Someone's in my seat

[subichow]

Anyone pre-occupying my seat (out of a sense of entitlement) has put themselves way way behind the 8 ball in any seat swap negotiations

If I am asked nicely, you weren't forcing yourself into my preassigned seat, I get an equivalent or better seat I'd be happy to oblige.
Also if you're swapped to accommodate your needs please thank the person genuinely, nothing worse than moving for someone who doesn't even thank you!

Totally agreed on both sentiments. Thankfully I've never had someone prematurely plonk their derrière on my seat, but I have offered to swap a couple of times and the couples seem genuinely pleased and both times I ended up better off with an empty seat (or two) next to me.

 

[MickC32]

I think we are all on the same page....it's OK to ask but not to presume.

One of my first J experiences was ruined because I felt bullied to change seats, I figured they would all be comfortable so begrudgingly moved. Had a whole Russian family giving me daggers until I agreed. My new seat was in row 2 ( i was initially in row 1) the Russian wife of the only one who spoke English and asked me about moving sat in front and was constantly moving the seat up and back while old mate moved to another seat annoying the hell out of others so his infant could sit in the J seat all alone.

Never again!

 

[JohnK]

My expertflyer subscription proved invaluable, once again. I know from years of experience with SQ - that problem solving is not a core skill of their ground and cabin staff - so took it on myself to come up with an acceptable solution for all concerned. But just glad there was an acceptable solution!

Yes you were lucky this time. But I'd imagine if the windowless bulkhead was the only option you wouldn't have accepted it. I certainly wouldn't have accepted it.

 

[henleybeach]

I was in a situation Xmas day last year flying Perth-Adelaide . I had booked my ticket separately to the missus as I wasn't sure if I was going to fly back to Adelaide . Anyway at check-in the lady put us together in Row 7 and then when we went to board the screen beeped when my boarding pass was scanned and I was moved to row 3 and Ms. Henleybeach still in row 7 as we had separate PNRs. We just boarded instead of asking and holding the boarding process up and sat in our assigned seats. Once the door was closed I asked the FA and explained and said if she can ask the gentleman in row7 if he would like to swap. I heard the FA say to him about swapping and that he would be getting a better seat with more leg room and he jumped at it and was thanking me !
shows if you go about it the right way the right result can happen

 

[NM]

One of the reasons I like to board early in the process. Its much easier to deal with these situations if you are already in your allocated seat when the other party arrives and wants your seat.

 

[Moindardt]

Totally agree with you. Ask and have a decent reason and I will almost always change. Sit in my seat first, then there is no chance. Almost always I have picked my seat for a reason, generally to avoid the seat they have.

 

[aussiel]

When flying Y with SQ, I was personally paged at the gate holding area and requested to change seat by the ground staff to facilitate a couple sitting together. I guess they checked and saw that I was travelling solo. Went from one indiscriminate window seat to another, so did oblige without any argument. Shows what can happen with a bit of foresight.

 

[jastel]

My record is 3 times moving on one flight.
Last minute flight from LHR to BNE in econ, no status back then so got given seat in centre of middle 5 in row 80 something at the back.
Father of the tribe I was in the middle of was in row 60 aisle, so went up there.
Somebody in row 40 ish wanted THAT seat to be with a friend, so I moved up again to an aisle.
Elderly husband on window asked to swap as he had bad legs and wanted to walk around all night.
So got a window which is what I prefer anyway. Slept all the way home.
I also got a vegetarian meal which I didn't order and a survey for Mr Whatever, who was Gold...

 

[njba]

"Accidental" seat swaps are frustrating too: on a recent flight someone was in my seat (mid-teens F on a 737.) After much confusion, and this person claiming that it was definitely their seat and I was the young upstart, some logic prevailed. They got up and I claimed my seat. There must have still been some confusion which resulted in a FA being summoned. It turned out their seat was a early-20s A! So, still a window seat but on the otherside of the plane (and a fair few rows back.) Madness!

 

[Fiches Mouser]

When flying Y with SQ, I was personally paged at the gate holding area and requested to change seat by the ground staff to facilitate a couple sitting together. I guess they checked and saw that I was travelling solo. Went from one indiscriminate window seat to another, so did oblige without any argument. Shows what can happen with a bit of foresight.

That's fine if the seat loss isn't too bad, but kind of coughpy for those solo travellers (like myself) who agonise over the perfect seat for months. Interesting to hear it happening on SQ. Which port were you departing from?

At least seat selection with SQ is so poor that you could probably end up with a better seat!

 

[aussiel]

That's fine if the seat loss isn't too bad, but kind of coughpy for those solo travellers (like myself) who agonise over the perfect seat for months. Interesting to hear it happening on SQ. Which port were you departing from?

At least seat selection with SQ is so poor that you could probably end up with a better seat!

