Seat Swap Request Horror Stories
May 12, 2013, 2:31 pm
#31
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May 12, 2013, 5:41 pm
#32
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May 12, 2013, 5:47 pm
#33
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Meanwhile, I have a story in which I offered to switch and the offer was ignored.
I was flying PDX-MFR in a Jetstream 31, in which seating was 1-2. I was assigned to a seat in the 2-side side, with an empty seat beside me.
The row in front was the exit row. The two seats in that row were taken by a woman and a boy, possibly her son, who appeared to be about eight years old. The crew (co-pilot, iirc, as there was no FA) asked them to move, because the boy was too young for an exit row. They refused, then switched seats with each other - which made no difference. A complicated seat-swap discussion ensued with the passengers on the 1-seat side, to no avail. I offered several times, loudly I thought, to switch with them, but neither the woman passenger nor the crew member paid any attention. The boy was finally moved to the only other empty seat, but moved back as soon as the co-pilot wasn't looking.
I was flying PDX-MFR in a Jetstream 31, in which seating was 1-2. I was assigned to a seat in the 2-side side, with an empty seat beside me.
The row in front was the exit row. The two seats in that row were taken by a woman and a boy, possibly her son, who appeared to be about eight years old. The crew (co-pilot, iirc, as there was no FA) asked them to move, because the boy was too young for an exit row. They refused, then switched seats with each other - which made no difference. A complicated seat-swap discussion ensued with the passengers on the 1-seat side, to no avail. I offered several times, loudly I thought, to switch with them, but neither the woman passenger nor the crew member paid any attention. The boy was finally moved to the only other empty seat, but moved back as soon as the co-pilot wasn't looking.
What makes this a horror story?
May 13, 2013, 12:32 pm
#35
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A few years back, when my daughter was about 1.5 years, I was traveling on biz trip to Asia; flying LH.
I got the business seat cause of work and I bought my wife an economy class ticket to travel with my daughter.
We took our seats, planning to talk to the FA, after departure of the flight to change our seats.
The part of the plane that my wife sat with my daughter was a window two seat side, so there was a man sitting next to her in the aisle.
I took my seat and told my wife and daughter to take theirs. When my wife took her seat with our child...I could see the aisle guy's expression that he would have to sit 9+ hours with a 1.5 year old lap child.
He did not look too pleasant.
Understanding this, I just went up to the purser and asked if we could just switch from the very beginning...I would sit in the window and wife would take the business seat. Purser says "no problem"....you should have seen the guy's expression of joy, when he heard that my daughter moved to business class with my wife.
Too bad...I could not sit with them....
I got the business seat cause of work and I bought my wife an economy class ticket to travel with my daughter.
We took our seats, planning to talk to the FA, after departure of the flight to change our seats.
The part of the plane that my wife sat with my daughter was a window two seat side, so there was a man sitting next to her in the aisle.
I took my seat and told my wife and daughter to take theirs. When my wife took her seat with our child...I could see the aisle guy's expression that he would have to sit 9+ hours with a 1.5 year old lap child.
He did not look too pleasant.
Understanding this, I just went up to the purser and asked if we could just switch from the very beginning...I would sit in the window and wife would take the business seat. Purser says "no problem"....you should have seen the guy's expression of joy, when he heard that my daughter moved to business class with my wife.
Too bad...I could not sit with them....
May 14, 2013, 3:30 pm
#37
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On a LHR-JFK flight,as I boarded the plane,I came across a gentleman sitting in my aisle seat. (Coach...way before I'd heard of FlyerTalk).
I explained to him that he was in my seat and he tried explaining to me in broken English (with a Russian accent) that he wanted to sit next to his wife and his seat was in the next row.
Having lived in Russia for 6 years, I speak fluent russian and told him in russian that it wasn't a big deal and I'd be glad to switch seats.
The lady in the next row overheard us talking and says to her neighbor in an audible whisper, "Oh my God what are they talking about in that strange language?" I looked at her and she rolled her eyes in apparent disgust (!?)
Normally I could care less, because I've dealt with a lot of racism in my time in Russia but the whole eye roll just got under my skin.
Turns out that the seat I was being offered to switch for was also an aisle seat and it was all good.
I take my seat and a few minutes later she taps my shoulder and asks me in a voice dripping with honey, if I'd be "so kind" to switch seats with her, because she likes sitting in the aisle seat.
Needless to say, I refused.
I explained to him that he was in my seat and he tried explaining to me in broken English (with a Russian accent) that he wanted to sit next to his wife and his seat was in the next row.
Having lived in Russia for 6 years, I speak fluent russian and told him in russian that it wasn't a big deal and I'd be glad to switch seats.
The lady in the next row overheard us talking and says to her neighbor in an audible whisper, "Oh my God what are they talking about in that strange language?" I looked at her and she rolled her eyes in apparent disgust (!?)
Normally I could care less, because I've dealt with a lot of racism in my time in Russia but the whole eye roll just got under my skin.
Turns out that the seat I was being offered to switch for was also an aisle seat and it was all good.
I take my seat and a few minutes later she taps my shoulder and asks me in a voice dripping with honey, if I'd be "so kind" to switch seats with her, because she likes sitting in the aisle seat.
Needless to say, I refused.
May 14, 2013, 3:57 pm
#38
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Since there have been a few funny/horrifying stories of seat swap requests over in this thread, I thought I would try to start a "master thread" for venting about such requests.
I'll start with a couple I've mentioned elsewhere:
I once was next to a woman, who was in a middle seat, and whose boyfriend was in the middle in front of her. After they got settled, he looked at her and said "well, go ahead, ask!" and she proceeded to ask me to switch with her boyfriend.
Sometimes, swap requests are the opposite of bad. I've been the beneficiary of what I call a 'friend-up', when a passenger in F offered to swap with me to sit with his friend in Y. I didn't mind pretending to be a 1K up in F for the flight
I'll start with a couple I've mentioned elsewhere:
I once was next to a woman, who was in a middle seat, and whose boyfriend was in the middle in front of her. After they got settled, he looked at her and said "well, go ahead, ask!" and she proceeded to ask me to switch with her boyfriend.
Sometimes, swap requests are the opposite of bad. I've been the beneficiary of what I call a 'friend-up', when a passenger in F offered to swap with me to sit with his friend in Y. I didn't mind pretending to be a 1K up in F for the flight
May 14, 2013, 3:59 pm
#39
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May 15, 2013, 3:05 pm
#40
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Originally Posted by jatink129:207512
I take my seat and a few minutes later she taps my shoulder and asks me in a voice dripping with honey, if I'd be "so kind" to switch seats with her, because she likes sitting in the aisle seat.
Needless to say, I refused.
May 15, 2013, 3:07 pm
#41
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May 18, 2013, 12:11 pm
#43
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After reading through this thread I am definitely thankful to have been pretty lucky when it comes to seat swaps. The closest I've come to an unpleasant swap is having my grandfather guilt me into swapping into 7B from 7D on a CO 73G so that an elderly couple could sit together for the 3hr flight.
May 19, 2013, 1:53 am
#44
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,220
On a C17... typical family reunification switch. I had a nice, cozy seat next to the loadmaster, someone asked me to switch so they could sit next to the family. I obliged and ended up in the very last seat on the plane, right next to the aft door and the ramp. Little did I know that on C17s temperature spread is minimum 20 degrees between the front and the back and feels more like a 50 degree spread. According to the crew, temp was on the low 40s back there and I wasn't dressed for that. It had to be the most miserable flight in my life, it made me forget all about how uncomfortable a jump seat is. Never again.