Strange seat change request from purser
Sep 6, 2019, 1:09 pm
#61
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Always good to have a NRSA available to throw around! I was flying SFO-FRA and my monitor didn't work in F. When I told the FA she went to whom I was later told was a NRSA pax who gladly swapped with me. He said he just wanted to sleep the whole flight anyhow.
Sep 6, 2019, 2:26 pm
#62
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My rule number 1 for accepting a seat swap request is a basic requirement I end up better off than off than I was before. No way, no how would I ever swap from an operable to a broken seat in J.
The veiled attempt at guilting the OP with a statement like the price paid for their seat vs the GS member's claim of $12k is the mildly insulting part. That said, while its tacky to ask with the phrasing they used, I'd let it go now since the FA dropped it immediately then.
Tackiness is a standard feature of domestic US carriers included in your fare.
The veiled attempt at guilting the OP with a statement like the price paid for their seat vs the GS member's claim of $12k is the mildly insulting part. That said, while its tacky to ask with the phrasing they used, I'd let it go now since the FA dropped it immediately then.
Tackiness is a standard feature of domestic US carriers included in your fare.
Sep 6, 2019, 2:30 pm
#63
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No NRSA was thrown or otherwise harmed in this thread. It's a condition of NRSA travel for "free" that they do swap seats with a revenue customer when requested by airline staff, just as they're supposed to get the last meal choice, etc.
Sep 6, 2019, 2:53 pm
#64
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I was of course joking and travel with NRSA often. I have spoken to FAs and NRSA paxs and it is really great when something like this comes up and they have a NRSA pax who generally is more than happy to help out as they are flying for "free" and generally are just glad to have gotten on a flight that they needed. It is often a win-win situation from what I have seen.
Sep 6, 2019, 2:57 pm
#65
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I was of course joking and travel with NRSA often. I have spoken to FAs and NRSA paxs and it is really great when something like this comes up and they have a NRSA pax who generally is more than happy to help out as they are flying for "free" and generally are just glad to have gotten on a flight that they needed. It is often a win-win situation from what I have seen.
I was joking too, and trying to quote the "no animals were harmed in the making of this motion picture" Humane Society certification line. Of course we appreciate it when nonrevs do the right thing to help make a flight better for a customer. Sometimes the classy ones offer before being asked.
Sep 6, 2019, 3:22 pm
#66
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Sep 6, 2019, 3:28 pm
#67
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Downgraded from First/Business Class on United (Questions, Compensation, etc.) only handles involuntary downgrades due to oversells.
Sep 6, 2019, 3:29 pm
#68
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Was on E75 yesterday in 1A & FA asked on initial descent if I'd be willing to switch w little girl on other side aisle for landing so she could see statue of liberty & NYC skyline out left side windows. I said fine of course. FA a few minutes later was rooting around in the overhead & asked "is this your bag?" I was all like yeah? When I got off the plane I felt like my bag was a bit heavy & looked inside to find this!
This is such an irrelevant & unhelpful comment, because FAs have a massive power differential over pax on an airplane. An inappropriate request like this is very troubling regardless of whether the pax says "no".
The FAs or other passengers can request anything they want. You can refuse any request by saying no. It's that simple.
"Would you like to move to a broken seat?' "No"
"Would you give up your aisle seat for a middle seat?" "No"
Saying no solves all kinds of weird request problems.
"Would you like to move to a broken seat?' "No"
"Would you give up your aisle seat for a middle seat?" "No"
Saying no solves all kinds of weird request problems.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Sep 6, 2019 at 3:50 pm Reason: merged consecutive posts by same member
Sep 6, 2019, 4:50 pm
#69
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Nice gesture, but I would not be impressed having a FA root through my bag.
Sep 6, 2019, 6:09 pm
#70
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Putting aside the baseless allegations regarding the other passenger and whether he is an employee, a GS, or whatever, there was nothing wrong with the ask and nothing wrong with OP's response.
What was poor form was telling OP that the other passenger was a GS and what the GS said he had paid for his ticket.
FA's have the ability to dole out low levels of miles for specified issues, but not to offer ETC's or large mileage amounts. So that was not happening either.
