Someone's in my seat

[UP4014]

t 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.

.

I've certainly sat in the wrong seat a few times on QF domestic, in Y on a 737 I always choose an aisle in row 13 or 14 but of course because I have a great memory I never need to double check my BP :shock:.

Matt

 

[OATEK]

I've certainly sat in the wrong seat a few times on QF domestic, in Y on a 737 I always choose an aisle in row 13 or 14 but of course because I have a great memory I never need to double check my BP :shock:.

Matt

You are not alone with that one. I can think of 4 or 5 times in the last 15 years when I sat down in the wrong seat, sometimes because I had the flights back to front in my mind in terms of seat allocation, and sometimes simply by not looking carefully enough at the seat numbers as I sat down. And probably a similar number of times I have had someone in my allocated seat for similar reasons. It has always been resolved without angst.

I have seen negotiations over seat changes onboard a couple of times, once on QF6 which was unsuccessful, and once on QF32 that was. Both were full flights, which I assume is one of the prime causes - people unwilling to ensure early seat selection (eg by paying if no status) trying to beat the system.

Never had an overtly deliberate attempt to capture my seat though. But as discussed on the airline tanty thread, there are people who feel they are entitled to take/have what they want and act accordingly.

 

[medhead]

I've done the C/D wrong seat a few times. Usually sitting in the seat from my previous flight. I always try to get the D side. But that makes the last occurrence of wrong seat a bit strange. As I wrongly sat in 4C (the seat for my previous flight) instead of the allocated 4D. The real 4C seemed to be understanding and we enjoyed a vino together later on.

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!

In general, I always refuse to move. Once had 4C ask to sit next to 4E because they were travelling together on business. They phrased in along the lines of "Are you happy to stay there". To which I replied "Yes I'm good". They thought I was agreeing to move - understandable. Anyway I had to clarify. Anyway, those 2 decided to have a conversation over the top of me for the first 10 minutes. But being a 6am flight sleep quickly took over for 4E and 4C settled into a movie. So much for needing to work together.

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?

I would probably approach this but pulling out my BP and saying that my seat was XX. If they said it was changed I'd then ask Why? And also ask for a BP with my new seat allocation on it.

 

[UP4014]

Here is a story from circa 1993, a work mate was boarding an AN flight Melbourne to Hobart, they boarded and insisted there was someone in their seat, they insisted so much the FA was flustered and gave them a spare seat up in business just to keep the peace as they noted particular workmate was a most valued customer.

Except, said workmate had managed to get on the wrong flight and ended up in Adelaide. So the moral is if you can tie the person you are talking to in knots until they can't argue any more they will miss the big issue while trying to solve the micro one.

True story.

Matt

 

[JohnK]

Seat Selection for her in a solo trip ( and we're talking long haul here) is vital to her sanity.

Seat selection is vital to most people's sanity. That's why I make sure I choose a seat at time of booking even if I have to pay extra. Hate aircraft substitutions where my seat changes for the worst.

Apart form some unique situations anyone who hasn't bothered with seat selections and has left it to whinge on board should not be rewarded with the better sest selections.

And flight attendants should really know better. You do not move someone to a worse seat to help someone else out.

 

[ozmille]

I've certainly sat in the wrong seat a few times on QF domestic, in Y on a 737 I always choose an aisle in row 13 or 14 but of course because I have a great memory I never need to double check my BP :shock:.

Matt

have had this happen more than once myself, I tend to always take 6A or F now, so a 50% chance of feailure

Recently I've had a couple people start an argument with me and refusing to move eventhough they were in my seat which I do find annoying, if someone comes up to you with a boarding pass for the seat you are sitting in, just have a look at your boarding pass and check, it can always be a system error.

 

[nodabs]

Had an amusing incident PER-MEL a couple of months ago. Being tall and of lowly status my best bet is usually row 44 bulkhead, requested and allocated with BP. There was a suited gent in my seat when I arrived who didn't seem to believe it was my seat luckily being the jump seat area the FA was right there and took his BP and let him know his correct seat was 50 something E. the amusing part is he argued the point by saying "no thats not right my PA always allocates me a bulkhead this must be my seat" he had literally not even looked at his allocation and gone entirely off his request to his PA....:shock: I genuinely felt sorry for who ever had to bear the brunt of his rage the next morning!

