People with assigned seats, but choose others instead

[dudspizza]

Ever have someone decide they wanted your seat instead of their seat?

Two examples.

#1 Flying MSP to ATL on Delta. MD-88 with 3 seats on one side and 2 on the other. A couple decides they want the window and an aisle so they sit on the 2 seat side. A couple boards later on (when they are supposed to) and tells the other couple they are in their seats.... the first couple plays dumb and moves, knowing darn well they were trying to snag better seats. They ended up on the other side in a window and middle seat.

#2 A guy is flying from ATL to CRP on a CRJ. His buddy has a seat in the last row while he is in the front row with tons of extra leg room. He tells his buddy to sit with him and when the guy who was supposed to sit there boards, he says, "hey, you mind taking his seat in the back so we can sit together?" The seats were prime seats (preffered) and the guy ended up moving to the back to a seat that did not recline!

I would have politely asked them to move in both situations. You?

duds

 

[BonnieA]

I usually pick out my seats when flying. The only reason I would give up my choice is if there was a family with little ones involved. Everyone else better take their own seat cause I'm keeping mine.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

I had aisle and next 2 for a middle row on a big jet. This female didn't even want to get up from my aisle seat to let me and 2 kids plus diaper bag into the row. I did politely ask for my seat. She got all pissy and muttered ***** as she flounced off.
What a loser!

 

[Pumbaa_]

I wouldn't give up my seat either. If you booked and picked a specific seat, you are entitled to what you paid for. I especially would not give up a preferred front seat.

That guy who wanted to sit with his friend could always have moved to the back of the plane and given his preferred seat to someone else

 

[CarolA]

I agree that I won't normally give up my seat. (And why is that those folks never try to trade for MORE desirable seat... they never want to sit in the middle seat for example)

I had a man on a Delta flight from Paris France who was in my seat. I hit the call button and the FA came to assist. He starts in on "I have MILLIONS of miles with you" "I am a PREFERRED flyer" etc... just really showing out. FA leaves to deal with this, comes back and with a smile hands me my NEW boarding pass. I was now in Business Class while Mr "Preferred" flyer was stuck in coach. I just giggled as I walked to my new seat.

 

[dudspizza]

I agree that I won't normally give up my seat. (And why is that those folks never try to trade for MORE desirable seat... they never want to sit in the middle seat for example)

I had a man on a Delta flight from Paris France who was in my seat. I hit the call button and the FA came to assist. He starts in on "I have MILLIONS of miles with you" "I am a PREFERRED flyer" etc... just really showing out. FA leaves to deal with this, comes back and with a smile hands me my NEW boarding pass. I was now in Business Class while Mr "Preferred" flyer was stuck in coach. I just giggled as I walked to my new seat.

Now that is funny right there! NICE!!!

Duds

 

[gonemousin']

I got in a battle for my assigned seat on an American Airlines trip from CA to CT. I boarded the plane to find an older lady sitting in my window seat (preselected by myself ahead of time). I politely pointed out that she was in my seat and she proceeded to ignore me, pretending to not speak English. She eventually moved when the guy in the aisle seat arrived and got irritated with her (three seats across - hers was the center seat). In the end I regretted fighting her for the seat...she passed gas the ENTIRE plane ride across country and tortured the whole cabin. People started looking around, trying to figure out who was letting them rip. It was horrible...and because I was stuck in my precious window seat, I couldn't escape it. Serves me right - at least that's what she was thinking, I'm sure!! And for the record...her English was perfecly clear when she needed to place her drink and snack order with the FA! Oh well!!

 

[AllyBri]

Now this is a subject I could write a book about. How many people board a plane and think they can sit wherever they please?

Everytime we board a plane, DH says, Let the show begin.

 

[goofy4tink]

No way would I give up my seat....it's pretty much the equivalent of going to the theater and just sitting where you want, even though you paid for a balcony seat. Or going to a basketball game and sitting down in front and giving the rightful owner of the seat gas when he asks you to move!!
People never cease to amaze me. Perhaps I would consider giving up my seat if it were a parent/child issue but that would be the only situation.

 

[Blueberry]

Even though seating is assigned a lot of people think it is like bus seating when you actually get on, pick a seat and sit anywhere. An older lady traveling with her famiy was walking in ahead of us on a flight and just plopped down in my seat right before me and said lets sit here, but her daughter made her move and apologized saying her Mom did not know she had to sit in a certain seat....

