What would you do in this situation.
Mar 19, 2001 | 9:23 pm
#61
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Celia Cruz, you live forever in our hearts.
Posts: 2,052
Now I KNOW I have been reading flyertalk too much! On the subway tonight, I got a seat on a 3-seater bench and there were two empty seats next to me. A group of three people got on and only two got to sit down. The third had to stand up and I was just waiting for someone to ask me to give up my aisle seat for him! I was prepared to talk about my pre-selection of the seat, my elite status and so on but then realized I was on the SUBWAY and they would think I was nuts! (But at least I would get to keep my seat and maybe the other two would have left, too!) Also there have been several times on a one-hour train commute where I have forgotten myself. The seating configuration is three seats together, the aisle and two seats together. I definitely have a strategy to optimize my comfort and make sure no one is sitting next to me since I hate to be crowded if it is not necessary. Well with empty two-seaters or two seats available in other 3-seaters, sometimes couples want to sit in MY row. I can never understand it! I just get up and move, but I am thinking, I have been flying TOO MUCH if this is spilling over into my "normal" life. I couldn't even get miles from the dentist this weekend - he doesn't take credit cards - and that's the only thing that kept me going through the root canal!
:-)
:-)
Mar 19, 2001 | 10:18 pm
#62
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 16,065
I had two instances with swapped seats in the last few weeks, one each on DL and CO.
The DL incident left a bad taste in my mouth. Three of us were flying PBI-DFW on an absolute last minute journey - we boarded the aircraft with my associate's fiance still paying cash for our tickets as we pulled away from the gate. Since we didn't have boarding passes, we were told to grab "any empty seats" and we were able to snag the bulkhead aisle on the 2 side, as well as the second row window on the 2 side and the second row aisle on the 3 side. The only other seats available on the aircraft were scattered middle seats at the back.
There was a guy travelling alone in the second row aisle on the 2 side and I asked him politely if he would be willing to switch with ANY of us, so that we could hold a discussion to prepare for our meeting in Dallas. This gave him the option of switching to the bulkhead aisle one row up, the seat right across the aisle or the window seat right next to him.
He obviously assumed that we were non-revs (understandable since we ran on at the last second without boarding cards) and rather snobbishly said "I PAID for this seat and this is where I will stay, thank you very much". We decided not to argue, but instead conducted our conversation over him while he pretended to sleep. Serves him right.
The second instance involved a CO redeye from EWR to PHX. Once again, I was an Elite member and was waitlisted for First Class. I was checked into 23C, with an associate of mine in 23D across the aisle.
Just before pre-boarding, I hear my name paged. I think that maybe an upgrade is in the works. Nope. It appears that 23B is a mother travelling with a 6 year old child, so they have to take 23C away from me to accomodate them together. I am reassigned 24C.
I quietly sit in 24C until a big guy trudges down the aisle with a boarding pass for 24C and since his family is in 24A and 24B the gate agents move me again, this time to the ONLY unassigned seat left - the dreaded 25E non-reclining middle seat.
Needless to say, I was very annoyed and CO has received a letter from me regarding the situation.
The DL incident left a bad taste in my mouth. Three of us were flying PBI-DFW on an absolute last minute journey - we boarded the aircraft with my associate's fiance still paying cash for our tickets as we pulled away from the gate. Since we didn't have boarding passes, we were told to grab "any empty seats" and we were able to snag the bulkhead aisle on the 2 side, as well as the second row window on the 2 side and the second row aisle on the 3 side. The only other seats available on the aircraft were scattered middle seats at the back.
There was a guy travelling alone in the second row aisle on the 2 side and I asked him politely if he would be willing to switch with ANY of us, so that we could hold a discussion to prepare for our meeting in Dallas. This gave him the option of switching to the bulkhead aisle one row up, the seat right across the aisle or the window seat right next to him.
He obviously assumed that we were non-revs (understandable since we ran on at the last second without boarding cards) and rather snobbishly said "I PAID for this seat and this is where I will stay, thank you very much". We decided not to argue, but instead conducted our conversation over him while he pretended to sleep. Serves him right.
The second instance involved a CO redeye from EWR to PHX. Once again, I was an Elite member and was waitlisted for First Class. I was checked into 23C, with an associate of mine in 23D across the aisle.
Just before pre-boarding, I hear my name paged. I think that maybe an upgrade is in the works. Nope. It appears that 23B is a mother travelling with a 6 year old child, so they have to take 23C away from me to accomodate them together. I am reassigned 24C.
I quietly sit in 24C until a big guy trudges down the aisle with a boarding pass for 24C and since his family is in 24A and 24B the gate agents move me again, this time to the ONLY unassigned seat left - the dreaded 25E non-reclining middle seat.
Needless to say, I was very annoyed and CO has received a letter from me regarding the situation.
Mar 20, 2001 | 10:48 am
#63
Join Date: May 2000
Programs: Ozark Airlines--Lifetime Platinum, Braniff---Diamond, Eastern--Plutonium Motel 6--Guest of the Month
Posts: 853
Recent Story:
Mrs. zipual and I were heading home to ORD from BOS on AA. Flying in coach, both in aisle seats across from each other. Noticed a mother in the second row of coach, and her 4-5 year old son directly in front of her, and nobody around them would switch with her to get together. Coach was packed. I approached the f/a and said that if the gentleman sitting next to me would change places with my wife, he said "Sure! I can have an aisle instead of middle!" Now the mother and son could have our seats together and we would take their seats apart from each other. It was only a short flight, and we are each able to sit by ourselves. F/A approached us and gave us each a bottle of champagne along with the other gentelman that took my wife's seat. Others around us saw what we got and were now upset that they did not switch. It get's better...Head F/A comes back because coach is oversold and speaks to the F/A I talked to and they moved both my wife and I up to First with an Operational Upgrade!
It pays to be nice sometimes!!
Mrs. zipual and I were heading home to ORD from BOS on AA. Flying in coach, both in aisle seats across from each other. Noticed a mother in the second row of coach, and her 4-5 year old son directly in front of her, and nobody around them would switch with her to get together. Coach was packed. I approached the f/a and said that if the gentleman sitting next to me would change places with my wife, he said "Sure! I can have an aisle instead of middle!" Now the mother and son could have our seats together and we would take their seats apart from each other. It was only a short flight, and we are each able to sit by ourselves. F/A approached us and gave us each a bottle of champagne along with the other gentelman that took my wife's seat. Others around us saw what we got and were now upset that they did not switch. It get's better...Head F/A comes back because coach is oversold and speaks to the F/A I talked to and they moved both my wife and I up to First with an Operational Upgrade!
It pays to be nice sometimes!!