Was asked by a woman (aisle) who asked me to switch w/her husband (middle seat for my window). I refused. She spent the flight swinging her arm into my seat area, poking me with her elbow, and kicking me w/her foot. I got tired of it after awhile and gave her arm a big poke with my very boney elbow. The kicking stopped after I got up to go to the bathroom and accidentally stepped on her foot (she wouldn't move out of the way).

Guess I spared her husband spending any extra time with this nasty .....!

I've moved backwards a few times to sit close to my wife.. that's because she insisted.:D In coach, I've never really considered who I sat beside, just as long as the family is together.. we've even sat on the back row where it didn't recline to Hawaii a couple of times, just so we can have three in a row!

Now with kids, its crucial for us to share the responsibility.. so a must to sit together.. but if people are making excuses to sit beside spouse to get a better seat, sad on them.

The one time I've asked someone to switch was when the boarding passes were issued the seat assignments were scrambled -- the seats had originally been booked together. I offered my window for his center seat, and he accepted.

I suppose I could have followed the advise of some posters here and just sat in our originally assigned seats and refused to move.

LOL I have traded down twice :(. I probably wont do it again though.

First time was when we got our first op-up on UA SYD LAX. I was travelling with my then very nervous and anxious flyer daughter who was 10 years old. Sitting apart wasnt really an option because she was already wound up about flying and it was her first overseas trip since she was 2 years old. I was in a aisle seat in the middle block of old config 747 UA C cabin and Mini DG had been allocated the window seat further back in row 24 C cabin (definately a better seat than what I had) :D. Of course then we didnt know the layout of the cabin and had not yet joined FT so we were clueless.

As we were quite keen to sit together, I didnt really bother to check out her seat, we just asked the man in the MIDDLE C seat next to me, if he would like to swap. As it turns out his wife was in the aisle next to my daughter. So they were very quick to swap with us :D. We ended up in the middle block of 3 seats..... but we didnt care, we were together and we had a fantastic time flying business class for the first time.

The second time was on the same trip....ah I wish I had known about flyertalk then. I got done a bit on this one. It was on SQ 747 SIN SYD. I had painstakingly managed to get us seats in the first row of seats with only 2 seats at the back of the 747 in Y :eek:. We were happily settled when a male FA comes along and asked us to move to the very last row of the plane so a family could sit together...ugh. I reluctantly moved after asking if those seats reclined fully. Yes I was told. He neglected to tell me how I would have people leaning on my seatback while they waited for the lavs, how they would all congregate down there and talk all night. It was one of the worst Y flights I have ever had. I had a gut instinct that moving wasnt going to be the best decision but at the time felt I had to just comply with the FA's request. NOW I know better and would look for other options if that situation came up again. Thanks to Flyertalk :)

Another nice switch we do, happens when we book window and aisle and hope we get the middle free :D. Of course, these days that doesn't happen much at all, so I take the aisle and Mini DG will then swap with the poor sod stuck in the middle seat, so Mini DG sits next to me. The person is usually REALLY HAPPY to get that swap :D. If nothing else, we are building up a lot of good karma :p.

When my husband had status and would get upgraded he would always switch back to Y to sit next to me. Now the tables have turned and I receive the upgrade but haven't ever moved to Y. Sorry honey -

nkedel, crabbing, Downunder girl: Thanks for your stories. I am sure there are many nice people like you out there and good deeds do happen. However, I am inclined to suspect that they must be a tiny minority of all statistics, because as I said I have been flying 30+ years and only received exchange requests from people who wanted me to move to their inferior seat.

Let me also clarify that, by my standards, almost all F and J seats are nice enough (including middle) and I would be more open to accommodating such requests. I was talking about economy cabin, which has been so downgraded by the carriers already that any extra compromise becomes suffocating.

My wife and I have also used the strategy of booking a window and aisle. A few times we have gotten lucky and ended up with an empty middle. However, even when someone shows up there, they have always been overjoyed at our offer to trade their seat for one of ours. :D Ideally I'd like to keep the aisle, but in practice we always give the other person the choice of aisle or window.

Sounds like you can't win all the time!:D Thanks for moving for the family.. I'm sure that didn't make the story up.. and with young families, that is the most difficult thing to do for parents when they have to split up the kids. The end result of the family sitting together is the precious bonding time. But, your first row was a score.. too bad you had to give it up for a legitimate situation.. What goes around comes around.. you'll probably continue to receive good experiences with your seat switching in the future.^

Sounds like you have a considerate husband.^ Father's day is coming up.. you should treat him to something extra special.:)

Was it really a legitimate situation? Did the steward really try to get the family seats together in the back of the plane instead of evicting someone from their prime real estate up front? It just doesn't sound like it.

Why not work to let the family sit together in the BACK of the plane, next to the restroom, instead of forcing someone else to sit there?

He only asked them to move back 4 or 6 rows - going on one current Qantas seat map selected at random from SeatGuru, the "first row of 2" would be 70, the last row of 2 is 73, the last middle row is 75. Probably 75 or its then-equivalent.

Sometimes, of course, just a couple of rows can make a big difference.

You have an interesting definition of, "legitimate situation." I don't regard being forced to change seats to accommodate a family that's been split up a legitimate situation in the least. As has been said numerous times in this thread, a family having, "precious bonding time," is no one's responsibility except the family. I don't care if the family bonds. For that matter, I don't care if the family flies. They certainly have no superior claim to a seat that I'm sitting in.

You are absouletly right !

No one ever offer to trade with me to a better seat, always to a inferior seat, just like I am on the exit, the woman on the bulkhead want to trade with me so that she can sit next to her husband that is next to me. She knows the exit is better so that she won't ask her seatmate to trade seats with her husband ! She doesn't even think about all the overhead bins are full and if I trade with her, my carryon under my seat in front (it is a 767) have to take it out and nowhere to put but to check it.

There are even worser cases when someone has a child, because they don't want to put the baby on their lap the whole flight, wanting me to give up my seat (we are all on bulkhead on the 737, he is already in my seat when I get there) and tell me to ask the FA for other seats in the back.

On a rare occasion, it may happen in C/J class as well, but usually involving aisle to window, window to aisle, but I usually refused. I mean think about it, I pay or upgrade according to my preference of aisle or window, but then have to switch with you because you want to sit with your friends ? No way, whatabout have an advance seat assignment ? This is not WN. Even if I end up in a middle, I would just stick with it rather than trade.

"What goes around comes around.. you'll probably continue to receive good experiences with your seat switching in the future."

That is baseless, logically fallicious, and irrational.

As a family man, I've moved to the back to make sure that we're all together. Besides access to the washrooms, drinks and everything is more fun at the back.:D

In fact, we've moved for families to sit together.. so you're entitled to the seat you're assigned to, and I would definitely respect your right to your seat in a plane seating situation.^

As I've commented already, you're absolutely correct that you have the right to the seat you're assigned to. In fact, it is 100% your choice whether you move or not.. and no one can take that right away from you.

I've noticed its nicer for father, mother and kids to sit together if possible.. for kids it seems like an eternity, and parents consoling the children may make it a better situation sitting around.