Seat poacher

[fly2earth]

our friend fly2earth is fond of hyperbole and using weird gifs

first read that as our friend @fly2earth is fond of claustrophobe and using weird gifts
Honoured to be considered your friend

 

[trooper]

Boarding pass says 59A.

What row is this where I’m standing? Oh, row 4. Oh, I’ll check the next row. Oh, it’s row 5. Never mind, perhaps row 59 is the next one. Oh, it’s row 6. Never mind, perhaps it’s ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Bill Engvall did a little rant about this.. pointing out "They number them NUMERICALLY!"

 

[Skyring]

I poached a seat once. Coming back from Hawai'i on a QF 744 in J, I asked at the desk if I could get a window seat. She said, "you've got a window seat", so when I boarded, I went to row 4 or whatever and plonked myself in the window seat 4K or L or whatever it was. A guy came along and sat in the aisle seat, said nothing, watched me enjoying the view out the window, and only after making a trip to the facilities did I get a good look at the seat numbers and on checking my BP realised that I'd stolen the guy's window seat.

In my defence, it was my first time in the extreme forward cabin, and I trusted the gate agent to know the seat layout. I still feel guilty every time I think about this and wished that the gent beside me had said something. It was nice to look out the window as we passed over some of the old Pacific battlegrounds but I would much rather not have inconvenienced anybody, especially somebody who had most likely pre-selected their window seat.

So mistakes can be made, especially by those not familiar with the cabin layout. God knows some planes - like BA with that awful backwards forwards seat design - can be confusing.

 

[fly2earth]

I poached a seat once. Coming back from Hawai'i on a QF 744 in J, I asked at the desk if I could get a window seat. She said, "you've got a window seat", so when I boarded, I went to row 4 or whatever and plonked myself in the window seat 4K or L or whatever it was. A guy came along and sat in the aisle seat, said nothing, watched me enjoying the view out the window, and only after making a trip to the facilities did I get a good look at the seat numbers and on checking my BP realised that I'd stolen the guy's window seat.

In my defence, it was my first time in the extreme forward cabin, and I trusted the gate agent to know the seat layout. I still feel guilty every time I think about this and wished that the gent beside me had said something. It was nice to look out the window as we passed over some of the old Pacific battlegrounds but I would much rather not have inconvenienced anybody, especially somebody who had most likely pre-selected their window seat.

So mistakes can be made, especially by those not familiar with the cabin layout. God knows some planes - like BA with that awful backwards forwards seat design - can be confusing.

Better than someone sitting in your seat in 1A and then guilt-tripping you asking you if you want to change seats since you booked it and the only thing you can say is "No, it's fine" since you're the last to board the plane and don't want to make a scene and the other person happens to be an old man so don't want to seem petty at the same time (also with Qantas)

 

[VHOEJ]

I booked and paid for exit row seat on JQ international (44a}. Nobody else paid in my row so 2 spare seats next to me. A group of 3-4 young Asian women (presumably JP - departing from Hanida) boarded who had allocated seats elsewhere as they were passing one of them motioned to the others left the group and sat in 44c.

As crew are.preparing for departure an FA comes along with iPad and asks to see her boarding pass and then tells her firmly you have an allocated seat go sit in it. The woman was really huffy and very reluctantly moved.

Later in the flight after take off same woman comes back and sits in 44c again. Same FA comes along hands on hip and stares at her. Woman gets up and moves again.

Later during the night lights out and everyone settled down she is back again in 44c.

Self entitled generation.

Flight attendants should have the power to do something to people like this. Selfish and essentially not following the instructions.

 

[NoName]

We had a SYD-BNE sector as the last flight of our Nth America trip at the start of last year. Had booked 3A, 3C & 3D for the three of us to be next to each other in J. NoName Jnr & I got on first to find a woman and her son in 3D & 3F. Told her she was in Mrs NoName’s seat to which she pointed to row 2 and said she can sit there. Told her that will be up to my wife when she gets on. In the end Mrs NoName didn’t bother kicking up a fuss about it but wasn’t entirely happy either.

 

[Gremlin]

I had an interesting experience several years ago. I was flying long haul Y. I had booked myself an exit row seat.

Boarded reasonably late in the process only to find another pax in my seat. The obligatory "sorry, I think you're in my seat" comment. He pulled out his BP that shows him in that seat. My BP also shows me to be in that seat. We had similar but not identical names as well (think "Grem Lin" vs "Grem Lang").

