Bugged on Delta flight

[mjkacmom]

My 22 year old daughter just flew home from Florida, she was happy she had a window seat. When she got to her row a man in the middle seat moved over to the window, and then another man sat down in the aisle seat. She didn’t say anything, I definitely would’ve.

 

[_19disnA]

Some airlines such as SouthWest have 'open' seating where you aren't assigned an exact seat ahead of time. If you are flying on an airline that assigns seats ahead of time, you should expect to be seated based on what is on your ticket. You may also have paid extra for a certain seat location. If someone is sitting in your seat, I would ask them to move and/or show them your boarding pass. Occasionally someone will confuse one seat for another and will generally move when you let them know they are in the wrong seat. I got the impression from the OP that the person was sitting where they were assigned.

 

[sam_gordon]

So airlines such as SouthWest have 'open' seating where you aren't assigned an exact seat ahead of time. If you are flying on an airline that assigns seats ahead of time, you should expect to be seated based on what is on your ticket. You may also have paid extra for a certain seat location. If someone is sitting in your seat, I would ask them to move and/or show them your boarding pass. Occasionally someone will confuse one seat for another and will generally move when you let them know they are in the wrong seat. I got the impression from the OP that the person was sitting where they were assigned.

If that's the case, the OP was the "rude" one. Or, they booked middle/window hoping one could slide to the aisle. That's really stupid though. If you're going to try that, book aisle/window and if need be, one slides to the middle.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

You had the aisle seat so your escape route out was most likely not compromised.
NOW, had you had the window seat seat and regardless of who was in the middle or aisle I would have wrote a note and given it to the attendant.

I was on a flight once where the young women next to me NEVER put her seat belt on. I was stuptified as to why no one said anything to her. But I had the aisle seat so it wasn't an interference to me.

 

[tjmw2727]

I have had flights when the FAs don't seem to pay much attention to the under-seat bags and others where they will ask you to make sure it is tucked all the way in. In the OP's case I would not have interfered - you never know how someone is going to react these days and the FAs are trained to do this. If they aren't going to enforce I certainly won't.

I once had an issue with a businessman who had his briefcase under the middle seat while he sat in the window. When my dd and I took our seats, middle & aisle I asked him if he would take his items and he said he would like to leave it there so he had more legroom, lol. I mentioned that we needed that space for our backpacks, and he suggested I put them in the overhead. I did ask the FA for assistance in this matter, and he reluctantly moved his briefcase.

Recently I was seated next to a woman that refused to put her purse under seat and leave it there, she kept taking it out when she thought the FA wouldn't come back. They finally sent the "head" FA to speak to her and said if she doesn't comply, she was in risk of being removed.

 

[Living42Day]

First edit: Taking off my post, kind of ridiculous to twist words but ok.
Second edit because I like to hide and am guilty:
"Our bags were slightly sticking out because they had shifted back during take off (probably by a couple inches at most). When they came around to do drinks, she said "THERE IS WAYYY TOO MUCH GOING ON HEEEEREEEE!!!" and then told us to put our bags back under the seat. We smashed them back under with our feet as far as they would go, so they no longer slightly stuck out. I understand why it may be different in the exit row because it's an exit so they have to ensure that bags are completely under the seat. We also had two drinks during the flight. I realized later that we probably wouldn't have been as much help in an emergency because we were buzzed after those two drinks." /end post

Added because I'm a masochist: the flight attendants were actually pretty great and lively during this flight. We were going to a funeral the next day but had on a Disney shirt (because, of course we would) and they came back and said "You girls know how to party! These are our Mickey Mouse girls". They said the "There is wayyyy too much going on here" in an animated/joking way, but we still needed to reshift them back under the seat. They made a difficult flight better. The end. Two drinks over 4 hours apparently makes one inebriated, as told by that one person on the DIS. I also hide and am guilty so says the other. The end.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Our bags were slightly sticking out because they had shifted back during take off (probably by a couple inches at most). When they came around to do drinks, she said "THERE IS WAYYY TOO MUCH GOING ON HEEEEREEEE!!!" and then told us to put our bags back under the seat. We smashed them back under with our feet as far as they would go,

The reason your bags need to stay as much as they can under the seat including straps is so in the case of an evacuation they are not in the way. Last thing you want to do is trip over an errant strap or a bag sticking out more than it should. Do people not actively ensure their bags stay where they should under the seat? I'm glad that FA pointed it out to you. And since you brought up drinks you probably would have been glad too given your inebriated state. And def. being in an exit row you take on the duty of helping in case of an emergency probably should care more about bags being in the way.

 

[Living42Day]

The reason your bags need to stay as much as they can under the seat including straps is so in the case of an evacuation they are not in the way. Last thing you want to do is trip over an errant strap or a bag sticking out more than it should. Do people not actively ensure their bags stay where they should under the seat? I'm glad that FA pointed it out to you. And since you brought up drinks you probably would have been glad too given your inebriated state. And def. being in an exit row you take on the duty of helping in case of an emergency probably should care more about bags being in the way.

You took out the part where I said I understood why they asked us to put them back in. The flight attendant knew we were in the exit row and our level of being "inebriated" (we were drunk?! who knew!). Nice lecture. If you need to have a "win", I'll let you have it.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

You took out the part where I said I understood why they asked us to put them back in. The flight attendant knew we were in the exit row and our level of being "inebriated" (we were drunk?! who knew!). Nice lecture. If you need to have a "win", I'll let you have it.

