I agree - the bolded part is on point.

People seemed to be more concerned with "maximizing" one's rights than having consideration for others.

Personally, I like snuggling up to Mr. P, even if from the middle seat. Although I won't throw a tantrum and insist on sitting together if we're separated.

But as I pointed out above, when two people sit aisle-aisle, there are actually more chances left in that row for couples to sit together, namely two window-middle combinations. Now, if the issue is that a couple will be happy only with aisle-middle, not window-middle, then it just comes down to first-come, first-served for the aisle seat.

I rather doubt that many solo flyers would purposely choose a middle seat just because somebody who comes along later will prefer the aisle, so would they do that when they're with somebody else?

To clarify, that was the final straw. Going OT but to me WN issues included:
- Being unable to check-in during the 24 hour stampede twice put me in awful boarding groups
- Started using EBCI that was that glitchy at times
- Boarding a through flight and being relegated to a lousy seat.
- Evolve seats
- And the overused "Every seat is a first class seat!" from FAs
- Terrible elite benefits
- Multiple RR devaluations
- Awful IRROPS resolution
- Not enough WiFi enabled planes
- No PreCheck (About to change)

True, but I've heard just as many overly-loud conversations from people seated right next to each other.

I think that's an excellent way to describe a good chunk of the community on FT. Many on FT seem to forget or not care that much of the traveling public isn't as experienced or as knowledgeable as them, and as long as everything is okay for the FTer, the rest of the world be damned. I guess to an extent, that's human nature, but the extent of it on FT amazes me. It's extremely evident with statements like "lack of planning on your part doesn't constitute an emergency on mine". I don't know if it's how some people justify their "no" answer - by feeling like they can place all of the blame for the situation solely on the other person and then believe "this person did this to themselves so I don't have to feel bad for not helping them out", when in most cases, it's not the other person's fault, but just a set of lousy circumstances (ie, IROPs, equipment sub, last minute emergency booking, etc.). I realize FTers love their seat they spent hours "carefully selecting" (and I am often one of those people) but you have to look at it from both sides, especially from the person who doesn't know any better. The FTer says "It's just a couple hours. Deal without your companion for a while". The non-FTer thinks "It's just a couple hours. What difference does it make what seat you're in?" The issues arise when both people feel they're "right" and neither is willing to compromise.

That's a lot easier when the seat you were hoping to swap with was only one-row apart - not a big deal or creating a lot of unnecessary congestion in the aisle when switching. Part of the reason for "poaching" is that often people aren't that lucky. Often they're seperated by several rows and if the switch is agreed upon, that's two people trying to switch seats instead of just one, one of which may be trying to go against the flow. A couple years ago my wife had a window seat and I had an aisle seat 5 rows back or so from her. I sat in the middle seat next to her when we boarded. When the occupant of the seat boarded and came to his seat, I immediately offered him the aisle seat. He gladly accepted and was able to keep moving with the flow rather than one of us trying to swim upstream. Worst case is if he had said no (maybe he wanted to be further forward due to a tight connection), then I would have just been able to step out into the aisle and continue back to my seat, moving with the flow rather than against it. I admit this does require some judgment - will someone want to move 20-30 rows back? Maybe, maybe not, but it still worked out just fine. I'm sure my experience will make some FTer blow a gasket though.

+1 - :p

It's the curse of nothing but 3-3 seating (well especially on AS). I absolutely hate 737's for this reason, but what are my options? I personally like sitting across the aisle from the wife, but she doesn't like doing it this way...and guess who normally gets stuck in middle seat? I understand the economics of the 3-3, but for couples this seating sucks!

I am also amazed by the arrogance of many of the posters on FT, but our society seems to be getting more self-centered and less considerate of others these days. One time I got on a bus and saw a man with one hand in a cast and the other hand holding the overhead bar. Despite his cast, no one offered him a seat. I don't know how long he had been on, but I loudly said "this guy is handicapped, someone let him sit". I received angry glares from the other passengers, and a couple of expletives, but someone did grudgingly get up.

There is certainly a difference between a handicap and a lack of planning, but the principle is the same. You make a sacrifice and accept something less than what you are entitled to in order to help someone else who is in a worse situation than you are. A hundred years ago, this was common sense. In the modern day, it has become rare, and society will suffer because of it.

As someone who frequently has dexterity issues and resulting assistive devices, if you had done that to me I would have considered you inconsiderate and while I wouldn't have sworn at you audibly I would be furious with you for your lack of consideration towards me.

I in no way consider myself 'handicapped' and don't need people to point out my physical shortcomings to the greater world.

That's an example of how one person can consider others rude, but may in fact be the ones thought of as rude by others. The same holds true for many of the responses on this thread.

How does a couple booking two aisle seats on a flight equate to people on a bus not giving up a seat for a handicapped person?

The OP for this thread suggested that booking two aisle seats was rude and there was nothing about any actions afterwards.

+1

The discussion has sidetracked into other issues as well, such as seat swapping. The post you referenced quoted me, and I have no issue with aisle/aisle bookings by couples.

They don't "equate", but they are analogous. In both situations, you see that someone is in a bad situation, and you have the opportunity to make them more comfortable by giving up something that they will derive far more benefit from than you will. Obviously the magnitude is different. It is much harder for a handicapped person to stand than it is for a solo traveler to sit in the middle seat between two strangers. But it is also far easier to switch seats so that the solo traveler can have an aisle, than to give up a seat to the handicapped person. The solo traveler can make better use of the aisle than a couple, just as the handicapped person can make better use of the seat than someone else.

I cannot believe that you consider someone with a cast on their arm 'handicapped'.

But then I am not surprised to see some people calling others rude for not meeting their own rigid standard of what they consider acceptable behaviour. It's not up to one passenger to decide if others are more or less 'worthy' of having certain seats.

How in the world is my wife & I sitting in aisle seats inconsiderate of others (as you stated in an earlier post)? She reads her book and I read mine. The "solo" traveler cannot make better use of the aisle seat - we both use it same way.

Agreed.

My husband and I are often on 2 PNRs. We don't even have to look like we're together if we don't want to :D :D

As well, I've been asked many, many times if I wanted to switch my aisle seat for a middle seat so I could be next to my husband. The answer is always "no, thank you, but we planned it this way". I will switch for another aisle.