FA wanders past and tells me to take my seat. I said that we both had a BP for the same seat. She commented that one of us must be looking at the BP for our connecting flight. We both show our BPs. She stares at one, then the other, then back at the first, then at the other and then says "I've never seen this before". Calls the cabin supervisor over who then goes to check the manifest.

Manifest shows me in the exit row and the other guy in a middle seat towards the back. THAT seat was also currently occupied by a standby pax who had received a late call up at the gate.

Lots of too-ing and fro-ing. Flight held up best part of forty minutes but ultimately I ended up with my exit row seat, "Grem Lang" ended up unhappily in a middle row at the back and standby pax, most unhappily of all, trudged off the plane and back up the aerobridge.

 

[MARTINE]

Flight attendants should have the power to do something to people like this. Selfish and essentially not following the instructions.

I rather like this FA response to seat poacher — the hands on hips and stare. At least she kept at her.

But you’re right — they should ban these serial pests for life. She hit strike three

 

[elanshin]

Flight attendants should have the power to do something to people like this. Selfish and essentially not following the instructions.

They definitely can, if you annoy them enough I'm sure you could find some sort of authority waiting for you when the plane lands.

Whether they want to go through with it and write it up, it may be that they just can't be bothered with the paperwork for effectively a minor incident.

 

[DC3]

I poached a seat once …

Unintentional doesn’t really cut the mustard. It needs to have malicious intent.

 

[JohnK]

Bill Engvall did a little rant about this.. pointing out "They number them NUMERICALLY!"

Thai Smile who are no longer operating start economy at row 48 or something like that.

Why is it an issue that people look up at row numbers when they board?

 

[p--and--t]

Why is it an issue that people look up at row numbers when they board?

Agree.

On a domestic 737 probably pretty predictable for most people and unnecessary.

However when a non regular flyer boards a new international flight it pays to look at the row number at boarding.

Different planes at different airports, different classes can board via different doors and seat numbering varies between carriers.

You can walk through the entry door and the first row to the right could be eg. Row 40.

 

[opusman]

You can walk through the entry door and the first row to the right could be eg. Row 40.

I did exactly this on a BA flight one time. I had put myself in row 1, boarded early and sat in what I assumed was row 1 of an empty business cabin just to the right of the door. Sat there by myself for about 5 minutes wondering where the staff were before I looked at the seat number and realised I was in row 32 or something.

Turned out there had been a plane switch without me realising and we were now on a international config with MUCH better seating up the front

 

[DC3]

You can walk through the entry door and the first row to the right could be eg. Row 40.

And then, after Row 40, it may go Row 7, 3, 58, 28, 23, 5 …. ?

 

[DC3]

Thai Smile who are no longer operating start economy at row 48 or something like that.

 

[DC3]

Some pretty tame seat poachers here. Self-conscious checking of row numbers then did diddly-squat.

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

My takeaway from this thread is that a lot of people are entitled, a lot of people don't think through what they're doing, a lot of people deliberately count on the other person not making a fuss so they can get what they want, and a lot of people are a lot bolder than I am. I'll forgive the seat number lookers. No harm no foul.

Being of that delightful age where half the population thinks I might be a little brat and the other half has now decided I'm washed up and invisible, I can also safely say that if one thing about the above takeaway is true, it's that no generation (or any other specific demographic, for that matter) is immune or better behaved than any other. It's just the tactics that I find often differ.

 

[elanshin]

And then, after Row 40, it may go Row 7, 3, 58, 28, 23, 5 …. ?

Maybe as an experiment to get CGP Grey's video about the best boarding methodology, some daring airline can try this.

If you can't make people happy with their boarding position and row number, then scramble the rows on the plane

Added bonus if they install digital signage on the plane so the row number changes flight to flight.

"Row 1-10 can now board, please proceed towards the back od the plane".

 

[Franky]

Maybe as an experiment to get CGP Grey's video about the best boarding methodology, some daring airline can try this.

If you can't make people happy with their boarding position and row number, then scramble the rows on the plane

Added bonus if they install digital signage on the plane so the row number changes flight to flight.

"Row 1-10 can now board, please proceed towards the back od the plane".

Your'e a sadis_!!

 

[Brissy1]

a lot of people are...

DYKWIA wannabes.