mahasamatman

Why bother with a counter-excuse?

Only if the seat they poach is in the restroom...

tfl

I'm flying on Wed LAX-SYD and have 15D booked. I might board late too!

gre

The joke will be on you if the seat is actually double booked and the other guy's butt is in it first.

mahasamatman

If you have 15D, you're not on a 747...

Thunderroad

I agree with all of the above advice, but I'd emphasize initially giving the person in your seat the benefit of the doubt and assuming that it was an innocent mistake. Sure, there are seat poachers, but there are also folks who simply screw up. I recall that one time I somehow got it into my head that I was assigned a given seat (albeit not a coveted one like row 15 UD), only to be proven wrong when the rightful occupant showed up and I checked my boarding pass. I was a bit embarassed about it, but he was very nice. I hope and assume I'd act the same way were the roles reversed.

Of course, if the occupant still asks to stay in your seat, ask that s/he move --or, if you're more comfortable, simply ask the FA to resolve it. That would save you whatever stress you might feel over "confronting" the poacher. But under no circumstances should you let it ride.

UNITED959

Ask to see their BP. Look for their seat number and point to where their seat is.

Don't be so nice.

lucky9876coins

Very well said!^ I'm used to 11C on Ted and not too long ago settled into that seat on an IAD-TPA flight. Quickly 11C showed up and I realized I was actually signed 11D, so I apologized and moved. It happens to all of us. That being said, when they say "Do you mind moving?" or the like I think it's pretty clear what their intent was. I'm very accomodating when it comes to switching seats, but only if the person doesn't try to take advantage of me.

WayMaker

I agree that seat poaching should never be tolerated. But I think the best approach is always to get a flight attendant involved right away, before trying to resolve it yourself. If I look down the aisle and see someone in my seat, I never confront the person myself if there is any chance I can get a flight attendant to do it for me first. Since I'm the first to present my boarding pass to the FA, my credibility is enhanced in their eyes anyway.

It's rare, but there are seat assignment duplications, or "doops" as agents and FAs call them. In this situation, it's nice to have not come off as the imperious, entitled one. If you are gracious and look to avoid stinking up the atmosphere with argumentation, good things often happen.

I can recall one instance where there was an inexplainable seat duplication. The situation was resolved by putting me in F not C, even though there were C seats still open. One can never be sure, but I doubt the double upgrade would have happened had I been perceived by the FAs and gate agents as a demanding meanie.

And then there is the other factor of timing one's embarkation. I, too, like to maximize lounge time and board late, but I usually try to get to my seat maybe 20-30 minutes before departure on international flights. This gives me time to "pre-flight" the seat itself. If inoperative seats, lights and entertainment systems are discovered early enough, there may be a chance to move.

ballast

I say the following:

"I'm confused. There must have been sort of mix-up with seating. I believe I'm booked into 15H. Do you have your boarding pass?"

Poacher either produces boarding pass or begins to fudge some excuse. If the boarding pass is produced and not a duplicate, I direct poacher to the assigned seat.

If the fudging begins, I say "You're already settled in, which seat were you assigned?" and they're always too happy to let you know, because they believe you will roll over. Then I direct the poacher to the assigned seat.

asya999

Oh, I interpreted as "use their own excuse back".

"I need this seat because I need to go to the bathroom frequently" answer "Oh, I especially booked this seat because *I* need to go to the bathroom frequently".

"I really need this seat because I'm tall" answer with "Oh, I especially booked this seat because I'm tall" - this one will work particularly well if you're 5'5" like me

mjo768

I see people allowing poaching all the time. When I fly TATL on LH, I always book a middle aisle like 32G in hopes that no one is next to me.

Several times I have been "poached" - one very nice turkish lady from new york said that she wanted to aisle for her kid who need to use the bathroom often. I told her I would have no problem getting up. Another time a very large (and malodorous) gentleman from poland was sitting in my seat - I had him move to his middle seat (and prayed he would be reseated - my prayers were answered).

I think if you want the seat, the you should take it. There was another time that I didn't get an aisle (have had lots of issues with LH checkins until I stared going into the longer, B/F/S* Gold checkin) - My girlfriend asked the gentleman on the aisle to switch and he did.

I think it's fine if they ask, but people who just sit in your seat (particularly when they aren't even in that row) are despicable and shouldn't be tolerated no matter how many times they have to go to the bathroom.

A couple that sits together and asks if they can swap seats with a single passenger - that's acceptable to me. Squatting is not.

gre

Of course, but it seems more than coincidental that folks seldom "mistakenly" sit in crappy seats.

DWP

Lucky, have fun on that MR! I'm envious..... Looking forward to the read.

PTravel

"Excuse me, but you appear to be in my seat. What does your boarding pass say?"

I will never explain myself to anyone (except, perhaps, the Captain if he insists I change seats to one that is unacceptable to me). I like the approach of an earlier poster to this thread: "You'll have to talk to a flight attendant about your special need."

Exactly. Mahasamatman, you're the man!


You're very polite. I know that there are occasions when UA will mess up and issue duplicate boarding passes. However, these are very, very rare. I'm not offensive nor rude, but I'm firm: "You appear to be in my seat. What does your boarding pass say?" If it's for the same seat as mine, I'll laugh and say, "Well, UA does it again. I'll go speak to the flight attendant." If it's not, I'll get the poacher out of my seat as quickly as possible -- no discussion, no sympathy, and very, very little courtesy.

Ooooh, I like the way you think!

Yes, funny how that works. I've yet to have someone say, "why don't you take my seat in F and I'll stay here in coach." It's always, "oh, I'm seated in 57B -- it's that middle non-reclining seat right in front of the toilet."

And, yes, if anyone is wondering I am posting just for the sake of posting so that I can hit 7,000 posts today.

dawg1k

Correct. Make 'em move.