NightTripper

Thanks to all for the pros and cons of this strategy.

How exactly do you (Mr. H) not tolerate two pax talking across you, other than request that one of the two offenders switch seats with you? Do you stay put and simply make louder noises, so that the two offenders can not hear each other?

Mr H

I would ask them not to talk across me because it is rude. If they choose not to do this, then I would ask the FA to intercede. At the end of the day, the window and aisle pax chose their seats and they need to accept the limitations that come with that choice.

DuckSoupforMe

Can the flight attendant prevent them from speaking to one another? What if they keep talking? I'll bet they would end up talking about how some people are complete morons who are inflexible and humorless.

Rebelyell

Even so, a certain amount of banter between seats A and C is not against the rules.

I must say I find your attitude odd. Two people decide that they want to book so that if an empty seat is available, they will have one beside them. If not, they will graciously allow the person assigned to the middle seat to have the window or aisle. I just don't see how you can take exception to that.

FWIW, when traveling with my business partner, we always book two aisle seats across from each other. We really don't yak-yak-yak a lot in flight, but when we do we like to be a foot apart when talking.

On those occassions when I do book A-C, if you think you would be "punishing" me by keeping the middle seat, you are sorely mistaken. The offer to swap is done out of courtesy, and if you choose to keep the dreaded middle seat to spite me, then spite on brother, spite on! I'd much rather you keep the uncomfortable seat while my traveling companion and I keep the window and aisle and ride in comfort. We'll keep our conversation to a minimum out of courtesy to you, Mr. Middle-seat-sandwich.

rjque

I suspect most FA's would laugh at this request. The role of FA's is not to prevent rudeness.

Mr H

And I would happily be able to read in silence rather than sit next to a conversation.

HomerJ

...so we all can avoid booking on the same flight. Any effort to keep me and my wife from conversing would result in a little meeting once we deplaned.
It would go very badly for you. Its this kind of self righteous attitude that makes flying even less tolerable than it already is.

Mr H

So basically you are threatening me with violence because I might thwart your plans to bag three seats for the price of two. If you want to sit next to someone, why not book adjacent seats?

pinniped

We book A and C towards the rear of E+. We can't do the exit row because the Mrs. is a 3P. (I suppose we could book as a single PNR and take exit aisle-middle...I haven't tried it.)

I don't regard this as selfish in the slightest. For one, we're booking seats within the rules of our individual statuses. It's not like I'm calling UA and trying to sweet-talk an agent into putting a nonelite in an aisle E+ seat and hoping to avoid a system sweep. 2nd, if the middle ends up being occupied, we offer the window to that person as a courtesy to them.

Mr H, you have some seriously twisted logic going on there...

If the middle seater said "No, I really enjoy booking middle seats because the window scares me and I don't like getting bumped by the drink cart", then we'd shrug and stay put without issue. We usually aren't that talkative inflight so it probably would not be an issue. We'd probably have a good laugh about it afterwards though...

Rebelyell

Have you ever ridden on an airplane before? Most people don't do that much talking! I certainly don't, and what little I'm going to say I'm going to say whether you are sitting in the middle or not. So enjoy your seat, Mr. Sandwich.

carsonheim

I also like to give back my EAUs since I didn't actually pay for first class... just doesn't seem right to me to sit there when that's not what I actually booked and paid for

carsonheim

every. single. time.

Mr H

I presume that the people who seem to be reacting with most vitriol to the idea that I would decline to move seats would be the same people who would defend their own right to decline seat swaps with the most vigour.

ladyredsox45

Wasn't I married to you once - before the divorce - and before I boarded the Mayflower to come to the new land?

peachfront

Of course you would not move if you had the middle seat between a couple. That's because there's no way in creation that we're swapping an aisle or window seat with a middle. It always makes me shake my head when my traveling companion has his window, and I have my aisle, and some third party in the middle thinks one of us is going to swap seats? Sorry, you're in a middle seat, dude. Nobody in their right mind is going to swap with you. Well, maybe if you offered me cash. Depends on how long the flight how much cash. But most of these guys never want to give you anything of value in return for your aisle seat. They just want to make a pushy request and assume that the little blonde lady is going to roll over. Sorry. No. I'm not your mommy. You planned badly and ended up in the middle, and it's just not my problem. It's your problem. Deal. Your "reverse psycho-out" play is not gonna work either. The middle seat is yours, all yours! Enjoy!

"Nor would I tolerate talking across me." That's just odd. You can't stop people from talking in a public place. You could complain if they were swearing, I guess. Otherwise, it's up to them whether or not they're going to talk. Are you by some chance a kindergarten teacher?

The flight attendant is not going to tell people they can't talk, you know. You would have to lie and claim that they were using bad language or something, and you might get caught in the lie, since planes are sardine cans and there will be other people around who might speak up for the couple. I will borrow your kindergarten teacher hat for a moment and ask you to consider this: Do you really want a note in your permanent record that you might have a screw loose?