nrr

I'm EXP on AA, I can 99.99% of the time choose a window exit row seat [if I haven't been upgraded!]
Since children can't sit in exit rows, this would in general not be an issue for me.
But, I would never give up a window seat (my favorite) for anything but another window seat--let the parent bother someone else.

brownie1967

This is very true: I have seen love extend to wanting, nay needing, my 31B on an AA 777, but distance between the love birds was acceptable when faced with a middle seat of 5 a few rows forward.

Ben and Jerry

"No thank you", no more, no less.

As we say in dutch: "van ruilen komt huilen", literally translated "trading turns into crying".

geirfugl

For some unbelievably strange reason Im newer asked to give up a midle seat to somebody who wants to sit with her husband in the midle rather than the aisle bcs they did not bother to choose(on airlines that DO NOT charge),for some unfathomable reason Im frequently asked to give up my aisle to somebody who wants to sit with her husband in the aisle rather than in a middle(its ALWAYS the woman doing the asking),how CAN THIS POSSIBLY BE ??

BSBD

I moved from an aisle seat to a middle seat on a long WN flight, so that a WWII veteran could sit next to his wife. Anyone who wouldn't do the same is a sociopathic cretin.

dchristiva

I like that! I'll have to remember to use that line. ^

TrojanHorse

If I understand the rules properly, an adult traveling with a person who is not eligible to sit in an exit row (such as a minor who hasn't reached the proper age) is not allowed too sit in the exit row.

lloydah

Most males of that age would be WW11 veterans so what you're saying is only a sociopathic cretin wouldn't give up their seat to an elderly gentleman. Also, did you mean the couple were each side of the aisle?

I'd like to say I'd do the same as you did (without the insults if I didn't) but some circumstances, such as one's own health, might mean a negative answer.

As a note here if we went down that path would we also give up a seat for anyone else who risked life and limb in service -firefighters/police/lifeboatmen? Where do you draw the line here?

BSBD

This particular gentleman was a crewmember on the USS Yorktown (CV-5). Afaik anyone who lived through that deserves every courtesy and privilege that can be offered.

He was an infrequent flyer, and he and his wife ended up in "c" on a full flight, so they each would have been stuck in separated middle seats unless someone was willing to take a middle seat. I recognized the (discreet) insignia that he wore, asked him a couple of validating questions, and gladly gave up my seat for a man who went through something that those of us who weren't there can never understand.

As to others - if you are healthy and young, I don't care who you are or where you sit. If you're elderly and disabled, or elderly and distinguished (as in the case of the above gentleman), all courtesy within reason should be given.

lloydah

Fair enough, I agree.

goalie

For a seat with the same features (aisle, recline legroom, footwell and etc) on a short flight I would probably do it but on a long haul flight to an "inferior seat", I would politely decline

tjl

Any interesting stories? Coral Sea and Midway are well documented in history books, but there could always be additional points of view that did not make it into the history books.

sonastride

Most likely I wouldn't. Depends on how the situation presents itself and on my mood.

FlyingMBA

My decision-making process on whether or not to swap my seat has 95% to do with how polite and unassuming the person doing the asking is. If you're rude, entitled, demanding or any combination of the above, I'll tell you NO in no uncertain terms.

It's all about honey and vinegar with me. Give me sugar, I'll likely return the favour.

thestarrynight

Agree with WIRunner and Flying MBA. I often say yes to switching seats, especially if the request is from a parent with a child and/or folks who ask nicely. That being said, before accepting the switch, I do a quick mental review:

(1) length of flight (I probably have an upper max)
(2) location of new seat (is it many rows back? grossly near the bathroom? middle seat sandwiched in between two NFL linebackers?)
(3) level of courtesy from the requester(s)
(4) is there a different configuration that would be a win-win for all parties?

As someone who has occasionally asked to switch seats to sit next to a friend/loved one, I agree that offering to take the worse seat, being polite (I dislike walking onto the plane only to find that someone has preemptively taken my seat as a way to try to push a switch), and/or potentially offering a sweetener (buy the requestee drinks or entertainment) increase the chances of the request being met.