Seat Swap Request Horror Stories
Apr 12, 2017, 5:00 am
#946
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 2,188
If someone's religion is causing them a problem functioning in public, that is their problem. There is no way I am going to accomodate someone's religion. I cannot wait for the day I am in a similar situation and am asked to move because some other pax is stuck in the Iron Age.
Apr 13, 2017, 1:55 am
#947
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: in the vicinity of SFO
Programs: AA 2MM (LT-PLT, PPro for this year)
Posts: 19,781
The recent law enforcement assault on an involuntary de-board on United pretty much becomes the ultimate seat-swap horror story, at least until someone gets murdered for their seat.
Apr 13, 2017, 6:32 am
#948
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: RDU
Posts: 5,242
Apr 13, 2017, 7:32 am
#949
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Ontario, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, IHG, Enterprise, Avios, Nexus
Posts: 8,355
Apr 13, 2017, 8:30 am
#950
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: PVG, FRA, SEA, HEL
Programs: UA Premier Gold
Posts: 4,783
so the safest is when the captain says the door has closed.
Knowing whether the doors has been closed or not, is tough.
However, even if you are not sure and no one is coming, make sure to claim this row.
Sep 21, 2018, 2:13 pm
#951
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London / Los Angeles
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, BA Silver
Posts: 1,631
My partner was asked today to swap his seat on a domestic American Airlines flight. His seat was a window seat with no seat in front of his. He had paid for the seat a couple of hours before the flight for the legroom. The other two seats in his row had seats directly in front and had very limited legroom. A woman boards and sits in the aisle seat of his row with a dog and asks to swap with him so she can put her dog in the extra legroom area. He politely declined...and turns out that aisle seat wasn't even her seat anyway and she had to move.
Oct 21, 2018, 7:02 pm
#953
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
Oct 23, 2018, 11:10 am
#955
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: AS 75K (OW), SK Silver (*A), UR, MR
Posts: 3,347
Two somewhat big guys, whose chattiness I noticed at the gate, approached my B middle seat. One was sliding by into his A, while the other casually assumed I would be better off in his C. Well of course, but they probably split the seats to begin with hoping they would have the three seats to themselves.
Last edited by vanillabean; Oct 23, 2018 at 1:17 pm
Oct 23, 2018, 8:07 pm
#956
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: PDX
Programs: kayaker
Posts: 851
Two somewhat big guys, whose chattiness I noticed at the gate, approached my B middle seat. One was sliding by into his A, while the other casually assumed I would be better off in his C. Well of course, but they probably split the seats to begin with hoping they would have the three seats to themselves.
Oct 24, 2018, 12:29 am
#957
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,307
I do this all the time -- do you really feel like it's a problem? If the person in the middle really prefers the middle, then so be it; I'm not going to demand that they switch. But it feels like a win-win to me: either my wife and I get an extra middle seat, or the middle seat owner gets an upgrade to an aisle or window (his/her choice).
Picture the guy looking at the seat map and there's only middle seats left. He doesn't know that if he picks the one between you and your wife he's going to be lucky and get a window or aisle, so he picks one at random and loses out.
Oct 24, 2018, 12:52 am
#958
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: PDX
Programs: kayaker
Posts: 851
It's been discussed on here before and it's a selfish choice.
Picture the guy looking at the seat map and there's only middle seats left. He doesn't know that if he picks the one between you and your wife he's going to be lucky and get a window or aisle, so he picks one at random and loses out.
Picture the guy looking at the seat map and there's only middle seats left. He doesn't know that if he picks the one between you and your wife he's going to be lucky and get a window or aisle, so he picks one at random and loses out.
This really feels like a non-issue to me.
Oct 24, 2018, 4:30 pm
#960
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,042
Anytime you pick a seat, it becomes unavailable to somebody else who might want it and that it is just how it is. When traveling alone, I would like all the couples to leave the aisles open for me to select, but when I travel as half of a couple we take aisles across.