pmlflyer

Hi Everyone,

Looking for some advice. so Myself (Plat) and my GF (Gold) flew two nights ago on UA51 to Madrid. We were seated on 18E and 18F. Close to departure we realized that 18D was a no show. Mentioned to the FA that my GF would like to move to such seat and the FA said that would be fine once the door closed.

Shortly after talking to the FA the non rev seating in 19E forcefully asks that he would like to seat in 19D since he has a problem and need to use the bathroom regularly. My GF being a small woman in her twenties stupidly cracks due to the pressure and gives up the seat. As no surprise to me Non-Rev 18D does not stand up a single time during the whole flight. I found this to be completely offensive and systematically to take advantage of paying customers that essentially called dibs on a seat.

Before those asking how we knew he was a non rev, well all the people sitting on 19DEF were non revs as they were all on the double standby lists for economy and BF and both parties were talking about how they use their non rev privileges, seem to be on buddy passes. One party of more experienced older travelers were actually promoting to the other non rev that there were other empty seats apart from the one that he was seating in and that he should try to change so they could have the spear seat in between them.

Would like to know what is other peoples take on this and if this should be reported.

Cheers

flyingstudent

She could have said no and that would be end of the story. Cannot really blame the non rev

HNLbasedFlyer

Why does it matter if they are non-rev or not? As far as you are concerned - they are just another passenger.

With that said, why throw the girlfriend under the bus (or in this case, under the plane). A small woman in her 20's cracking to the pressure? Really? Even if we take that at face value, why didn't you speak up?

dilanesp

Why not write a letter to UA customer service? Identify the seat numbers.

If these are indeed non-revs you can get them in a LOT of trouble.

pmlflyer

Was banking on him actually having a problem and legitly needing to use the bathroom constantly, to which we wouldnt of had any problem as that is a primal human need. but lying is a different story.

WineCountryUA

NRSA are not allowed to ask customers to change / move assigned seats.

However, since the seat was not formally assigned, the NRSA would be allowed to request and be assigned that seat.

" called dibs on a seat " is not a valid concept for air travel. And the "pressure" seems unclear if it was a polite request (all be it, perhasp inappropriate request).

Best to make a formal seat change -- with GA or with app.

ContinentalFan

It should be reported. Something like you described shouldn’t happen.

revigik

I think you might be overreacting a bit here. Not saying that the behavior is completely excusable, but you also didn't have to say yes to the change.

amtrakusa

I don't think this is "taking advantage of paying customer", however, the nonrev should have better etiquette.

1. If 18D is empty, another E+ passenger could have moved here for whatever reason. If girlfriend "claimed" 18D in the first place, leaving the middle seat open, there is nothing stopping another passenger coming to 18E (or a last minute passenger nonrev or not taking 18E). In this case, you probably still have to move (by either giving up the aisle or the window if you two want to sit together).

2. If passenger in 19E has a legitimate need or simply wants to sit in the aisle, he or she could have asked nicely. He should be treated the same with every other passenger. Whoever claimed the empty seat first should get it.

I don't think nonrev has anything to do with this case. This is just a simple conflict among E+ passengers trying to get as much personal space as possible in a location with limited resource, which happens hundreds times a day on an airplane. A middle seat passenger wants to claim a non-occupying aisle seat. and you two want to monopolize an empty middle. Nobody should be entitled to feel they should get what they want.

dilanesp

I feel very strongly that nonrevs, who are getting free travel, should sit where they are told and not violate any rules. If they don't like the rules, nobody is stopping them from paying for a ticket.

laxmillenial

But the non-rev didn't violate any rules. You and your gf weren't assigned that seat. It was an open seat. Both of you wanted it for more space (understandable) but the Non-Rev wanted it for more space as well.

Shenanigans? No, it's not. It's called two passengers both wanting a better seat that was UNASSIGNED. It was entirely between you two to work it out. The gf could have said no.

It's not taking advantage of someone if you ask and they give it to you. By that definition I take advantage of literally 90% of people I interact with on a daily basis.

pmlflyer

Hi guy thanks for the points of view,

I totally agree that that seat was up for grabs for anyone to take, to which my GF was the first to claim, but having a non rev in this case ask for her to move out of it cause he needs it in what seemed to be medical reasons that were false is not the way to ask. If he would of asked that he wanted it to have more space my GF would of simply said no as she was in the same situation. but to cave in due to somewhat primal reason as using the bathroom constantly is something different. I guess the moral of the story is that in this day of travel just don't do any body any favores, let's just throw humanity out the emergency door.

laxmillenial

I mean, or you could just say "oh gosh darn, we'll get it next time"
You and your gf sat together! Was it that bad in the middle and window seats next to each other? If it was, I'd suggest buying EXTRASEAT next time to gurantee 3 seats for the 2 of you.

I agree that the non-rev using a false reason to grab the seat was poor ettiquette. Shame. But that still didn't break any rules that would merit a complaint. How many times do we catch people in a white lie when its benefiting them?

MBS MillionMiler

...I'd let it go. It's gray area if it's 'wrong' even for NRSAs given they didn't really ask you to switch seats--which say what you want, is indeed a NO NO--but that's technically not the case here.

However, this is the perfect example of why you, as a party of 2, book the two aisle seats and leave the middle open--sitting in those assigned seats the entire flight--I love my wife and all, but if I'm in Y for a long-ish flight like that, I don't want us to be sitting THAT close unless we have to. If said middle seat does get assigned, then I don't know any pax in their right mind that wouldn't then take the aisle over the middle.

notquiteaff

I guess if I had discovered mid-flight that the aisle seat miraculously cured the bathroom problem of the other passenger, I might have developed my own urgent/frequent bathroom problem.