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Most of the time, when asked politely, I see passengers change seats in FC to accomodate fellow travelers who are trying to be reseated next to a friend or spouse.
However, I have seen these requests politely declined a few times: 1) Tall guy had an aisle seat and the only option for his move was to a window. He nicely told the requesting couple that if they had an aisle for aisle seat trade, he would have done it but that he needed the incremental leg room and the ability to stretch out into the aisle from time to time. 2) Strict vegetarian had picked his seat according to odd/even flight and politely explained that this seat was important to him because he wanted to get the first choice of meal. 3) Similar to number 1 above, a taller guy did not want to go from a regular seat to the bulkhead for a long flight. In all instances, the passenger who denied the request did it very nicely with a plausible explanation. In each case, I thought it was odd at first but then I guess I understood the rationale. That being said, I think 95% of the time I see these requests very quickly accommodated. |
I am sorry for what happened and that she was short/rude with you, but I would not switch a middle seat on the 763 for a window/aisle either. I choose a middle seat for a reason
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Originally Posted by metsfan1962
(Post 15022663)
I thought I had seen it all until I flew on AA in FC from DFW-OGG. This late 30s (not that it matters much) couple was in FC but had separate seats, 4B for wife and 5G for husband. I have no idea if it was a case of UPGs or if that was all that was available when reservation was made for paid FC. The husband politely asks the woman, traveling alone in 5D, if she could switch with his wife so they could make the 8 hour flight seated next to each other.
Originally Posted by metsfan1962
(Post 15022663)
Now this woman, probably in her late 40s at least, appeared very odd, especially her behavior. She was scrubbing down her seat and trays with some kind of sanitizer. She didn't have a wedding ring and I'd bet that she lived alone with 20 cats. Not that there's anything wrong with being single or having cats, but this just appeared to be a stereotypical unmarried cat lady who wasn't playing with a full deck.
on the sanitization part.. that is bizarre though and I've once in a blue moon seen people doing this.. it does make me laugh.. your in a damn airport on the front and back ends and you are worried about your seat, how about all that other stuff you touched on the way in LOL
Originally Posted by metsfan1962
(Post 15022663)
This woman started saying that was HER seat and she wouldn't change for any reason (even though 4B was not much different and it's not like 4A had some person reeking of BO sitting in it). The FA even came up and asked cat lady if she wouldn't mind changing. This woman refused to budge and there obviously was no way she could be shamed into making the switch.
Originally Posted by metsfan1962
(Post 15022663)
Finally, there was some other passenger who volunteered to switch to 5G and 4A switched with him so the husband could be in 4A next to his wife. I believe the person who volunteered to go to 5G was some kind of group tour leader/arranger and the cat lady might have been part of the group. In fact, for all I know, 4A might have been part of the same group, knew what a nut job cat lady was and there was NO way in hel* he or she would sit next to her for 8 hours. The husband eventually made a crack to the cat lady when he left 5G that he could see that her name was actually written on her seat!
Originally Posted by metsfan1962
(Post 15022663)
I've heard of some people who always get a certain seat because that's their "lucky seat" or seat number, but cat lady sure didn't appear to be a frequent flyer who regularly flew in FC. It's not like there was some important difference between 5D and 4B either. Her wanting an inside aisle seat so a window person wouldn't have to make her move because of lav trips was not even mentioned as a factor in cat lady's refusal to switch.
Maybe this event is more common than I realize but it struck many of the FC passengers and even the eye-rolling FA as VERY odd (the roll-eyes couldn't be seen by cat lady btw). |
Originally Posted by RealFan
(Post 15022748)
2) Strict vegetarian had picked his seat according to odd/even flight and politely explained that this seat was important to him because he wanted to get the first choice of meal.
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Originally Posted by metsfan1962
(Post 15022663)
She was scrubbing down her seat and trays with some kind of sanitizer.
So, it struck many other passengers and even the eye-rolling FA as VERY odd. Any pair of them could have solved the situation too. Perhaps they just preferred to join with the husband and FA in ridiculing the customer. |
I hate asking people to move. I especially hate asking when I know I'm offering an inferior trade. But, that said, the times I have asked people to move, they've always been willing to do so, including one passenger who switched to a window on an LAX-SFO flight, which I thought extremely compassionate of him (I wanted to sit with my wife). On the flip side, I've never refused to change seats either. All that to say, the sense of entitlement to sit together is annoying. People have different reasons for wanting to sit where they do. Even if they have no reason, there's no reason to call them out or make fun of them for refusing to switch seats so that we can be where we want to be. It sucks when people won't make that switch, but we really never know why--nor are we entitled to.
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As a single traveler whom the FAs always seem to zero in on when there's a couple who wants to sit together ("Excuse me sir, but you're by yourself, right? Not with anyone? Traveling completely, utterly alone? Great. Would you mind moving to 48L?"), I can see where cat lady is coming from.
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As this topic crops up from time to time on every airline, not just AA, please continue to follow this thread in the TravelBuzz forum (where there are also previous threads relating such stories).
dstan AA Forum Co-Moderator |
Originally Posted by metsfan1962
(Post 15022663)
this woman refused to budge and there obviously was no way she could be shamed into making the switch
How "outrageous." |
Originally Posted by TrojanHorse
(Post 15022787)
this is nothing unusual on these hawaii flights, every time I go on one, someone is trying to swap seats
this quote is where I lose all respect for your objectivity; it seems you write this just in order to berate the so called cat-lady; now IMHO everything you wrote is based on some agenda vs the lady in 4B; i see you are a psychic as well or you yourself know the cat lady awful well |
You seem to make a lot of assumptions about a fellow passenger.
