1712overture

A couple of months ago, I was on a flight into LAX.
My seat was the bulkhead E+ aisle seat.

In the window and aisle seat, there was a mother and
her 4-yr-old kid. A few minutes after I settled into my
seat, a man came up from behind me and asked if he
could switch seats with me. His seat is was 27B, a
center seat. (flight was completely full in F and Y, which
explains why I didn't manage an upgrade)

Anyway, I very politely declined the man's "offer"(his
exact words were "I would like to offer you to switch seats
with me...) I went back to reading my book and started
wondering why anybody would ask a question like that.
I mean, who in their right mind would switch a semi-comfy
1C to 27B for no apparent reason?

Two minutes later, the man came back up and asked me
again. Only this time he was handing over a PDA to the
woman sitting next to me. He then explained that the
woman and kid were his wife and daughter. When he
made the reservation 3 weeks ago, UA res gave him all
three E+ seats, but at check-in, one E+ seat was yanked
from him because he could only upgrade one companion.
He let his wife and kid sit in 1A and 1B while he took a
seat in 27B.

I again VERY politely explained that I do not wish to trade
seats with him. I am 6'5" with short torso and long legs.
Sitting in regular coach seat would mean pushing my knees
into the seat in front of me. In fact, I never book any flight
unless I can guarantee myself a bulkhead or exit row seat
in advance.(or an upgrade)

He apparely does not want to give up and started asking
the people sitting around me "if it were you, you would
trade the seats, right... but this gentlemen in 1C won't
do it for some reason..." That's a direct quote from him.
I stood up to make him understand just how tall I am.
He's no more than 5'3".... Unfortunately, this made him
quite defensive. So I sat back down. By this point, people
around me were giving me dirty looks. The FA came to us
and asked why I'm unwilling to trade.... Again, I politely
said no.

The flight went really bad after that. The little girl kept
asking her mother LOUDLY "why can't daddy sit with us?"
repeated. The mother replied in a equally loud voice,
"because this man is mean and he took daddy's seat"

I thought to myself... EXCUSE ME!!!???

I did no such thing! UA gave me my E+ seat because I
was entitled to it. ....I decided to stick with my book and
ignore them completely. However, the E+ passengers
around me were all giving me dirty looks. (hey, why didn't
one of them volunteer to trade seats with that guy?)

I ask you fellow FlyerTalk members... would you trade your
seat if you're tall and cannot fit into a regular non E+ seat?
When I sit in regular coach, my knees hurt and the guy in
front of me has no chance of reclining his seat... Was I
somehow morally wrong in not letting the guy switch with
me?

Oh well...

JBLUA320

If I was as tall as you and he had attempted to use social pressures to attempt to make me succumb -- no. You reserved the seat, it's your right, ESPECIALLY considering his pushiness, and just how tall you are. If you weren't tall, I'd expect you would have switched it, but given the circumstances I say I would have done the same.
-Ag

UnitedSkies

Nope, you did the right thing. I'd actually suggest that the F/A ask to move the 27A and C passengers and bump the mother and child back so they could sit together.

You just have to accept that some passengers expect the world from people.

Roger Lococco

I'm 6'8'' and have given up my seat under similar situations before for short flights, but only if the person asking seems like a nice person and not a jerk. Either way, why didn't he simply ask the two people sitting back in E- if they wanted to move up to E+ to allow his family to sit with him back in Row 27?

Roger sends

CApreppie

The women, the husband, and the FA(s) were all wrong. It is your seat and you are entitled to it.

The women's comments were clearly rude and nasty. I would have made a point to shut her down hopefully with a few choice comments, like "If you have a problem with where you and your family is sitting, I am sure United would have been happy to sell you three first class seats or I'm sure if you would like to obtain elite status, I'm sure UA would be happy to seat you in E+. Until that time, I think you should keep your rude comments to your your low-class self."

UnitedSkies

Ouch, but what's sad is that the couple's child is being raised by them... now she's going to remember that she is entitled to whatever she wants if she asks. We don't need people like that in the future!

CApreppie

Because, its E- and thats unacceptable to this trashy family.

qasr

You did the right thing--especially when he decided the be a jerk and ask the cabin what they would do. If that were me, I would suggest to him that the others around him in E- would probably be happy to sit up here and then loudly exclaim "You do want to sit with your family, right?" or something similar.

Also, you said you were in 1C, was this a Ted flight then? If so, the only Ted into LAX is a pretty short hop, no? PHX or LAS, I presume? Not saying that a short flight makes his claim any more valid, but was just curious.

qasr

It might be unacceptable, but it is where they should be!

UnitedSkies

Good observation - the flight would probably be LAS-LAX. PHX-LAX doesn't start until September 7.

nwhsd

The OP was completely right ot stay in the seat. I am always astounded by how many times my NR headphones have saved me from having to interface with folks on the plane. I really like UnitedSkies suggestion of having them swap to row 27, that will be in my quiver going forward.

richee

I also feel you were absolutely correct, and the family was extremely rude. I'm also surprised the FA would ask you to trade your seat for a middle seat in the back.

We have had times, for whatever reasons, that our family ended up split up. I would never under any circumstances, ask anyone to trade their aisle or an window for a middle seat. If it requires such a trade to stay together, we suck it up, and stay separated for the flight. I also wouldn't ask someone to go from E+ to E-. When that happened once before, we gave up our E+ seats, and all went back to E- to stay together.

UnitedSkies

That suggest is the only reasonable solution in this case.

The family is really asking for a favor, and by definition, a favor is not to be expected, but a "nice-to-have." If they really wanted to sit together, they should expect to give something up, like the extra legroom of Economy Plus.

But this is strange though - the OP mentioned "upgrading." If this was a Ted flight, there is no such thing. Are we off track?

Bonny31

My son is 6' 5" AA, NW, UA have all been very nice to him when he has to fly because of his height. I am 5'10" and I know how not having leg room is. The family you dealed with was rude and is raising a child to be the same way. I would complain to UA about the FA. You did nothing wrong except to take the comments so clamly. He should have as to switch seat with the people in the back.

qasr

They were clearly trying to pull a fast one on the OP and get the best of both worlds. What I dislike so much is the "hey, I'm just trying to sit with my family" heartstring attack. Good, take em all back to row 27 and you'll make 27 A & C's day