How do you handle a seat change request? {Archive}

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Mar 12, 2018, 11:16 am

#691

pindi

Join Date: Aug 2001

Location: NJ, USA

Programs: UA MM

Posts: 671

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aussienarelle

OT: The surprising part of your post to me is that you sat in the window seat and let your 10 year old child sit next to the stranger. Once he did this to your daughter more than once why did you not swap seats with her? He may have been less inclined to indulge in that behavior and you would have shown your daughter how to deal with the situation rather than telling her to do something that seems not to have worked.

She did not want the window seat (usually, she loves them!). As I said, this man seemed like a total gentleman - I did not get any bad vibes at all from him. We had paid for direct TV on the middle screen - it was a 3 hr flight... daughter told me about halfway through about the elbow business. Strange thing is, I was expecting his wife to sit in our row (the other row had 2 men seated already) next to our daughter. In retrospect, I should have insisted on sitting in the middle seat.

Mar 12, 2018, 11:26 am

#692

SkiAdcock

A FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Aug 2002

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Posts: 71,107

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proudelitist

It's not that simple. It never is in the reality of the cabin compared to the theoretical of the internet . A simple no never gets a satisfied response. What you get instead is indignity, demanding an explanation, name calling, and being made into a bad guy. It is more polite to mind your own business and take what you are given then foist an awkward, unsolicited interaction upon someone who is in their rightful seat.
.

Perhaps in your experience. As I outlined in mine (which you quoted) I've not experienced that, so there's no theoretical of the internet involved when I responded to your earlier post. It was based on my experience. As I mentioned I've been asked many times. Sometimes I said yes; sometimes I said no. I've not experienced what you have when I've said no.

Cheers.

Mar 12, 2018, 11:33 am

#693

dalehill

Join Date: Feb 2015

Location: SFO/TPA

Programs: DL PM

Posts: 199

Quote:

Originally Posted by pindi

...My question was out of curiosity and hence the WWYD post. There was no other intent. Why this compulsion to respond and make it seem like I was entitled? The entire post was around WWYD, as personally, I would have taken 21D in a heartbeat. Subjective, I know. Hence the post!

So why didn't you take 21D? I mean, if you thought it was such a great seat despite the fact that it was several rows back from your traveling companions.

You found yourself in a situation you didn't like and asked another couple to put themselves in that same situation. They declined. If you'd stopped at that point, rather than going on about them not talking to each other, him hogging the arm rest and messing up your daughter's entertainment, and you taking obvious pleasure in their lost luggage, I would agree your "entire post was around WWYD." But you didn't. You went there. So your post seems to be about more than WWYD about a seat swap request.

Mar 12, 2018, 12:08 pm

#694

Proudelitist

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Join Date: Nov 2015

Posts: 1,808

Quote:

Originally Posted by pindi

There was no imposing my wants on anyone. I asked, he refused, and there ended the matter. My post was about a WWYD scenario. [Moderator edit.]

Yes, it absolutely was. You wanted the whole row. You didn't get it. You asked a stranger to split up from his wife, to a seat further back in the plane. You wanted it even before you boarded, hence asking the GA.

Apparently your wants are more important than those rightfully in the seat.

And mentioning that they didn't speak to each other the whole flight..that indicates you somehow thought they were not worthy of remaining together because they were not going to interact.

And no, the matter didn't end there. You even took pleasure in their lost luggage afterward because they didn't take you up on your terrible offer.

Mar 12, 2018, 12:10 pm

#695

narvik

Join Date: May 2010

Location: AVP & PEK

Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM

Posts: 6,349

Quote:

Originally Posted by dalehill

So why didn't you take 21D?

OP's travel companion DH (whatever that is) took 21D.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proudelitist

You even took pleasure in their lost luggage afterward because they didn't take you up on your terrible offer.

Not the same person. Lost luggage happened to someone other than the person who was asked to switch seats.

