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buying a second seat ....

buying a second seat ....

Old Jun 22, 2019, 2:07 pm
  #1  
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buying a second seat ....

On reddit there is one guy asking, what the opinion is to buying a second economy seat for himself. (don't know if linking is allowed, can add the link if requested to the discussion).
I never thought of that myself, but think it's a great idea. Even tough myself (and apparently the poster over there) not obese, but I realized with my build I don't fit at all in an eco seat. I don't sill over, but it0's extremly unconfortable. Additionally I don't like to be squeezed in, have trouble being relaxed at all. An empty middle seat is always a great surprise for me and helps with space issue and feeling better.

Anyway, what do you think of that? Certainly cheaper then buying business (sometimes)....I like the idea and will look into that next time flying longer time
W
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Old Jun 22, 2019, 4:30 pm
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I think you'll find this post by Gary very informative to your question.

https://viewfromthewing.boardingarea...g-us-airlines/
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Old Jun 22, 2019, 5:29 pm
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Originally Posted by Wombelero
On reddit there is one guy asking, what the opinion is to buying a second economy seat for himself. (don't know if linking is allowed, can add the link if requested to the discussion).
I never thought of that myself, but think it's a great idea. Even tough myself (and apparently the poster over there) not obese, but I realized with my build I don't fit at all in an eco seat. I don't sill over, but it0's extremly unconfortable. Additionally I don't like to be squeezed in, have trouble being relaxed at all. An empty middle seat is always a great surprise for me and helps with space issue and feeling better.

Anyway, what do you think of that? Certainly cheaper then buying business (sometimes)....I like the idea and will look into that next time flying longer time
W

It can be vastly cheaper than first and almost as comfortable...however.....I have witnessed purchased second seats not being honored.
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Old Jun 22, 2019, 10:44 pm
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Originally Posted by jimmygottfredson
I think you'll find this post by Gary very informative to your question.

https://viewfromthewing.boardingarea...g-us-airlines/
Given that the OP lives in Switzerland and has status with M&M, I can't imagine a survey of US carriers (from Gary Leff, no less) would be that informative.
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Old Jun 23, 2019, 1:37 am
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Originally Posted by Beltway2A
Given that the OP lives in Switzerland and has status with M&M, I can't imagine a survey of US carriers (from Gary Leff, no less) would be that informative.
Within Europe, it's called business class, although you often must share the empty middle seat with another passenger.

Different airlines have different policies and the extra seat generally must be booked correctly; you don't just buy a second ticket for your flight. The extra seat generally doesn't earn FF credit.
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Old Jun 23, 2019, 2:11 am
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
although you often must share the empty middle seat with another passenger.

This is the slight problem with the extra seat route - it will inevitably be shared with another person, even if you have bought it. You then have a choice whether to get irritated by this, or just accept it and enjoy the karma.
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Old Jun 23, 2019, 11:55 am
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Originally Posted by lhrsfo
This is the slight problem with the extra seat route - it will inevitably be shared with another person, even if you have bought it. You then have a choice whether to get irritated by this, or just accept it and enjoy the karma.
I think in certain scenarios it'll work out better than others. As an example, traveling alone in a 2-seat configuration (A330/A340) would be great or in a 3-seat configuration when traveling as a pair. Isn't the latter sort of like the premise of Air New Zealand's "couch" thing?
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Old Jun 23, 2019, 2:42 pm
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Originally Posted by lhrsfo
This is the slight problem with the extra seat route - it will inevitably be shared with another person, even if you have bought it. You then have a choice whether to get irritated by this, or just accept it and enjoy the karma.
Shared how? If you've paid for the seat and have a boarding pass for it the seat is yours. There should be no hesitation in explaining that to another passenger.

European business class is different because both of you have paid for the extra space and the middle seat is "shared."
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Old Jun 23, 2019, 3:11 pm
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Originally Posted by lhrsfo
This is the slight problem with the extra seat route - it will inevitably be shared with another person, even if you have bought it. You then have a choice whether to get irritated by this, or just accept it and enjoy the karma.
If I purchases 2x seats and was assigned middle+window.... I would sit in the middle, spill over to the window, and make it clear that BOTH seats are mine.

If the passenger in the aisle asks - I'd explain I paid for both seats, and thus I'm using both seats.
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Old Jun 23, 2019, 3:46 pm
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Originally Posted by Plato90s
If I purchases 2x seats and was assigned middle+window.... I would sit in the middle, spill over to the window, and make it clear that BOTH seats are mine.

If the passenger in the aisle asks - I'd explain I paid for both seats, and thus I'm using both seats.
I'd rather have the separation from the other person. An attempt by another passenger to use the seat I paid for would be met with a polite but unequivocal explanation.
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Old Jun 23, 2019, 5:58 pm
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Originally Posted by Beltway2A
Given that the OP lives in Switzerland and has status with M&M, I can't imagine a survey of US carriers (from Gary Leff, no less) would be that informative.
whoops - my bad. US centric thinking.
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Old Jun 24, 2019, 12:22 am
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Originally Posted by lhrsfo
This is the slight problem with the extra seat route - it will inevitably be shared with another person, even if you have bought it. You then have a choice whether to get irritated by this, or just accept it and enjoy the karma.
I purchased 2 tickets for a big sporting event but my friend cancelled and I couldn't find anyone else to go so I went alone. I made sure the person on the other side of the empty seat knew that I had purchased that seat so it was in fact mine. I spread my stuff out over it and he didn't have a complaint.
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Old Jun 24, 2019, 7:54 am
  #13  
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Originally Posted by lhrsfo
This is the slight problem with the extra seat route - it will inevitably be shared with another person, even if you have bought it. You then have a choice whether to get irritated by this, or just accept it and enjoy the karma.
Originally Posted by Badenoch
Shared how? If you've paid for the seat and have a boarding pass for it the seat is yours. There should be no hesitation in explaining that to another passenger.
In practice, you'd have to be truly enormous, and sitting next to someone who was also rather enormous, for this to be an actual issue. Certainly you have dibs on the underseat space if you want it. The "normal" protocol for an empty middle seat seems to be that both adjacent pax share the tray table and maybe put their magazine or book in the seat. Seems like that would still work fine even if the occupants of the window and aisle seats were large people.

Originally Posted by Plato90s
If I purchases 2x seats and was assigned middle+window.... I would sit in the middle, spill over to the window, and make it clear that BOTH seats are mine.

If the passenger in the aisle asks - I'd explain I paid for both seats, and thus I'm using both seats.
That just sounds like two uncomfortable people when neither one needs to be uncomfortable. Even if you're "spilling" generally in one direction, it's still less buttroom and lateral legroom than if the middle seat is between you.
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Old Jun 24, 2019, 10:58 am
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Originally Posted by Annalisa12
I purchased 2 tickets for a big sporting event but my friend cancelled and I couldn't find anyone else to go so I went alone. I made sure the person on the other side of the empty seat knew that I had purchased that seat so it was in fact mine. I spread my stuff out over it and he didn't have a complaint.
It's not your seat, it's the airlines. Since your friend didn't check in the airline could have possibly moved someone else to that seat, and it would be none of your business. In your case you got lucky.
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Old Jun 24, 2019, 12:07 pm
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Originally Posted by COSPILOT
It's not your seat, it's the airlines. Since your friend didn't check in the airline could have possibly moved someone else to that seat, and it would be none of your business. In your case you got lucky.
This is correct if the ticket is booked in another name and that person did not receive a boarding pass. However, if a passenger buys two seats in his/her name and gets two boarding passes it is their seat until arrival.
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