something called "taarof" which means that you do or refrain from doing something only to be polite even if it is against your interests. For instance, if you are dying from thirst and someone offers to share his drink with you, you're supposed to refuse the offer and insist vehemently on the refusal. Very counterintuitive custom IMO. In that sense, I am soooo not Iranian.
Oct 25, 2014, 5:42 am
#218
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Iranians can't say no to eachother and if soemeone does, they find him rude and awful. We have something called "taarof" which means that you do or refrain from doing something only to be polite even if it is against your interests. For instance, if you are dying from thirst and someone offers to share his drink with you, you're supposed to refuse the offer and insist vehemently on the refusal. Very counterintuitive custom IMO. In that sense, I am soooo not Iranian.
Oct 25, 2014, 5:53 am
#219
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Tehran (IKA), Vancouver (YVR), Nice (NCE)
Programs: QR Platinum (Oneworld Emerald), AZ Freccia Alata (Skyteam Gold), Shangri-La GC (Jade)
Posts: 235
Oct 27, 2014, 5:12 am
#220
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: United Plat and falling
Posts: 100
I witnessed an interesting seat swap dispute across the aisle from me yesterday on an A321, 3-3 seating in economy. Lady A took seat 34 E (middle) to sit next to her friend in 34F. A few minutes later Backpacker-y guy B came up and said, "I think you are in my seat". Lady A says - I'd like to sit next to my friend, can you please take my seat in 23B (also middle). Guy B shuffles back up the plane, only to come back a couple minutes later saying, "I need to sit in my seat." Lady A objects and explains again that he can have her seat. Guy B looks up the plane and then sprints forward and plops in a free aisle seat. End of boarding comes and the last person on wants the aisle seat Guy B sat in, so he comes back again. But this time he walks past Lady A and row 34 to talk to the FA. FA comes up to Lady A and says. "can I see your boarding pass?" Lady A explains she wants to trade to sit with her friend. FA then goes back to Guy B and starts to put (undue, I would say) pressure on him to swap. Guy B finally explains: there is someone else in 23 B with that same seat assignment. FA took him forward and found another seat - I couldn't see where. Lady A stayed put. But karma being what it is, one of my little Fischies in 34C accidentally spilled a bit of food on her half way through the flight. I was very apologetic, but she was unhappy (who would be happy?).
Oct 27, 2014, 5:30 am
#221
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,042
If the guy wanted his assigned seat, I don't like at all that the FA didn't support him, but....he couldn't sit in the lady's seat who wanted him to switch because someone else in it. Who knows whose assigned seat it really was? FA sees musical chairs will ensue so she does what's easiest and finds him an empty seat. Except for the principle of letting the lady get away with seat stealing, it was not a bad solution since he was in a middle seat to begin with and no worse off.
Oct 27, 2014, 7:09 am
#222
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: United Plat and falling
Posts: 100
He was arguably better off - since the new seat was further forward, and presumably not next to a clumsy (but adorable) 9-year-old. But the attitude, which I am perhaps not a skilled enough writer to communicate was: what is the deal with this guy? Just take the exchanged seat already! Except of course, he couldn't.
Last edited by fischi; Oct 27, 2014 at 7:10 am Reason: typo
Oct 27, 2014, 10:57 am
#223
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: ONT/FRA
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 878
So the last bunch of seat-swap posts in this thread all go something like this:
"Someone asked me/I asked someone to trade seats, offer was (semi-) politely declined, no punches were thrown and no one was kicked off the plane."
These are horror stories?
If those posting these stories actually believe that, you have lived very, very sheltered lives 
"Someone asked me/I asked someone to trade seats, offer was (semi-) politely declined, no punches were thrown and no one was kicked off the plane."
These are horror stories?
If those posting these stories actually believe that, you have lived very, very sheltered lives
Oct 27, 2014, 12:13 pm
#224
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: California
Posts: 61
Switched from a primo extended leg seat for a nice couple to sit together w/ baby - thought better to avoid baby. Ended up having to wait - standing - until everyone boarded to find my way to the swapped seat.... which was damp...so I sat on a plastic bag provided by airline staff....next to a fat guy who was not aware of soap.
Expensed a 1st class ticket for my return leg for the absolute horror of that ride.
Expensed a 1st class ticket for my return leg for the absolute horror of that ride.
Oct 27, 2014, 6:52 pm
#225
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: LHR / IAD
Programs: BA/AA/UA
Posts: 2,955
I refuse ESPECIALLY when it is the case a couple separated by a few rows. I find it ridiculous. I am sure, they will survive without seating next to each other for a few hours. For heaven's sake, in some places in the world people are separated by war and they don't make such a fuss!
In one of those situation, I refused the swap from an aisle to a middle seat in Y (on a 9+ hour flight to Iran) so the wife could sit next to her husband. The guy seemed extremely shocked by my "rudeness" and looked at me as if I were the devil. They eventually persuaded some other fellow to move.
Agreed, but FAs are human (and often harried) and will sometimes take the path of least apparent resistance.