"Why is it that the people with the worst seat in the party always want to switch for the better seat?"

I like that. My FAVORITE in this category is the family of 4 (or 5 or 6 or...) on a Southwest flight that show up at the gate just before they close the door and has nothing left but 4 (or 5 or..) assorted middle seats throughout the plane. Then they start complaining to the FA (usually after they complain that there is no space for their overloaded Hefty bags full of clothes). Then the FA gets the task of begging enough people to give up non-exit row aisles/middles to accommodate them. I've seen this happen with several families at once. What a nightmare.

I absolutely love replying:

"That's why I got here an hour before the flight."

Southwest should put on their tickets: "IF YOU HAVE REASON TO PRE-BOARD YOU MUST CHECK-IN 20 MINUTES BEFORE TAKEOFF", instead of the usual 10.

This happened when we were flying once from PA to CA. Our children were rather young at the time. We made our seat selections early, only to find that we were given seats with the same numbers as other. I approached the FA and we were then given four seats seperated from each other. We were tempted to be tacky and leave our children to others, but instead threw ourselves on the mercy of other passengers. This was the second time something like this had happened.
I do not understand couples or friends who cannot be separated for a two hour flight. It's transportation, not a date.

Well, my attitude is, you don't get if you don't ask, so it doesn't hurt to ask (nicely). I understand that it is not always easy to get seats together, even with substantial advance planning. When asked, I decide, using my own criteria, which varies based on the situation, if I will give up my seat for one less desireable. I do in about 1 out of 3 requests, for a variety of reasons.

However, when I decline, I will try my best to offer some constructive advice, such as pointing out where a group of seats might be available, but not obvious to the requesting party or intervening with an FA to help find a good solution.

I have occasionally traded aisle for window, or middle for middle, but would never think of asking someone to give up an aisle or window for a middle.

Last month on a UA Shuttle I flew with Mrs. Law Lord (on the same PNR) and the 2-year-old Law Lord Jr. (with his own ticket on his own PNR). We got preassigned 6A and 6C but could not get him a preassigned seat as he's not yet a Premier, and figured that whoever had 6B would willingly trade with him if we couldn't get him into 6B.

The plane was oversold. We got boarding passes but LL Jr. got only a departure management card. The agents first assumed that LL Jr. had no ticket, then realized that if they bumped him then they had to bump Mrs. LL and me. Finally they paid someone on board a lot of money or vouchers (he came off the plane smiling broadly) to take the next flight. We got 6A, 6C, and 22D; the person in 6B gladly traded for 22D.

Wouldn't it be great to compile a list of one-liner responses that we could have at the ready when these situations occur? I like Flyerwife's for example. I would have given my seat up too, and been really unhappy about it, like NLP did, just because someone caught me offguard and I couldn't think of a way out of it quickly enough. But if we have these one-liners ready, it will really help. Does anyone have others? Or, you could try memorizing a few phrases in different languages. For a flight to Frankfurt, maybe you could say in Spanish, with a confused look on your face, "Lo siento pero no hablo ingles" or if going to Mexico, (though I have seen many Germans going there) you could say the same thing in German. I actually tried this once but I was busted when the other party said, "(*&^ I know you speak English I just heard you before!" Maybe pull out a Japanese/English traveler's phrasebook, hand to them and motion for them to point to the phrase?

[This message has been edited by CozumelJen (edited 02-26-2001).]

[This message has been edited by CozumelJen (edited 02-26-2001).]

That pretty much says it all right there...



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"Sire, it is not a revolt. It is a Revolution!"

Well, what would work for me is, "I'm sorry but I don't fit into that seat. That's why I got this one ahead of time."



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"Sire, it is not a revolt. It is a Revolution!"

why couldn't they trade the other way. the guy next to you move to bad seat and give that person the bulkhead that they were in. That seems more reasonable than asking you to give up great seat for a bad one.

And no I would not of traded

CozumelJen, ROTFL I've done similar in Thai on asian flights or, depending on the mood I'm in I might say, in feigned broken English (OK, for me it's not all that feigned) something like speak (I point my forefinger at my chest) Englit (the way a Thai would pronounce 'English') good good, what you know?, and then smile expectantly at the requester, waiting for an answer. Well... its worked for me.

Tino had the best one, I think...

Oh my Gosh, I forgot my favorite ploy for panhandlers asking for money on the street.

I tell them in my limited Polish, that I don't understand what they are saying. Of course, I have not tried this in Poland. There I would use my limited German, but it works evertime in every other place like Montreal, LA, etc.

One Guy cracked up laughing, that I 'really got him good'.

I will have to remember my limited Polish for all flights other then LOT airlines.

In this case, I would tell them I rather keep my seat since that's what our pre-planning and elite status got us -> the best possible seat in Y.

What I couldn't stand sometimes is people who take your seat before you board assuming that you WILL switch with them. When they see you, they'll say "Oh.. I am sitting with my wife, my seat is XX over there". In those situation, i will always say i rather stay in my original seats.

nlp:

I wondered the same thing as you .. they should have put mother or father and child in the two adjoining seats and one of the parents in the non-adjacent middle seat.

Personally, I think they took advantage of you.

-David

What gets me is when I'm in First or Business on an unrestricted fare and a NRSA has the gall to ask me to trade my preassigned window seat with their freeloading buddy who got the worst aisle seat.

Later they both disappear into the economy section...

In all fairness, I think the answer has to be a blanket "no" to all requests, especially if there was an opportunity to resolve seating issues before boarding passes were collected.

I've been in this situation and its partly my own fault. On a CO flight a few years ago I was sitting in First and the attendant asked me if I would mind moving because an elderly couple were seated apart. One look at the little old man & his portable oxygen tank & I agreed.

Before push back, but after the doors were closed, the agent asked me if I would move for another set of paxs. (Sure, the 22 year old traveling alone has nothing better to do) As it was still an aisle and in First, I said ok, but my eyes were rolling. After I settled in, she didn't even bother to come up to me, she just asked from the front of the aisle if I'd move again. She smiled and made some comment about musical chairs. Everyone was waiting to see what I would do & I said fine.

After I settled in, she had the nerve to glance my way again, but before she could open her mouth, I said (loud enough for everyone to hear) I wasn't getting up one more time and that if the paxs didn't like their seat arrangements they could deboard and try another flight. Someone actually murmered about my being inconsiderate!

I moved three times & that was enough, it wasn't like we were flying to NRT. Paxs will ask. I made the choice to move. What I didn't like was the attendant taking me for granted.

Granted, in the last 10 years, I have only flown with another 5 times. I have the ability to get through a flight alone. Others can as well.

Once, on a 12 hour flight to Amman, an attendant made a general announcement that there was a mother and infant who had been seated in smoking and she needed to move the baby. I gave up my seat for 2 reasons. There aren't many children in smoking and I had compassion for the infant who probably didn't want to be trapped on the airplane for 12 hours in the first place.

I was traveling with someone and after take off she gave up her seat & came back to where I was seated. After 20 minutes she started complaining that "I" put her in that position because the smoke was bothering her. My response was that I never told her to get up and that it was her own insecurity and inability to amuse herself for 12 hours that got her there.

That was the last time I gave up my seat and unless its for the infirmed or to get away from screaming brats, I'll never do it again. People should select their seat assignments at the time of booking AND get to the airport EARLY to insure it. If one can't handle being away from their traveling companion for a few hours, they have bigger issues.

[This message has been edited by KiraNarise (edited 02-27-2001).]