Seat Swap Request Horror Stories
Sep 2, 2016, 11:50 am
#767
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: where the chile is hot
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Posts: 41,705
+1
I was coming back from KOA on a packed red-eye once. People are tired, sunburned, and a lot of families with seating issues. I was in the left front Y seat by the door, witnessing all this. Every single request I heard the lead FA or her crew respond to followed the same pattern.
Pax explains their needs (we are 7 and we all HAVE to be seated together, the gate agent promised us, had the seats when we booked, bla-bla). The FA's first response was to remind the pax that any swap had to be like-for-like/better, in some cases, gracefully pointing out to the pax that it's an elaborate puzzle and they wouldn't like to be shoved out of their seats to accommodate someone else.
I wrote a long letter full of praise after that flight. One of the smoothest Hawaii boarding experiences I've ever witnessed.
I was coming back from KOA on a packed red-eye once. People are tired, sunburned, and a lot of families with seating issues. I was in the left front Y seat by the door, witnessing all this. Every single request I heard the lead FA or her crew respond to followed the same pattern.
Pax explains their needs (we are 7 and we all HAVE to be seated together, the gate agent promised us, had the seats when we booked, bla-bla). The FA's first response was to remind the pax that any swap had to be like-for-like/better, in some cases, gracefully pointing out to the pax that it's an elaborate puzzle and they wouldn't like to be shoved out of their seats to accommodate someone else.
I wrote a long letter full of praise after that flight. One of the smoothest Hawaii boarding experiences I've ever witnessed.
Last edited by chollie; Sep 2, 2016 at 6:51 pm Reason: spelling
Sep 3, 2016, 10:01 am
#768
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 948
Sep 3, 2016, 10:31 am
#769
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: NYS
Programs: Days of Our Lives, General Hospital
Posts: 1,495
Not a horror story
On a recent flight from MIA to PHL in an A330, I had seat 8B: left side on the aisle. Except on overnight flights, I always try for an aisle seat.
After I was seated, a man in seat 8C, across the aisle in the center section, asked if I would switch with him because his wife was in 8A. I was willing to do this -- I didn't care about being near the window, and in either A or C, only one person has to pass my seat to get to the aisle.
The key thing was that both of them sat in their assigned seats and asked after I was seated in mine, no attempt to poach.
After I was seated, a man in seat 8C, across the aisle in the center section, asked if I would switch with him because his wife was in 8A. I was willing to do this -- I didn't care about being near the window, and in either A or C, only one person has to pass my seat to get to the aisle.
The key thing was that both of them sat in their assigned seats and asked after I was seated in mine, no attempt to poach.
Sep 3, 2016, 10:49 am
#770
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Join Date: Sep 2006
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On a recent flight from MIA to PHL in an A330, I had seat 8B: left side on the aisle. Except on overnight flights, I always try for an aisle seat.
After I was seated, a man in seat 8C, across the aisle in the center section, asked if I would switch with him because his wife was in 8A. I was willing to do this -- I didn't care about being near the window, and in either A or C, only one person has to pass my seat to get to the aisle.
The key thing was that both of them sat in their assigned seats and asked after I was seated in mine, no attempt to poach.
After I was seated, a man in seat 8C, across the aisle in the center section, asked if I would switch with him because his wife was in 8A. I was willing to do this -- I didn't care about being near the window, and in either A or C, only one person has to pass my seat to get to the aisle.
The key thing was that both of them sat in their assigned seats and asked after I was seated in mine, no attempt to poach.
He offered (as best he could tell*) like for like seats and didn't preemptively occupy the seat he wanted. ^^
* I have had to decline a swap in similar circumstances. I needed an aisle to stretch a knee post-surgery. Obviously, only one side of the aisle would work.
Sep 4, 2016, 1:39 pm
#771
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: OSL/IAH/ZRH (time, not preference)
Programs: UA1K, LH GM, AA EXP->GM
Posts: 38,265
n one case even to an E- for a short TATL,as the person was injured in gypsum an crutches and got separated from her companion due to a misconnect and she was very non-demanding.