What was poor form was telling OP that the other passenger was a GS and what the GS said he had paid for his ticket.
FA's have the ability to dole out low levels of miles for specified issues, but not to offer ETC's or large mileage amounts. So that was not happening either.
Sep 6, 2019, 6:31 pm
#71
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Beleive FAs can do ETCs and the FA could have requested an ETC for a broken seat for either the original seat occupant of the OP. Might have not been large enough for the OP or others but it was an option. As the OPs and other have speculated the FA was just as happy with the decline because it provided a non-debateable answer for the original passenger, hence the issue was dropped quickly without any bargaining.
Sep 6, 2019, 6:49 pm
#72
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Last year, I was traveling from HNL - NRT in business on a non-Polaris 772. The seat next to me was the only open seat in the biz-class cabin.
About a 2 hours into the flight, the lovely purser (who I'd flown with a few times before) asked if she could move another 1K passenger into the empty seat next to me because their seat, apparently, had "too much light" (I kid you not). I was having a great time enjoying the flight and the impeccable service, and had no problems agreeing to this. In hindsight, I think it was very Japanese of them to be so polite as to ask me if I was ok with it in the first place.
After an hour or so, the passenger went back to his original seat anyway. When I landed, I had a $400 ETC in my email for my trouble.
About a 2 hours into the flight, the lovely purser (who I'd flown with a few times before) asked if she could move another 1K passenger into the empty seat next to me because their seat, apparently, had "too much light" (I kid you not). I was having a great time enjoying the flight and the impeccable service, and had no problems agreeing to this. In hindsight, I think it was very Japanese of them to be so polite as to ask me if I was ok with it in the first place.
After an hour or so, the passenger went back to his original seat anyway. When I landed, I had a $400 ETC in my email for my trouble.
Sep 6, 2019, 8:01 pm
#74
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Many nonrevs would prefer to get onto the flight than not, and would prefer FC or business class over the remaining middle seat in the back row of coach. It's also a way to get one more (standby/nonrev) passenger onto the flight versus waiting to the next day if they're not eligible for a jumpseast. Everyone wins (and presumably the nonrev would have the option before boarding or either standby for the next flight or a remaining seat in a lower cabin).
Sep 6, 2019, 8:30 pm
#75
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I'm flying SFO-FRA. I'm gold and my mileage upgrade cleared at the gate (from premium economy) so I got one of the last couple of polaris seats.
About an hour into the flight someone (I think the purser) comes up to me and says that her app isn't updated and asked to see my BP. I mentioned that I was upgraded at the gate, and showed her my new BP. Then she asked if I could do her a favor, so I asked her what it was.
She told me that there was a GS passenger who had paid $12k for his ticket and his seat would not recline all the way, and asked if I'd switch with him. It was clearly a request (not an instruction) and very polite. I just said "I'd rather not". She didn't push the issue so I never had the chance to explain my reasoning to her, but, basically:
1. My upgrade was not free, and, more importantly,
2. It's not like he paid me $12k.
Does anyone else think that this is a strange request? Is anyone really going to volunteer to move into a broken seat (in exchange for nothing -- no compensation was offered) just because the guy in the seat has high status and bought a full fare ticket? I hope UA compensates him well, but that has to come out of their pocket, not mine.
About an hour into the flight someone (I think the purser) comes up to me and says that her app isn't updated and asked to see my BP. I mentioned that I was upgraded at the gate, and showed her my new BP. Then she asked if I could do her a favor, so I asked her what it was.
She told me that there was a GS passenger who had paid $12k for his ticket and his seat would not recline all the way, and asked if I'd switch with him. It was clearly a request (not an instruction) and very polite. I just said "I'd rather not". She didn't push the issue so I never had the chance to explain my reasoning to her, but, basically:
1. My upgrade was not free, and, more importantly,
2. It's not like he paid me $12k.
Does anyone else think that this is a strange request? Is anyone really going to volunteer to move into a broken seat (in exchange for nothing -- no compensation was offered) just because the guy in the seat has high status and bought a full fare ticket? I hope UA compensates him well, but that has to come out of their pocket, not mine.