 

[Michael623]

This is why I'm liking Southwest better all the time

 

[seashoreCM]

passed gas the ENTIRE plane ride across country and tortured the whole cabin. People started looking around, trying to figure out who :

Unfortunately she had the choice of doing what she did or making the person in the aisle seat fold up his laptop, raise his tray table, an get up to let her go to the restroom. Unfortunately again, when someone does so get up, the urge goes away and the stay in the rest room is in vain. Unfortunately for the third time the urge comes back after returning to one's seat. Hint: It helps to sit down in the rest room for a few minutes. Due to cabin air pressure changes, flatulence is exacerbated on airplane flights and I think worse when you fly on an empty stomach.

(heard on the radio)
Thank you for calling Howie Carr, you chump!

(Not in Boston? Hear the show yourself on internet audio streaming, go to howiecarr.com Oh yes he has done some shows on what goes on inside airplanes, but not often enough for me to tell you to glue you ear to your radio every afternoon.)

 

[Laurabearz]

Now this is a subject I could write a book about. How many people board a plane and think they can sit wherever they please?
.

Um I do, every time I fly..... We use SWA...

 

[AllyBri]

Um I do, every time I fly..... We use SWA...

Now you're talking about a free for all.

all kidding aside, I think if SW works for you that's great.

 

[Michael623]

The first time I flew SW I though their system was the stupidest thing I had ever seen. Now I prefer it. In the last couple of months I flew Airtran and it took 40 minutes to board a 2/3 full flight. Then I flew SW on a completely full flight and it took 12 minutes to completely board. Same 737 aircraft. I find when people have an assigned seat they tend to stroll on knowing their seat isn't going anywhere. When you're risking a middle seat for several hours you tend to get it in gear and get going.

 

[gonemousin']

Unfortunately she had the choice of doing what she did or making the person in the aisle seat fold up his laptop, raise his tray table, an get up to let her go to the restroom. Unfortunately again, when someone does so get up, the urge goes away and the stay in the rest room is in vain. Unfortunately for the third time the urge comes back after returning to one's seat. Hint: It helps to sit down in the rest room for a few minutes. Due to cabin air pressure changes, flatulence is exacerbated on airplane flights and I think worse when you fly on an empty stomach.

(heard on the radio)
Thank you for calling Howie Carr, you chump!

(Not in Boston? Hear the show yourself on internet audio streaming, go to howiecarr.com Oh yes he has done some shows on what goes on inside airplanes, but not often enough for me to tell you to glue you ear to your radio every afternoon.)

I'm well aware of this unpleasant side affect of cabin pressure - I fly often for business. Her particular "issues" went above and beyond anything I've ever witnessed before. (I'm not normally offended by gas passage - for the record) The guy sitting in the aisle seat asked her several times if she needed him to move so she could use the bathroom, but she insisted she was fine. It was the longest cross country flight I've ever been on. I don't think she truly did it on purpose, but it was a challenging flight.

 

[inkkognito]

When we flew ATA a LOT, we always picked our "favorite" seats (a two-seat exit row) and had put in a LOT of miles to qualify for the privilege of doing so. I sure as heck wouldn't move for someone who felt they could just plop their butt where they pleased!

I did give up my seat in that row once, though. As he sat down, the man behind me said, "I apologize in advance if I kick your seat." I looked back and realized that he was as tall as a basketball player! My seat had lots of legroom, so I told him he was welcome to switch with me if he didn't mind sitting next to my husband while I moved next to his wife.

Now that we fly SW, we do a 24 hour checkin, snag an A, get to the airport early, and never have a problem.

Barb

 

[TDC Nala]

he says, "hey, you mind taking his seat in the back so we can sit together?"

My response would be "Why don't you both go sit in the back?"

 

[georgina]

Ever have someone decide they wanted your seat instead of their seat?

Sure, we've had that happen. But when flying with 3 kids, people tend to move out of our seats when we ask! We did have a guy on a British Airways flight to London decide that he owned the overhead bin above his seat. He proceeded to dump whatever was already in the bin on the floor so he could put his stuff there!

 

[cdrn1]

I flew once from Chicago to Minneapolis on a flight that was connecting from elsewhere. The flight had been delayed and we were over two hours late. When I got to my seat (Row 4 window) there was young lady in it and I politely told her she was in my seat and she SNARLED at me, "I'm NOT moving!" I again explained that she was in my seat, (I was holding up the line, we were already late...) and she glared at me and turned to stare out the window. A FA came, asked what the problem was, I showed her my boarding pass, she said to the woman, "Maam, you are in the wrong seat" and the chick snarled at her too; the FA looked all shocked, I gave up and went back and sat in HER seat in ROW 22 so as not to make us later than we already were.