I'd never give in to a poacher though, no matter how strong their case.
True ... but often the FAs side with the perpetrators.
Sep 6, 2016, 10:05 am
#772
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,808
Indeed. But we should all remember that the FA doesn't have the final say. I have kicked it up past the FA to the lead FA and the GA on occasion, and once demanded a station sup when I figured out that the poacher was a non-rev in cahoots with the FA because they were friends.
Sep 6, 2016, 10:35 am
#773
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: RDU
Posts: 5,242
Indeed. But we should all remember that the FA doesn't have the final say. I have kicked it up past the FA to the lead FA and the GA on occasion, and once demanded a station sup when I figured out that the poacher was a non-rev in cahoots with the FA because they were friends.
Sep 6, 2016, 11:26 pm
#774
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: OSL/IAH/ZRH (time, not preference)
Programs: UA1K, LH GM, AA EXP->GM
Posts: 38,265
Indeed. But we should all remember that the FA doesn't have the final say. I have kicked it up past the FA to the lead FA and the GA on occasion, and once demanded a station sup when I figured out that the poacher was a non-rev in cahoots with the FA because they were friends.
I was. When I was a less experienced flyer ... she even demanded that I'd leave the plane but refused to give me anything in writing. So I demanded that the police escort me off the plane and she wasn't brave enough to get law enforcement involved.
Sep 12, 2016, 9:44 pm
#776
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On a recent VX flight where we boarded late, another PAX was in my wife's aisle seat so she had to shoo him away and explain that she didn't want to switch because her family was across the aisle from her. It wasn't bad but it would have been better if other PAX hadn't sat in her seat first.
Sep 13, 2016, 4:41 am
#777
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,808
An infrequently discussed type of poacher is the "polite poacher" who will offer no resistance when asked to move out of your seat, but still takes your seat before you get there reasoning that it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
Personally, I still treat them like a poacher because that's what they are. I had a very polite poacher last month..probably really polite because he was a non-rev WN employee on a UA flight. No resistance at all...but i still reported him to UA and WN. Of course, non-revs poaching is an entirely worse matter because they KNOW they are not supposed to do it and they do it anyhow.
Personally, I still treat them like a poacher because that's what they are. I had a very polite poacher last month..probably really polite because he was a non-rev WN employee on a UA flight. No resistance at all...but i still reported him to UA and WN. Of course, non-revs poaching is an entirely worse matter because they KNOW they are not supposed to do it and they do it anyhow.
Sep 13, 2016, 5:16 am
#779
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,580
An infrequently discussed type of poacher is the "polite poacher" who will offer no resistance when asked to move out of your seat, but still takes your seat before you get there reasoning that it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
Personally, I still treat them like a poacher because that's what they are. I had a very polite poacher last month..probably really polite because he was a non-rev WN employee on a UA flight. No resistance at all...but i still reported him to UA and WN. Of course, non-revs poaching is an entirely worse matter because they KNOW they are not supposed to do it and they do it anyhow.
Personally, I still treat them like a poacher because that's what they are. I had a very polite poacher last month..probably really polite because he was a non-rev WN employee on a UA flight. No resistance at all...but i still reported him to UA and WN. Of course, non-revs poaching is an entirely worse matter because they KNOW they are not supposed to do it and they do it anyhow.
I'm not sure why so many people on here are opposed to "poaching" but will make a trade if asked. If someone wants your seat, it's better that they sit there and wait for you to arrive rather than standing in the aisle and blocking other passengers. If they sit in their assigned seat while waiting for you, then you may sit down and then be asked to move, which is not ideal. As long as they haven't settled into your seat by opening the blanket package and putting their stuff everywhere, I don't see the problem with sitting down and waiting. Of course, I would expect them to be polite about it and move if their offer is declined, but I find this "I say no to poachers on principle" attitude on this thread to be rather ridiculous.