Mar 12, 2018, 12:19 pm

#696

hughw

Join Date: Jan 2004

Location: New York NY

Programs: UA Gold, CO Plat, CO Million Miler

Posts: 2,617

As I've previously said, I have no problem with people asking me to switch (politely) to what I perceive equal or better seat or vice versa. And like SkiAdcock (a CO Megado veteran), I've never been bothered by the ask, or had someone with attitude when I've said no.....But, to ask someone who you already know has a companion is just plain wrong, and bad manners.

Mar 12, 2018, 12:29 pm

#697

dalehill

Join Date: Feb 2015

Location: SFO/TPA

Programs: DL PM

Posts: 199

Quote:

Originally Posted by narvik

OP's travel companion DH (whatever that is) took 21D.

Yes, I saw that. My question is, if that is such a great seat that someone wouldn't mind being separated from their traveling companions to sit in it, why didn't she sit in it? Or why wasn't she happy that her Darling Husband was enjoying that supposedly much better seat? Clearly she did not see that as the better option, yet she seems to think others should think it is.

Quote:

Not the same person. Lost luggage happened to someone other than the person who was asked to switch seats.

She wrote: "I should have said something to him but did not. Karma got him as their luggage went missing - we saw him wait at the baggage carousel for their bags and then saw him walk to the luggage office dejected.
PPS That karma is for bullying my DD with armrest control - NOT for staying put in his assigned seat."

I think "him" is the same person. Or am I missing something? Sincerely confused.

Mar 12, 2018, 12:33 pm

#698

staren937

Join Date: Feb 2006

Programs: UGS, AA CK

Posts: 212

Quote:

Originally Posted by pindi

Would you have swapped for us? I am a planner and always get an entire row of 3 seats for our family (DH, 10 yr old DD, and myself). On our recent ski trip, on the return DEN-EWR, could not find a full E+ row available. Best I could do was 12 EF and 21D (reclining exit row aisle). My thought was we could offer whoever was in 12D our 21D (in my opinion, a better seat as it has more legroom). At the gate, I asked the GA if 12D was a solo traveler - was told 12C/D were traveling together. We boarded in group 1 and DH took 21D while I took 12F and our daughter took 12E.

12C/D board with group 3 or 4. Older couple - back from skiing too. I politely ask the gentleman about to settle into 12D if he would help us and told him we had 21D. He agreed but his wife said something to him. He turns and says to me "I think I would rather not". We settled into our assigned seats. The couple did not talk to each other at all during the entire flight.

Would you have swapped with us?

PS This man kept his elbow firmly on the armrest containing our daughter's entertainment controls and managed to turn off her screen multiple times while she was watching a movie. She complained to me after a few times - I ask her to tap him and let him know if he does it again. He basically took over the middle seat armrest completely. I should have said something to him but did not. Karma got him as their luggage went missing - we saw him wait at the baggage carousel for their bags and then saw him walk to the luggage office dejected.
PPS That karma is for bullying my DD with armrest control - NOT for staying put in his assigned seat.

I have been pretty vocally opposed to proudelitist and a couple others on this topic. But this is the exactly the type of post that gives credence to their position. It is rude and an imposition to ask a couple to split for you. And your comments about them not speaking, taking control of the armrest, and karma resulting them losing their luggage show an unfair character assassination attempt. Based on your post, I think "karma" dictates that you deserve to lose your luggage and be stuck separated for all of the flights in your next 1000 lives.

Last edited by staren937; Mar 12, 2018 at 2:27 pm

Mar 12, 2018, 1:32 pm

#699

Proudelitist

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Join Date: Nov 2015

Posts: 1,808

Quote:

Originally Posted by narvik

Not the same person. Lost luggage happened to someone other than the person who was asked to switch seats.

Wrong:

"PS This man kept his elbow firmly on the armrest containing our daughter's entertainment controls and managed to turn off her screen multiple times while she was watching a movie. She complained to me after a few times - I ask her to tap him and let him know if he does it again. He basically took over the middle seat armrest completely. I should have said something to him but did not. Karma got him as their luggage went missing - we saw him wait at the baggage carousel for their bags and then saw him walk to the luggage office dejected.
PPS That karma is for bullying my DD with armrest control - NOT for staying put in his assigned seat."