 

[turnip666]

Mine was a bit different, and it was back in 2000.

Was working for a state Govt body and traveling to CNS. Had 7C allocated.

When boarding I got a beep and handed a new BP....for 28B (or whatever the last row is).

I refused it and was told a "colleague" was also traveling and had requested we sit together. My seat had been reallocated and had no choice but to relent.

They didn't accept that I barely knew this person and had no need or desire to sit with them. It was a tense flight and I gave him an earful when he sat down. To make it worse he was fairly obese and had some of my seat as well!

Doubt it would happen now, but can I ask to have the most attractive single woman on the plane moved next to me?

 

[MickC32]

What do you do when someone is in your seat AND their allocated seat? I had this last week PER-ADL in the exit row (thankfully) I had 14C but the guy in 14B was so big he spilled into my seat, his right arm, right leg and right shoulder were all in my seat. He really took up a quarter of my seat. We were the only row of 3 that I could see in front of us that had 3 people apart from one family group. I was fuming! (I am not a small guy but fit within the confines of my seat!)

Late in the flight I ventured down back to the bathroom and noticed empty rows, surely a FA could have suggested that one of us may be more comfortable down back?

 

[burmans]

Here is a story from circa 1993, a work mate was boarding an AN flight Melbourne to Hobart, they boarded and insisted there was someone in their seat, they insisted so much the FA was flustered and gave them a spare seat up in business just to keep the peace as they noted particular workmate was a most valued customer.

Except, said workmate had managed to get on the wrong flight and ended up in Adelaide. So the moral is if you can tie the person you are talking to in knots until they can't argue any more they will miss the big issue while trying to solve the micro one.

True story.

Matt

This is a true story for life, not just seat selection. This is the technique politicians use all the time.

 

[medhead]

What do you do when someone is in your seat AND their allocated seat? I had this last week PER-ADL in the exit row (thankfully) I had 14C but the guy in 14B was so big he spilled into my seat, his right arm, right leg and right shoulder were all in my seat. He really took up a quarter of my seat. We were the only row of 3 that I could see in front of us that had 3 people apart from one family group. I was fuming! (I am not a small guy but fit within the confines of my seat!)

Late in the flight I ventured down back to the bathroom and noticed empty rows, surely a FA could have suggested that one of us may be more comfortable down back?

That's a really difficult one. As you need to weight up the inconvenience versus the flight length. I've had this a couple of times on 2 hour flights. Each time I sent feedback to suggest that the airline contact that passenger to advise them of the benefits of a comfort seat. Or that the airline should note down that the other passenger should always get a seat block. The airline really can't do anything about it and their reply to my feedback was along those lines.

The only real way to deal with this is to refuse to take your seat. But that is really hard to do in a non-confrontational way. It's not really a fault with the other person. But I intent to try next time this happens because of the neck and back pain that I had for days after my previous experiences. I don't think I would've accepted it on a PER-ADL flight.

 

[tuapekastar]

I too have mistakenly sat in the wrong seat (and had the same happen to me) - all sorted quickly and amicably.

An odd one was 4 or 5 years ago PER-MEL on VA in one of their 'original' ex-EK 332s. I had 2D allocated (LH aisle of middle 3). When I reached the plane I realised a 737 had been subbed in. Now luckily 2D also exists in the J cabin of a 737 (a secondary reason for picking that seat, and there were definitely pax who did not make the transition from 332 to 737 because it was full). When I showed the FA my BP she turned and called to a chap who was already in 2D, something like "he's turned up, you'll have to move". Odd, but then he moved, or made to move, to 2C. I asked if that (2C) was his allocated seat and he said yes, so I said you're welcome to remain in 2D if you wish, and I'll have 2C (I prefer aisle) - he was cool with that. Of course, a minute or two later, the real 2C shows up! So I got the impostor to move out of 2D, I slipped into it, and the real 2C took his seat. I've no idea what happened to the impostor, whether he ended up elsewhere in J (I did not look back, I now wish I had've), or possibly back to Y where maybe he should have been all along. No idea how he came to be in 2D in the first place, perhaps deadheading staff, or a friend of the FA (based on her original comment to him when I showed up). Will never know.

