Thanks for the free personality analysis; let me tell you how much that opinion matters to me.

<crickets>

Their comforts and desires trump mine? And who exactly is selfish?

You have no way of knowing why someone doesn't wish to move to accommodate your lack of planning, and the person you are trying to displace is under no obligation to explain to you. If I'm requested to move and don't wish to, I'll give a polite but firm refusal and that should be the end of it.

I might add, several years ago I flew with my mother three days after my father's funeral. We were separated on the flight and didn't go to the bother of rearranging people, much as we would have liked to have been seated together. IMHO that would have been a pretty compelling reason.

Feel free to ask me, but I do have some criteria by which I will say no:
1) you want me to take a bulkhead
2) I am already sitting next to my travel partner
3) Based on the route, I have specifically chosen my window seat, (i.e. flying to LAS over the Grand Canyon, Flying into LGA, flying over Cape Canaveral, etc.)
4) I have not eaten all day and I really care about my meal choice

This is a thread about two topics:

1. OP asked whether it's OK to ask.
2. Others respond with why they say "yes" or "no".

The fact is that it's fine to ask and it's fine to say "yes" or "no". And you don't need a reason to say "no".

That comment sounds self-centered.

IBTL

And there you have it. :)