Xyzzy

You wouldn't sit in 8D instead of 11D so two people could sit together? That's nt very nice. No - I don't really care whether they were NRSA or not. As a non-employee who pays for his tix and who often ends up separated from traveling companions I find the request you were presented with to be entirely reasonable.

Loren Pechtel

As far as I'm concerned it should be:

"Your seat is in row 35."

"If you do not immediately vacate this seat you will be removed."

(Security hauls them off.)

pseudoswede

8D on a 738 is too close to the lav for me. I'll sit 7F or 8F, but not the aisle. If I want an aisle, I'll choose 9C or 9D (or further back).

Edited to add: I meant 739, not 738.

EWR764

No doubt that it is the courteous thing do to, but the issue here is exactly this... it was at the request of the SA.

Asking revenue pax to switch seats is one of the NRSA mortal sins. You take your assigned seat and that's it, unless moved by GA/crew or a revenue pax asks you to switch. Even in that case, the NRSA should think twice. If that person was an employee, they absolutely should have known better, and if the person was on someone else's pass, the sponsoring employee is wrong, and should have been explicitly clear as to the "dos and don'ts" of nonrevving.

If I were in the same situation, I probably would be willing to switch, but that's really beside the point.

entropy

Further, its one thing to ask politely, its another to take someone else's seat and then make things difficult.

rickg523

Exactly.
It's the front that puts people in a non-cooperative mood.
Even if the seats were entirely equivalent, the way this is supposed to work is you sit in YOUR seat until the person sitting in the seat you want arrives. THEN you ask if he or she will swap.
It's common courtesy when done in that order. It's beyond rude when done any other way.

Xyzzy

I absolutely cncur!

AndyPatterson

Ha! Last weekend I was flying XNA-ORD and was in Row 2, window seat. (this was a three-across RJ in F). The aisle seat passenger was last to board. A group of foreigners (clutching green passports) boarded and one woman, who did speak a little English, pointed to my row, and said "Group 2!" She tried to move into my row. I got up, looked at her boarding pass, and signaled to her that she had to go all the way to the back of the plane... Fortunately, she finally relented and went to Row 18 (I think that was it).

Never occurred to me that somebody would confuse the boarding Group # with the row #, but there's always a first time.

PsiFighter37

On my EWR-BOS flight last month, the guy who was supposed to be sitting in 4B took 4A. I didn't care because of the short hop, but it's a bit of a jerk thing to do to deliberately sit in the wrong seat. And then after we reboarded, he jammed his carry-on under the seat in front of me. I don't really understand the need for some folks to engage in behavior that is clearly a bit out of social norms.

MrTemporal

IMHO, a person who refuses to take their assigned seat should be escorted off the plane.
Does anybody (passengers, flight crew) want to be on a plane at 30,000 feet with somebody who refuses to follow legitimate instructions? Or refuses to treat other passengers fairly? Not me.

I was on an Alaska flight years ago where one guy few rows in front of me would not turn off his phone as instructed despite many repeated requests (yes, I know, a debatable rule). The guy in charge of the cabin had him removed saying " I refuse to be in the air with a passenger who won't follow instructions."

You get the behavior you tolerate.

Proudelitist

You really should, that's terrible. She was in uniform, which makes it even worse. Report it to UA.

Proudelitist

No, I wouldn't. They are grown ups, and they can be apart for 3 hours. As non-revs they don't get to pick their seats and accepting that is part of the deal. As a matter of fact, asking a paying pax to switch is against the rules for non-revs and is grounds for disciplinary action.

Even if they were full fare pax, a failure to book seats together should not be made into my problem. By all means, they can ask. I may have even said yes had I already been in the seat.

But to simply take the seat before I get there..no. Instant rejection of the request. I book my seats well in advance, and paid a specific price for that specific seat. They are not only taking another pax's seat, they are taking the extra money paid for it.

Common courtesy is taking the seat you get and not imposing on others.

halls120

Only if they asked me first. If they poach first, they get no consideration from me. At all. What they do get is a detailed report to customer service at the end of the flight.

This. x1000

CappuccinoAddict

A few months ago I was in 1A on ORD-BOS, which I had deliberately selected months in advance. I walk on the plane and see a man sitting in my seat. I show him my boarding pass and he tries to give me some story about why he wants that seat. I tell him I prefer my assigned seat and he eventually reneges. I think he had 3F. I just don't get the logic of taking the seat for himself and hoping I wouldn't care!!

Fleck

If you're in my damn seat, I will assume the Heisman Trophy stance, remove my pants, and sternly deliver for you and all to hear a "Get to steppin', Squatter Boy!"