 

[JohnK]

Late in the flight I ventured down back to the bathroom and noticed empty rows, surely a FA could have suggested that one of us may be more comfortable down back?

I am a big bloke but try not to make the people around me uncomfortable. I will lean into the aisle most of the time and leave the armrest free for the person in middle seat.

The few times that it has looked like there would be issues on board the first thing I do is look around for alternatives. Vacant row or even vacant aisle seat.

And the same situation happened to me once. Virgin flight ftom memory as I was down the back somewhere. The person in middle seat was almost twice the size of me. I couldn't sit in my seat. Asked FA to assist and found another aisle seat nearby. The person got a spare seat next to him. Oh well.

 

[dajop]

I remember sitting down in the wrong seat once SYD-MEL, I was seated one row behind or front, so simply moved to where I was supposed to be when it was pointed out. What I didn't realise, just pure co-incidence, that the person whose seat I had inadvertently taken was my partner's boss, and my partner was actually picking me up from the airport (gate) .... so inevitably he ran into her and me more or less at the same time.... introduced us to which we both replied we've already met ......

 

[Aeolus]

Sometimes these things could work in your favour. Recent domestic flight, was one of the last few to board and noticed someone was in my seat (I was on D and he was on C). Somehow he chose to sit there with no shadow so I gladly took his seat with 2 shadows! :mrgreen: To make it worse for him, the 2 pax next to him did not shut up the entire flight.

 

[paxman]

Has happened to me on QF J mel to lax. We just sat in the seats behind and advised cabin crew, who said loudly "oh no they are happy to stay there" to the seat swappers, without even asking if that was ok. to make matters worse they kept stuffing up food orders ,drink orders and treating us as if we created the problem! It was not handled very professionally by the crew in my eyes

 

[CMA222]

Sometimes these things could work in your favour.

Some time ago I was travelling on Alaskan airlines from San Francisco to Seattle in cattle class in a B737 with 3 x 3 seating. In was a full plane. I arrived at my row and it was fully occupied but I noticed the middle seat in the next row forward was empty so I concluded the lady in my seat was just in the wrong row. We had a quick conversation and a crew member overheard me saying "its not a problem I will just slip into your seat and its all good", and so she asked me what the problem was. I quickly explained and said "no need to move everyone on my count as I will happily sit in the lady's allocated seat". The crew member said "thanks for your kind consideration sir and if you would just follow me". She took me up to their business class and offered me an empty seat. All fixed !!

 

[drron]

talking of aholes in seats, last Sunday I had the terrible experience of QF Mel to Syd travelling with the Sydney FC, who poceeded to sit anywhere in spite of the crew telling them to sit in their allocated seats. They just ignored her until she raised her voice and said did they know where to stand of the field, then know what number seat to sit in. One of them replied they were only dumb footballers, no kidding sherlock.

One flight I glas to get off ASAP.

Syndey FC = combined IQ of the number of rows on a 737.

Matt

Sounds like there were not enough neurons to go around.

 

[drron]

Had an amusing incident PER-MEL a couple of months ago. Being tall and of lowly status my best bet is usually row 44 bulkhead, requested and allocated with BP. There was a suited gent in my seat when I arrived who didn't seem to believe it was my seat luckily being the jump seat area the FA was right there and took his BP and let him know his correct seat was 50 something E. the amusing part is he argued the point by saying "no thats not right my PA always allocates me a bulkhead this must be my seat" he had literally not even looked at his allocation and gone entirely off his request to his PA....:shock: I genuinely felt sorry for who ever had to bear the brunt of his rage the next morning!

Ah poor Griselda must have copped it that day!

 

[Moindardt]

Had forgotten I was accidentally guilty of this.. times 6. Our flight from JFK-LHR had been cancelled and they moved us to a BA flight which involved a terminal change and a BA 747. I contacted AA I wanted an 777 (which was at the same gate as the original and 2 hours earlier than the BA one) as we were flying back on the BA 747 and wanted to try the AA one. She said they had moved us because they could seat all 6 of us together. Given we were flying J, I said that none would talk to each other anyway and I am quite happy to enjoy some time away from my kids

So when we get onto that flight, I have 3 sets of boarding passes and accidentally passed out the wrong ones, which caused masses of confusion as everyone else got on.. oops.. my bad.