You're very welcome! But I wouldn't bring up "We were pretty buzzed after those two and not sure we could have been of much help in an emergency." if you didn't want anyone to potentially comment on it. All your story needed was about the bags, it was all on you to add in the details about your own drinking. I'm far from one to even care about someone's drinking like that, but I would if you're the one supposed to help me and others off the plane. We try to sit in exit rows ourselves and have to verbally agree in case of an emergency to help out and if we're unable to we need to be moved. Maybe next time don't divulge in the details as much is all I can say.

 

[Living42Day]

You're very welcome! All your story needed was about the bags, it was all on you to add in the details about your own drinking.

Any other tips? Please, go on.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Any other tips? Please, go on.

Although I can't confirm 100% it feels like when I order my drinks (I should say non-alcoholic in this context) without ice it looks like I get more ginger ale than my husband who orders his with ice. True story, I also don't like ice in my drinks I guess I'm weird like that but the FA's don't seem to bat an eye at the request and comparing our drinks (well this is more speaking about SWA I should say) I get more in the small cup.

For this late in the evening with a bunch of other things going on before bed that's 'bout all I got I'm sorry to say. It's nearly bed time for me anyhow

 

[DisneylandFreak2013]

You had the aisle seat so your escape route out was most likely not compromised.
NOW, had you had the window seat seat and regardless of who was in the middle or aisle I would have wrote a note and given it to the attendant.

I was on a flight once where the young women next to me NEVER put her seat belt on. I was stuptified as to why no one said anything to her. But I had the aisle seat so it wasn't an interference to me.

I would be worried if there was turbulence that she would become a projectile. It's like people who don't wear seatbelts in vehicles. Just doesn't make sense.

 

[MsChristy12]

Taking off my post, kind of ridiculous to twist words but ok.

If you have nothing to hide...not guilty...why delete it? If you would have kept it, everyone can see if your words are being twisted or not...

 

[Living42Day]

If you have nothing to hide...not guilty...why delete it? If you would have kept it, everyone can see if your words are being twisted or not...

But I am guilty? And I'm also trying to hide.

 

[seashoreCM]

You are in the window seat. What do you say and to whom when (but not before) you want to get out, say, to use the rest room?

You would say the same thing to:
1. The lady fully reclined in either seat in front of you in first class (or any class),
2. The parent of the child sitting in a car seat in the seat next to you.
3. The gent next to you with the backpack on his lap.

After you disembark and leave the airport (or even after you get back home) you could write the airline and point out the lack of attention to safety details. Of course, give the date and flight number and, for good measure, the boarding and destination airports for that flight segment.

 

[sam_gordon]

You are in the window seat. What do you say and to whom when (but not before) you want to get out, say, to use the rest room?

You would say the same thing to:
1. The lady fully reclined in either seat in front of you in first class (or any class),
2. The parent of the child sitting in a car seat in the seat next to you.
3. The gent next to you with the backpack on his lap.

After you disembark and leave the airport (or even after you get back home) you could write the airline and point out the lack of attention to safety details. Of course, give the date and flight number and, for good measure, the boarding and destination airports for that flight segment.

There's no safety violation with #1 and #3 during the flight itself. If you're allowed to get up to use the rest room (or even just to stretch), they're allowed to have their seat reclined and have a backpack on their lap.

Regarding #2, if the option is keeping the window seat I selected or moving to the aisle so the child seat is at the window, *I* would choose to the keep the window seat. If the FA came by and said "you have to move", I'd move.

 

[disneyseniors]

I guess I'm in the minority here.
But I paid just as much for my seat and I find it very uncomfortable if the person in front of me fully reclines. I can't move much at all. I wish they would take that option away or at least only let the seats recline very little.

 

[SirDuff]

There's no safety violation with #1 and #3 during the flight itself. If you're allowed to get up to use the rest room (or even just to stretch), they're allowed to have their seat reclined and have a backpack on their lap.

Regarding #2, if the option is keeping the window seat I selected or moving to the aisle so the child seat is at the window, *I* would choose to the keep the window seat. If the FA came by and said "you have to move", I'd move.

Do you mean you'd keep the window seat even though you'd be blocked in by the car seat? Or that you'd stay in the window and tell/ask the family not to use the car seat? Not criticizing either option, just curious.

Personally, I try for aisle seats (or, ideally, seats that are both aisle and window where there is only one seat on the side of the aisle), so I'd just at the chance to "give up" my window seat and take the aisle.

For the other two scenarios, a bag on someone's lap shouldn't impede my getting past them, so my request would be no different than if they didn't have the bag (in economy, I ask them to step into the aisle while in some business/first, I can squish passed them). I don't think I've ever asked someone to stop reclining their seat for me to get passed (though it might change whether or not I need to ask the person in my row to setp into the aisle or not). As someone who gets aisle seats, getting up to let people out is just part of taking those seats.

 

[sam_gordon]

Do you mean you'd keep the window seat even though you'd be blocked in by the car seat? Or that you'd stay in the window and tell/ask the family not to use the car seat? Not criticizing either option, just curious.

I would stay in the window and let them use the car seat in the middle. I have no doubt I'd be able to get over the car seat if that should happen. As I age, the answer may change, but I want to look outside.

Again, if the FA said "the car seat has to go in the window seat", I'd comply. If the FA doesn't say anything, neither will I.

 

[SirDuff]

I would stay in the window and let them use the car seat in the middle. I have no doubt I'd be able to get over the car seat if that should happen. As I age, the answer may change, but I want to look outside.

Again, if the FA said "the car seat has to go in the window seat", I'd comply. If the FA doesn't say anything, neither will I.

Got it and makes sense. I also like looking outside but my desire for easy exit is higher than my desire to see (hence my love of seats that are both aisle and window).