I would agree usually, where I would usually select myself a good seat, and obsessively check to make sure I'm in the best available seat. On this occasion, it was (I think, a couple of years ago now), SQ279 SIN-ADL on an A333, where there were barely any seats available for selection in the first place. Certainly, there wasn't a spare seat to be had in economy. I was happy after being awake for near 40 hours straight to have a window seat that I could rest my head against the cabin wall. Was VA silver at the time, it was the flight that got me to gold.

 

[JessicaTam]

One of the reasons I like to board early in the process. Its much easier to deal with these situations if you are already in your allocated seat when the other party arrives and wants your seat.

Wholeheartedly agree.

 

[kevrosmith]

Expert Flyer is oh so valuable in these situations.

I've had this happen a few times. Some times I move if it doesn't disadvantage my comfort.

Once on a E190 VA flight in J, I was in 1F. Couple split between 1D and 2D. 2F hadn't arrived yet. Asked me to swap to 2D. Said no, and well, wasn't I the worst person in the world. I was thinking, surely you can live without sitting next to your boyfriend for two and half hours. As it turned out, 2F failed to board, so they could sit next to each other after all, but can't quite remember if I got an semblance of an apology for the fuss they had caused.

I also did wonder why they weren't prepared to ask 2F to move to 1D, but once again, felt they were trying to have their cake and eat it too.

 

[Hvr]

As a single traveller I too board early to minimise the potential for seat poaching.

However, when you do find someone in your seat a quiet word is always better to at least allow for the possibility of a mistake.

When I was flying a lot for work I had several flights in one day and got 4C for 3/4 flights. On the fourth flight I got 4D and of course sat in 4C, . The person whose seat I was in was slightly upset but was ok when I pulled out my BPs to check and saw several with 4C as I apologised and went to move to 4D.

Turns out he preferred 4D and asked if I wanted to stay in 4C, I did and we were both happy after my accidental seat poaching. Given the seats are of equal standing and being able to demonstrate it really was accidental and preparing to quickly move after realising my mistake meant it all ended well.

 

[awkwardpaws]

Think we're all on the same page, a bit of courtesy (and not sitting on someone's seat prematurely) can go a long way.

A question I had though - for those that rightly declined moving from their assigned seat, have there been any experiences that the flight has been made awkward/unpleasant by those inconsiderate travellers? I can imagine in dajop's instance that if they held their ground, their seatmate could turn out extra-unpleasant after not being able to sit next to their travel buddy.. The horror of the possibility of such an experience in a long haul!

 

[Fiches Mouser]

Think we're all on the same page, a bit of courtesy (and not sitting on someone's seat prematurely) can go a long way.

A question I had though - for those that rightly declined moving from their assigned seat, have there been any experiences that the flight has been made awkward/unpleasant by those inconsiderate travellers? I can imagine in dajop's instance that if they held their ground, their seatmate could turn out extra-unpleasant after not being able to sit next to their travel buddy.. The horror of the possibility of such an experience in a long haul!

I was thinking the same thing – particularly in a tiny E190 J cabin (a la kevrosmith)! Too much awkwardness for me to handle

 

[turtlemichael]

If the FA does intervene and tells you, for whatever reason, "your new seat is over there", how can you object beyond a token objection? Would you not be failing to follow the instruction of the FA?

 

[Pushka]

Wholeheartedly agree.

We did board early we thought - as soon as it was called but the blighters beat us to the punch.

Think we're all on the same page, a bit of courtesy (and not sitting on someone's seat prematurely) can go a long way.

A question I had though - for those that rightly declined moving from their assigned seat, have there been any experiences that the flight has been made awkward/unpleasant by those inconsiderate travellers? I can imagine in dajop's instance that if they held their ground, their seatmate could turn out extra-unpleasant after not being able to sit next to their travel buddy.. The horror of the possibility of such an experience in a long haul!

Well, I had Mrs Crotchety pants come stand in the aisle next to her husband (and me on the opposite side) and continually moan and throw me looks. I just raised another glass of Dom and drank. After one such tirade when she returned to her seat, her husband closed those wonderful Emirates doors and when she trotted back to him next time she had to trot right back. Stupid woman.

 

[Denali]

Im Team OP and don't give your seat up, especially for a seat that is less than the one you gleefully scored.

Last SQ flight was 1-2-1, hubby had the window and I had an middle seat (because I couldn't get 2 window seats). The guy next to me saw me hand hubby his headphones and offered to swap, I told him except for giving him part of my meal, we wont speak much for the rest of the flight and hubby likes the window so no thank you. And that's exactly what happened, I think hubby enjoys long hauls because he doesn't have to hear my voice for 14hrs.

 

[Deleted member]

Mrs GPH has been "Bullied" in the past when travelling solo , to give up her seat, she is now made of sterner stuff and will stand her ground. Seat
Selection for her in a solo trip ( and we're talking long haul here) is vital to her sanity.