No wedding band, traveling alone, doesn't like the filthy scum associated with an airline seat= Anal retentive wacko! Someone who makes a childish crack at a passenger who won't change seats with them=????? I travel alone, I don't like the filthy scum on the seats and tray tables and I will not trade MY seat for what I consider an inferior location on the plane. Hmmmm. |
Originally Posted by metsfan1962
(Post 15022663)
I thought I had seen it all until I flew on AA in FC from DFW-OGG. This late 30s (not that it matters much) couple was in FC but had separate seats, 4B for wife and 5G for husband. I have no idea if it was a case of UPGs or if that was all that was available when reservation was made for paid FC. The husband politely asks the woman, traveling alone in 5D, if she could switch with his wife so they could make the 8 hour flight seated next to each other. Now this woman, probably in her late 40s at least, appeared very odd, especially her behavior. She was scrubbing down her seat and trays with some kind of sanitizer. She didn't have a wedding ring and I'd bet that she lived alone with 20 cats. Not that there's anything wrong with being single or having cats, but this just appeared to be a stereotypical unmarried cat lady who wasn't playing with a full deck. This woman started saying that was HER seat and she wouldn't change for any reason (even though 4B was not much different and it's not like 4A had some person reeking of BO sitting in it). The FA even came up and asked cat lady if she wouldn't mind changing. This woman refused to budge and there obviously was no way she could be shamed into making the switch. Finally, there was some other passenger who volunteered to switch to 5G and 4A switched with him so the husband could be in 4A next to his wife. I believe the person who volunteered to go to 5G was some kind of group tour leader/arranger and the cat lady might have been part of the group. In fact, for all I know, 4A might have been part of the same group, knew what a nut job cat lady was and there was NO way in hel* he or she would sit next to her for 8 hours. The husband eventually made a crack to the cat lady when he left 5G that he could see that her name was actually written on her seat!
I've heard of some people who always get a certain seat because that's their "lucky seat" or seat number, but cat lady sure didn't appear to be a frequent flyer who regularly flew in FC. It's not like there was some important difference between 5D and 4B either. Her wanting an inside aisle seat so a window person wouldn't have to make her move because of lav trips was not even mentioned as a factor in cat lady's refusal to switch. Maybe this event is more common than I realize but it struck many of the FC passengers and even the eye-rolling FA as VERY odd (the roll-eyes couldn't be seen by cat lady btw). 1. Wiping down the seat and, particularly, the tray with hand sanitizer is not, "whacko." It's actually a very good idea, given the studies that have shown the bacteria rife on aircraft. Perhaps the woman had a compromised immune system, perhaps she just wanted to be sure she didn't catch a cold or flu from the flight. 2. My wife is in her earlier 40s and doesn't like to wear her wedding ring. She is not anal retentive or odd and we don't have any cats. If you made those assumptions about her, we would both put you in your place very, very quickly. 3. No one has to change seats if they don't want to. This woman was already settled in for her flight, and went to the trouble of cleaning her seat and tray because airlines no longer do. If the couple wanted to sit together, they should have booked seats together. It was was THEIR problem, and they tried to make it the woman's problem by, in your words, "shaming her" into switching. Good for her for sticking to her guns. |
Originally Posted by RedSox
(Post 15022992)
You seem to make a lot of assumptions about a fellow passenger.
No wedding band, traveling alone, doesn't like the filthy scum associated with an airline seat= Anal retentive wacko! Someone who makes a childish crack at a passenger who won't change seats with them=????? I travel alone, I don't like the filthy scum on the seats and tray tables and I will not trade MY seat for what I consider an inferior location on the plane. Hmmmm. |
As a single person who flies to HI once or twice a year, I can relate with this single woman who did not want to switch from her 5D seat to 4B. I would not have either, for a variety of reasons.
1. Being single I frequently asked to switch on domestic F flights, and almost always asked when I fly to HI. It gets old after a while. 2. I won't switch if it is not for a "like" seat, and that translates to center aisle on 763s. This is usually the issue that prevents me from moving. 4B is not equal to 5D due to being inconvenienced by having to get up to let the window person out. 3. I also pick my seat based on FEBO, so I also will not switch if the FA does not honor my meal choice (in the past they have never refused, so this is not a big issue IMO). 4. I travel a lot for pleasure, and purchase my tickets way in advance so I can have my choice of seats. That is the benefit of planning ahead. Having to change my plans because someone did not plan ahead or just got upgraded is an inconvenience to me, something these folks tend to overlook. The nice thing is when traveling internationally you don't run into this issue in F. IMO this "cat lady" is probably just another single traveler like myself; and if she is, she definitely does not have cats or any other pets as I travel about 3-4 months a year. |
Originally Posted by RealFan
(Post 15022748)
2) Strict vegetarian had picked his seat according to odd/even flight and politely explained that this seat was important to him because he wanted to get the first choice of meal.
Mike |
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