findark

This is a 2-1-2 middle, so I think it's a fair offer.

joshwex90

Only possible way is to offer the middle (unless OP doesn't mind being across the aisle from his wife)

Collierkr

Howste

Buy some of this? Caution Spill Area Barricade Tape

bluedemon211

Too funny . A friend of mine uses a little different (but effective method) when he is lucky enough to have an empty seat next to him. He takes out the air sickness bag, puts it on the empty seat and periodically reaches for it if someone eyeballs the empty seat! He is 100% with this method.

laxmillenial

Sounds like they were trying to be as understanding as possible. Trying to disturb you less, but still trying to work. I would've been ok with this because they were trying to be understanding. It's the rude ones that I have no sympathy for.
Next time, ask for the FC seat and they can all sit together in coach! LOL!

Two Bee

I was on a S/W flight a few years ago when the f/a announced, "This a completely full flight , so those of you reading a newspaper, with a magazine on the seat next to you, it''s eye contact time, folks!"

mmack

Since she's obviously not going to be getting up during the flight, I would have had him put her by the window! Where she can remain till after all the passengers have exited the plane at the destination, and the wheelchair guy can come down to collect her. That's what my Dad would do when he and Mom were travelling together.

jsl42

So today was a first: just before boarding our CR7 for a 2+ hour flight, I was paged to the podium, where the gate agent told me a non-status passenger had been asking after my seat and, although she had refused to move me, that I should be prepared to field a request to switch onboard! I was seated in 2C, the aisle seat in the second (and final) row of the 1-ailse-2 first class. I was first in line to board in Group 1 when lo and behold passengers holding boarding passes for 1A and 2D slid in front of me out of nowhere, scanned their boarding passes before the agent was even ready, raced to the aircraft, and plonked themselves in 2C and 2D. Generally, I am amenable to respectful requests for seat changes, and frankly I would have booked 1A over 2C if they were both available, but I was all to happy to separate the couple given their multiple transgressions. When I pointed out that someone was in my assigned seat, I was asked to relocated but declined on false account of my distaste for the bulkhead.

When we were deplaning, I explained to the man who was ultimately unable to sit beside his girlfriend, why I hadn't accommodated their request that I move. He became verbally aggressive towards me and started using derogatory, sexist language in the presence of the flight attendant, who he had been treating disrespectfully all flight. When he told me I "should be glad we're on a plane," I decided I had a few extra minutes to stick around after the flight to contribute my testimony to a report with a supervisor. The cabin crew as well as the front line and management customer service staff seemed to appreciate my advocacy. So, in short, I did not feel like a jerk for saying no to a seat change request, especially because the requester ended up being not only an entitled jerk but also a violent misogynist!

findark

I'm impressed by the conduct of the GA at the origin; sounds like she successfully shut down an aggressive pax and also wisely thought to give you a heads-up that there might be an issue on board.

joe_miami

By the poacher or FA?

EmailKid

Ain't Karma great

Sadly, does not work often enough

And ^ to GA for giving you heads up.

If it were me, I'd look at u/g status (may be too late now) to see if they were separated because those were the seats they were assigned during u/g process.

jsl42

I agree. I was traveling paid first, so of course I was nervous to be paged right before boarding but I certainly appreciated the heads up from the gate agent.

By the poachers. The FA was not involved in any seating issue.

Unprompted, the angel gate agent told me they were no-status. Upgrade tab on flight status showed no upgraded pax.

thefiverivers

This thread reminds me of a few experiences I have had with this situation both good and bad.

Good: Couple wanted to breastfeed child and asked to switch their aisle seat to my window, to which I obliged. And an elderly couple wanted to sit together on another flight which was ok too.

Bad: Only happened once thankfully, a few years ago. SFO-LHR, in business class, 772, with a rear facing window seat with a great view of engine and wing. I purposely picked this seat because I wanted to experience it. Towards the end of boarding a man comes to me from near the end of business class, aisle seat, forward facing. He was sitting next to me but his wife was sitting in the aisle sea, and he asked if I would switch with his wife. I politely said no and explained why and he was instantly angered saying I was an Ahole and that he was “going to make the flight miserable for me” because I didn’t switch. I didn’t care about the threats but was absolutely shocked at the nerve of some people. He eventually convinced the passenger sitting next to his wife to swap with him so he ended up in the back with his wife. But I was surprised.

I have no problem saying no and could care less what people think, and have done it politely many times. However I have also switched depending on the circumstances. It’s a multifactorial situation but one that I don’t feel bad about all things considered.

halls120

If anyone ever does that to me, I will hit the call button, and explain to the FA that I'd like to speak to the Captain so that I could report I had just been threatened by the individual making the threat.