Seat Hoppers
 

Anybody else experience this problem?

When I fly, I usually request an aisle seat. Beer and coffee are two of the essentials of my diet, and I don't like crawling over people to get to the head. Besides, nothing much to see out the window in the Northeast in winter.

As an elite, the airline tries to block out the seats next to me (thank you very much). If I'm lucky, I get an exit row.

On my last three sgments, I was fortunate to have an aisle seat with no one else in the row. Great! After the door closed, I slid over to the window to watch the takeoff. Gee, not too much snow on the ground, wonder if we'll...

Wham! The poster child for liposuction plunks himself in my briefly vacated set. He look at me and smiles and says "This is a nicer seat." No s***, Jack! That's why I requested it.

Well, I made about three trips to the lav in under 90 minutes, but he didn't get the hint. He didn't even get out of his seat - I had to step all over him to get out. I didn't try to be that careful.

The next segment, I waited until we were on the taxi way, and everyone was belted in. I moved to the window quickly and began to stretch out..Wham! Another body plunks down in the aisle seat. He doesn't look at me, just pulls out his laptop and begins to work (even before takeoff). Well, I bothered him a bit. too (never can break wind when you really want to), but there I stayed by the window.

Finally, third segment. I had the last row in the plane to myself. Seat doesn't even recline. Waited until we were airborne. Slid over to the window and ... you guessed it - Wham!

This guy proceeded to read the magazine with the light off and continued until I got up to get out. He then jumped up went back to his original seat which was also an aisle seat!.

I don't like to be rude (unless I've had a few) but how do you handle this sort of thing? Is it just me or have others noticed this, too?

If someone asks, like it's a couple that got split up, or something like that, I'm usually more than happy to accomodate people. But this rushing in and squatting seems downright rude. Common courtesy would seem to dictate at least a "Would you mind?", but perhaps common courtesy is like common sense - not very common.

You left your seat. Why are you complaining that someone else took it? If you want to keep your seat, sit in it.

Just tell him you paid for both seats and to get lost.

Next time leave a personal item (a coat, book or something like that) in your seat: that will lower the chances of somebody "stealing" your seat.

However I agree with JS:

You started with the hopping, so don't be surprised if people follow suit... They probably think you prefer the window seat over the isle seat and take the vacated seat.

Stay in your original seat.


Problem solved.

Leave stuff on the seat. Problem solved.

Or, impersonate Arnold Schwarzenegger: "Get out."

When I board, if I expect the seat next to me to be vacant, I spread out my stuff on it.

If someone asks to sit there, especially after boarding, I ask nicely "Oh, is this your seat?"

If they say it's not, I explain that the airline kept it vacant so I'd have space to work, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Of course, if it is his/her seat, I pick up my stuff right away.

Sounds like you were not only expecting and aisle seat with the seat next to you blocked, but also the window seat too. You get one or the other, not both.

If I were stuck in a window or middle seat, and I noticed a untaken aisle seat somewhere, I would likely try to snag it myself as I too hate being boxed in.

At any rate, stick to your aisle seat and you won't have a problem.

Wherever there is a problem there is almost always a solution. Here are a few options...

(1) Announce in a demonic voice: "I must find a more suitable host body."

(2) Wear "X-Ray Specs" and leer suggestively at the other passenger.

(3) Blow your nose and offer to show the contents of your kleenex to the squatter.

(4) Stare, grinning, at the passenger for a while, and then announce: "I've got new socks on!"

(5) Give religious tracts to squatter.

(6) Frown and mutter "gotta go, gotta go" then sigh and say "oops!"

(7) Stare at squatter for a while, then announce "You're one of THEM!" and press yourself against the wall.

Alright, alright, I can take a hint. Certainly no sympathy on this board.

I guess I was trying to make two points:

1. Most of us are willing to accomodate people, but we like to be asked. I've often switched seats to go to an empty row, but if someone's already in a seat (any seat), I'd hesitate and certainly ask first.

2. There should be a "decent interval" between the time you vacate a seat and the time someone else feels it's OK to grab it. You might be off to the lav, or visiting a colleague in another row, or just moving over for a few minutes to gaze out the window.

From the comments, it seems like most folks think my seat assignment is like my lap: when I stand up it disappears. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/frown.gif

Perhaps you can just show the seat hopper your boarding pass showing that the seat was yours.

You can say that you are are a three time loser, now!

Why did you want the aisle seat if you JUMPED to the window seat before the plane left the ground?
I find an empty aisle seat very inviting!!

why would you expect a different outcome by repeating the same behavior?
Definition for insanity. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

BigLar your 1st post cracked me up. Wham. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...um/biggrin.gif

When I luck out and get a full row on an Airbus 319/320 (I fly AC only) I move to the middle seat once the door is closed. I look out the window from the middle for fear of what you describe.

Once airborne I open the window seat tray and put some work on it and put other work things on the aisle seat. This affirms the "back off, get your own seat".

Don't get me wrong, I am not an Ogre and will let someone else have the window they have a 3 people in their aisle and they look distressed by their situation (and we've all been there) http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

Not at all. You could have told the first guy that the aisle seat was yours explaining that you just wanted to look out the window for take-off. He then could have decided whether he wanted to return to his assigned seat, or go for the window seat. The airline blocks the seat next to yours, not the whole row. He had probably been eyeing that seat from the time the plane left the gate so there was no reason for him to assume that it belonged to someone when it went empty for take-off.

A reasonable person would assume you did not intend to return to the aisle seat if you moved to the window and didn't leave anything in the aisle seat.

There are often few aisle seats available and ticket agents are often less kind to others, often carelessly sandwiching tall pax in middle seats. Its a game of musical chairs once the door closes--the early bird gets the worm. I doubt they would have invaded your space if you left something on the seat.