bocastephen

No, it is not your seat - and there is a documented process for handling a situation where an upgraded customer prefers to sit in Y - and there is yet another process where a customer can indicate on their reservation that they do not want an upgrade which makes the process that much easier all around.

I will not MYOB when I see customers doing things they should not...I have no problem bringing issues to the attention of agents so they can determine the applicable policy to deal with it. If I am #1 on the UG list and you don't want your seat, then I should be cleared into it, not some random person you decide.

FlyerTom111

If you pulled this stunt, I would just sit in F and give you the finger. Then after the plane took off I would then trade and you would still be stuck in coach. Either my wife, the person I am trading with, or myself are sitting in that seat. In any case, it wouldn't be your butt in that seat.

bocastephen

That would be up to the FA, not you. When my seatmate and I raised a fuss over this very issue, the person who tried the swap was unhappy but didn't give up the seat either and the FA was adamant he either sit in his F seat or the GA would assign it to one of us.

FlyerTom111

To be frank, the FA won't give a crap. The point is to sit next to my wife, if you can't figure out a way for me to sit next to her, then you don't get the seat. If the person that is in the seat I WANT is willing to trade, then I would give up the seat for that. You aren't entitled to it. If you want the seat, then get a higher status or pay more for your ticket or just buy the upgrade.

bocastephen

The FA on my flight sure did - she vetoed the request immediately. Husband was not happy, but wife sat in F. Seatmate and I were satisfied the rules were enforced as they should be.

LaserSailor

I gave up my FC when I travelled cross country with an employee because

1 I like her
2 I sleep on planes so FC (non-lie flat) or E+ makes little diff to me

The squealer in bulkhead started making that same noise to the FA, Pushed his call button repeatedly (that's a tell tale)..

Squealer...Miss (sic) ....people are illegally swapping in FC!!

FA..Is there a problem with your assigned seat, sir? We will be underway shortly.

^^

DataPlumber

A practical outlook. ^ 99.9% of GAs out there are far more focused on their duties like getting the plane out on time.

You have to be a riot to sit next to. So assuming a swapper keeps the F (which I presume most would), your scorched earth, by the alleged book attitude nets you nothing. Well other than frustrating multiple people around you. And just so I personally can be clear, I can still do what I want with my paid seat right?

rstlsgirl

I'm sure the FAs very favorite thing to do is referee seat wars at the gate. Especially since while sitting a the gate refereeing seat wars, they aren't getting paid.

LilAbner

It would go like this --- "Mame would you care to sit in MY seat in f/c?"
"Here ya go my seat # is 2B, enjoy!"

"Oh flight attendant, would you kindly ask that gentleman, back their in 42F to please unrufflel his panties, and take his assigned seat, so we can get goin'? "Ya might also want to provide him with a pen and paper so that he can spend the entire flight writing me up for trading seats so I can sit with my lovely wife."

ksingh0311

Bocastephen, there's been many instances where I gave my seat in first to soldiers in uniform. If you happened to raise a stink about this, the soldier may or may not get to sit in front, you definitely wouldn't be sitting there.

aacharya

There is no right answer here. But I agree with what the process "should be" - even if not written down. And that's notifying the GA to decline the upgrade. Would I do it? No. But we shouldn't pile on bocastephen because we disagree with his attitude over it. He is correct, even if all of us would do something differently, and even if the UA GA/FAs would look the other way or just say "swap" due to all the work to undo, assign a seat, upgrade, and possibly reassign a seat.

The problem is, that process will result in nobody except #1 on the UG list being happy. Versus three people being happy (the spouse in E+, the F spouse next to him/her, and the person who had the F spouse's seat).

Hence, the passionate views.

pruss2ny

you can lambaste bocastephen all you want...it doesn't make him wrong.
yes..exceptions for uniformed military are really quite understood and accepted.
but for all the posts on here about how seat assignments and class of service are ultimately owned by the airline and not the passenger, i don't understand why so many people feel justified in demanding that its "their seat" and they'll do whatever they please with it.
i have been on a flight where fa intervened and she simply explained that the airline has a policy for upgrades, and there were 35 people in line for that policy to be followed. no drama from the fa, only from the churlish passenger who threw a mini-tantrum.
and bocastephen isn't "sticking his nose where it doesn't belong", i think he's simply standing up for himself.

Soccerdad1995

Bocastephen, by any chance, do you happen to work as an enforcement officer for an HOA? From your comments, that job seems like it would be a perfect fit for you.

Oh and by the way, there was a story a while back about an entire first class cabin giving up their seats so a group of soldiers coming back from Afghanistan could sit up front. Imagine the horror!

Make sure you write the offending airline and get the FA's / GA's working that flight fired for their complete and utter disregard for your sacred rules!

mwc8962

Are you trolling us? It seems clear that there is no circumstance in which you (or whoever is #1 on the upgrade list) wind up with the F seat if you intervene (as others note, the F seat holder undoubtedly says, screw you, I'll just sit here then).

So your rule enforcement makes life just a tiny bit worse for the other 3 people and doesn't get you anything except maybe a bit of schadenfreude. Your utility function is hard to understand here.

Soccerdad1995

My point is that by raising a fuss about a seat trade, you are being exceptionally petty. The only thing you will accomplish is preventing two people from sitting together. There is zero chance that you are going to end up in FC with the downgrader ending up in your seat, since the person giving up their FC seat is only doing so in the hopes of sitting next to their companion.

So the only thing you accomplish by this complaint is to make 3 people less happy than they otherwise could be. Nothing else whatsoever is accomplished by such pettiness, unless you get some perverse joy out of bringing down the happiness level of those around you. Most people get joy from making others more happy, not the other way around. That's why the prevailing opinion here is against you and boca.