Voluntary Downgrade Etiquette
 

So yesterday PIT-DEN I was in 11C (A319), boarding nearly complete, and 11DEF full. New pax walks up and asks if 11F pax is in the correct seat. 11F replies that he is traveling with wife (11E) and could new pax switch seats with him - to 2A. New pax looks ready to object until 11F says "it's in first class". New pax realizes his good fortune and turns around and sits in 2A. Door closes with me #1 on upgrade list. I was not overly concerned as I was in E+ with empty middle seat, had no desire to drink on am flight to visit customer, and had no desire for breakfast.

One could consider that he chose, as his "upgrade", seat 11F (guaranteed E+ window seat next to wife) instead of 2A. But, there were 2 empty E+ seat pairs (10BC and 20DE) showing, so they could have been assigned adjoining seats upon downgrade.

Should he have made the effort to voluntarily downgrade?

I've done this several times (ask person sitting next to wife whether they would mind moving to F). I've tried to do it the other way, but the GA generally says something along the lines of "I don't have time to make all of those changes -- just ask the person sitting next to your travel partner whether they would switch".

No. It was his F seat to trade.

Do it all the time, have never had a pax complain about taking a first class seat from me. It's my seat to trade

NO!

It's really only the business of the people sitting in each of the two seats if they want to trade with each other. A downgrade (if even possible at this late stage) wouldn't have put him in a seat that he desired, and that was one next to his wife.

A suggestion from now on would be for UA to issue "Red Cards" to everyone #1 & #2 on the upgrade list. Should they suspect a foul they could whip out the "Red Card" and shove it in the violators face thus sending the scofflaw off the plane, opening a new available seat.

There would be no appeal for the "Red Carded" person as FTer's know all the rules and have the duty, with enough support, to run the boarding process and determine what everyone's right's are, and if somehow, some way, God forbid, our group may be being discriminated against, we can send out lot's-a-letters!

I had a bad experience with this once. I was in E+ with spouse and lap child and was hoping for dual upgrade. One upgrade cleared (hooray), but it made more sense for us to stick together. I tried to give my first class seat to the middle pax who (a) didn't speak English and (b) did not want to be separated from his companion one row back. It caused quite a ruckus; we had to orchestrate a multi-row switch. Now, when flying with the family, I take myself off the upgrade list to avoid this.

No.

This is a good example of how the old e500 system was better at keeping everyone happy...

No it is not the customer's seat to trade - the proper process is to notify an agent, request to be rebooked in coach so the next person on the upgrade list can be moved up.

I've witnessed this very thing onboard and have spoken up about it on the spot and was supported by the FA (who said "no") and my seatmate, also on the upgrade list with me.

I disagree. I have passed on twice on an board upgrade when they only had one seat and I have to travel with my disabled wife. but I have also traded my first class seat on occasion. once you have the boarding card it is Your seat and you are free to trade.

Keep the FA/GAs out of it.
 

I do this on occasion, and I am with those here who say that the swap should be arranged by the parties involved. The FA/GAs have plenty to do without wasting time trying to downgrade someone and bring the next in line up.

By the same token, I always tell the FAs what I am doing as a courtesy.
Only once have I encountered any pushback, where the FA said it wasn't my seat to give away, and that it would have to go to the next person on the upgrade list. In that case, I said, "fine", and took my seat in F.

I think it's good to tell the FAs, e.g., so they aren't surprised to see a man in the F seat of Ms <name>.

I strongly think it's crazy to get GAs involved, work through the upgrade list, etc. (and I say that despite the fact that I'm frequently in one of the top spots on the upgrade list).

Where is this process you reference documented?
I have given my seat to soldiers and once a pregnant (7 or 8 months) business woman. The difference being they were passing me in front, so in your scenario you'd be blissfully ignorant of the transaction. It is my seat weather or not I paid or it was an UG. You should MYOB.

This has happened to me as both the downgraded and also someone in F giving up their seat to let my wife join me! That was a crazy one.

If I tried to downgrade and someone made the kind of fuss some of you are suggesting I would just drop it and take my F seat or give it to my wife\companion. So in that case nobody complaining would win.

I thought I got petty about upgrades sometimes but seriously...someone showing someone else some love, get over it!

If the purpose of switching out of F is to sit next to a travel companion, what would be the point of this? You'd end up having to give your F seat to the next person on the upgrade list, who in all probability would not be the person sitting next to your travel companion. So then you'd have to try to engineer a seat swap with THAT person (and we all know how folks feel about seat swaps around these parts) and if they say no, then the whole effort is moot. So you end up staying in F and the next person on the upgrade list doesn't get upgraded anyway.