chavala

Exactly This.
A few years ago I was booked in the dream-seat 14A on a 747 from Narita back to the US. Just before boarding I got paged at the UA Club and was handed a new BP with (don't remember seat # but it was an aisle downstairs). The agent said because there was a young couple who wanted to sit together. I was just like "WHAT???" and made her give me my original seat back. During the entire flight the GF kept coming upstairs to visit the BF and they would speak to each other in Japanese and GLARE at me with evil eyes. After that I board early and nearly always say no to a seat request change. I know what seat I want and I book early to get it. Don't even bother asking me on a TPAC. Whether you're a honeymoon couple or with a small child, it does not matter to me. Plan ahead like the rest of us or don't whine about it.

codex57

LOL. I'd smile back every time they glare.

If it's comparable, I'd switch if I'm flying without family. As I'm never in bulkhead as that's all "Economy Plus" now or whatever the airline calls it, as long as it's not in the very back row where the seatbacks don't recline, I'm good. Don't care if it's aisle, middle, or window (ok, I prefer aisle if I'm honest cuz I can stretch my feet into the aisle when needed). I fit in the seats and a little spillage from a larger passenger doesn't bother me (guess I've been lucky so far that I haven't had a horrific plus size neighbor; they've all been friendly and non-smelly). That 99 year old mom sounds adorable though.

If I'm with family, sorry, tough luck. Since I'm on this board, it's no surprise I watch for any equipment or flight changes like a hawk. Any changes, and I'm on it right away (as happened on my upcoming vacation). And since I'm with family, I can match pretty much any excuse. Plus, my daughter's quite good at wailing out a really pitiable and adorable "Daddy! I want my Daddy" if it appears I'm going to be separated from her even though she's not that young anymore.

chavala

I rolled my eyes at them and laughed actually : )

fumje

Not quite the situation being discussed here, but I just flew a transcon flight with a companion, and we managed to luck into an empty middle. There were a handful of other ones on the plane, including one immediately behind us.

After the cart service someone in the bulkhead complained that the child's (8e's) directv wasn't working to the FA, and the FA seized on our middle seat (10b) as the first available one and decided to ask if my companion could move to the middle and the child could move to my companion's seat (10c). I hemmed and hawed, and eventually 8c offered to swap with the child, and they did. Then an hour later they (8c/8e) swapped back, and the child's mother somewhat audibly if nonsensically upbraided the child for not taking our middle seat, which I was not offering.

I did, however, the whole time feel like a jerk for declining. Would any of you have assented?

Visconti

Once upon a time, I would have, and gladly done so. These days, no. And, I would feel complete indifference to how others would react to my refusal.

Repooc17

On a recent flight cross country, having only boarded the plane and barely got to my (window) seat when a FA asked me if I was willing to switch with someone in the aisle of.the 4 seat business class of the 772.

Didn't bother to answer the question.

SkyTeem

Now that they charge for seat assignments, I say "I'm sorry, but I paid to have this seat" - they don't know I didn't (as a premier), and I don't look quite as petty in their eyes.

(I don't think that it is petty -I'm not saying it is- but to those infrequent flyers who don't have the seat assignments they want, it may appear that I am.)

StuckinITH

Years ago, on a CLT-GIG flight, a family of four, each one in a middle seat in rows 20, 21, 22 and 23. Six year old child lands next to my wife who has an aisle. Mother asks my wife to switch. Ten hours in a middle seat! My wife says: "I paid a fortune for this seat". Mother made a surprised look but did not insist. My wife told the mother that she would take good care of the child. Everything went fine. On the return flight, same story with another family of four. Again a six year old child next to my wife. Same result, no switching.

PTravel

Absolutely not. Someone else's lack of planning (by failing to bring their own IFE for their kid) is not my concern, much less obligation to remedy.

Proudelitist

Nope. No way. I am not giving up an aisle for a middle, especially to a child. As the polish say "Not my circus, not my monkey". The kid can take the middle as I really have no rightful claim on it, or the FA can sort it out somewhere else. However, if the entertainment system was not working in the kid's seat, why didn't mom simply swap seats with the kid??? Was hers broken too?

Proudelitist

I am in the "It's rude to even ask" camp. In this day and age of differential seating classes within a cabin, premium seat costs, and advanced seat selection, there is little excuse for not picking the seats you want in advance..and there is a misunderstanding on the part of the requestor of the actual value of the seat to the person who selected it. If 7C is 75 dollars more than 8C, you are asking the person to give up 75 dollars. Actually, to give YOU 75 dollars.

Now, I understand that IRROPS happen. I really do sympathize with someone who ended up getting stomped on by the fickle gods or air travel. But it's still not MY problem, and should not be made into my problem. Your children are also not my problem, and your having children does not give you more entitlement to displace others. If you end up separated from them, you need to work it out with the airline, the GA, or the FA, not some random person minding their own business in the seat they preselected and paid for.

Asking a total stranger to accommodate your needs...actually, your wants..is a violation of common courtesy. Common courtesy is taking the seat you are issued and not imposing on others. No matter how politely you ask the person whose seat you want. It's like cutting in line, but being polite when you do it. It's still cutting in line. I get the same feeling from a person asking for my seat as I do from a panhandler asking me for money. A total stranger asking me to give up something for reasons purely their own. When the pandhandler starts with "excuse me Sir" it's polite but still a pain in the butt.

Sure, maybe not as rude as spitting in someone's face or shouting racial slurs..but still an unsolicited imposition on a stranger. Still a point on the rudeness spectrum.

The issue really should be taken to the FA or GA, who can try to find someone willing to move. At least when they ask, they are asking on behalf of someone and represent the airline and are seeking a customer service compromise. I may still say no if I paid extra and my seat is good, but crew may understand those factors, and I consider that better than having to hear it from Mommy and Daddy Kettle who have no idea what they are really asking.

MSPeconomist

I would have complained to the FAs that the girlfriend was causing a disturbance. If her seat was downstairs, she should *stay* downstairs and not hover over your seat for most of the flight.

DCP2016

Had kind of an opposite story a couple of weeks ago on my Delta flight. Had an economy aisle seat on a 757. Older couple comes on board, wife takes the middle seat next to me and the husband takes the aisle directly across. They didn't say anything, I offered to take the husband's seat as it was exactly the same, but they politely declined. Guess we all need some time apart from the S.O.

UAX_Brasilia

It depends if you booked the Aisle and Window, or if you booked the Aisle and Middle (and are just sitting Aisle/Window because the third seat was not occupied. If it's the latter, you really have no grounds for refusing.

PTravel

Your comment has nothing to do with the subject under discussion. I always sit in the seat that I booked, and I will not trade that seat for another absent something that I deem an emergency. "My kid's IFE isn't working," is not an emergency.