Someone's in my seat

[Jet2727]

Most recently flying Melbourne Gold Coast solo in January 2016. I was in the aisle seat in row 5, 5c from memory. Couple arrive and she insists she must have an aisle as she is scared of flying. She insists her husband always allocates an aisle. I point out they are in fact in middle and window. He looks at the floor and moves into the window seat, he didn't say anything. She grudgingly got into the middle seat and spent the whole flight complaining to me as they were QC members and she needed the aisle. I held my tongue and tried to block it out with headphones. What I wanted to say, amongst other things, was obviously her husband knew exactly where they were sitting, he just hadn't told her!

 

[Quickstatus]

I had this a few years back. SYD to BKK on QF A330. Me and partner had picked the 2 seats in whY on the side of the cabin. One of the first to board and middle aged couple from India in our seats. Pretended not to understand English when I pointed out they were in our seats. Showed them my boarding pass and the compared to theirs (reluctantly) - they were allocated same row but seats in the middle. Absolutely filthy stares from them when they moved. And then the male traveller took off his sandals and poked his bare foot towards me for the duration of the flight (I had the aisle seat). Turns out he spoke good Engliah when the FA asked him what he wanted to drink. He kept glaring at me for the first 2 hours of the flight. V unpleasant.

He was actually being quite offensive.

In India it is considered rude to be pointing feet at someone. He probably thought you did not know its significance. However I would have removed my size 13 shoes and pointed my foot at him because he would have understood its significance.

 

[Pushka]

Yep. Showing soles of your feet in some cultures is a deliberate offensive act. In cultures like 'Australia' its just rather tacky and rude.

 

[SuePa]

On a recent flight home from Chile in Y, I was excited to see two empty seats next to me. After the seat belt signs were switched off, I was preparing to stretch out and enjoy my long haul home, when the FA escorted 2 young women to the empty seats . I can only assume they had tried to give themselves an upgrade and failed.

 

[JohnK]

One of the last to board BKK-SIN flight last night. Someone sitting in my 34G with 34F vacant.

I said "You are sitting in my seat". He got up and waited for me to move into 34F. I said again "This is my seat" pointing to 34G. He said "Oh. F!" and moved into 34F.

He knew his seat all along. Amazing.

 

[Gremlin]

I was travelling East Coast to PER a couple of years back on a very full flight. I boarded only to find someone sitting in my paid for Y exit row seat. Turns out we both had the same seat allocated on our BPs, both had paid for exit row seating and the only spare seat left was a middle seat down the back. My WP status trumped his SG so I got the seat, but he wasn't happy at all (I wouldn't have been either!). Not sure how that happened in the first place...

 

[Shano]

Have given up my seat a couple if times:

First time many years ago sans status, on a CX flight to HKG. I was in about row 198 (i exaggerate but it was way down the back of a 744 where there are only two seats on the side) on the aisle. A party of two were split between aisle and window across different rows. I overheard them mention this to the FA so volunteered to swap seats. Scored a bottle of champagne as a result which was very unexpected.

Second time was two years ago on SQ in J from SIN - FRA. Was allocated a centre seat. A couple were again split between window and centre - I offered to move for them so they could sit together and scored the window seat as a result. Their gratitude (and scoring the window seat in the end) was more than sufficient compensation in this instance.

Have never been asked to move to accomodate others wanting to sit together. Like others I try to be particular with my seat allocations (thanks to status).

 

[juddles]

I was travelling East Coast to PER a couple of years back on a very full flight. I boarded only to find someone sitting in my paid for Y exit row seat. Turns out we both had the same seat allocated on our BPs, both had paid for exit row seating and the only spare seat left was a middle seat down the back. My WP status trumped his SG so I got the seat, but he wasn't happy at all (I wouldn't have been either!). Not sure how that happened in the first place...

There must have been gremlins in the system.

 

[bjm76]

He was actually being quite offensive.

In India it is considered rude to be pointing feet at someone. He probably thought you did not know its significance. However I would have removed my size 13 shoes and pointed my foot at him because he would have understood its significance.

Yes I thought it was him being offensive to me, as I know its offensive in some Asian countries (e.g. Indonesia) to point feet at someone, wasn't sure about this applying to India too. This and the glares/stares for most of the flight clearly made his displeasure known to me. Next time I will remove my size 11 shoes and point at a similar offender if I encounter. Am doing the same flight in May in whY so here's hoping my allocated seats are not occupied by someone else on boarding.

 

[Happy Trails]

Aus domestic, I deal with it myself - usually no worries.

International, I always defer to the cabin crew.

 

[marki]

Yes I thought it was him being offensive to me, as I know its offensive in some Asian countries (e.g. Indonesia) to point feet at someone, wasn't sure about this applying to India too. This and the glares/stares for most of the flight clearly made his displeasure known to me. Next time I will remove my size 11 shoes and point at a similar offender if I encounter. Am doing the same flight in May in whY so here's hoping my allocated seats are not occupied by someone else on boarding.

He was actually being quite offensive.

In India it is considered rude to be pointing feet at someone. He probably thought you did not know its significance. However I would have removed my size 13 shoes and pointed my foot at him because he would have understood its significance.

Bizarre learn something everyday. Whereas body language 101 It's considered that a person is very interested in you, attentive, i.e. Female attracted to Male vice versa.

 

[razors_girl23]

And the other way around?

He honestly couldn't give two hoots about that stuff, so would probably offer it to me anyway. But if he was the only one who could take it, I would have no issues with him doing it. Better one of us, than neither.

 

[Quickstatus]

I was travelling East Coast to PER a couple of years back on a very full flight. I boarded only to find someone sitting in my paid for Y exit row seat. Turns out we both had the same seat allocated on our BPs, both had paid for exit row seating and the only spare seat left was a middle seat down the back. My WP status trumped his SG so I got the seat, but he wasn't happy at all (I wouldn't have been either!). Not sure how that happened in the first place...

Ever considered he was your shadow? As you know WP's shadows don't often get a seat to themselves and next to you especially on a full flight..

 

[JohnK]

One of the last to board QF flight last night (as usual) and notice someone sitting in 6D with 6F available. I motioned to him that he was in my seat and he got up to let me through. "No I am in 6D" I tell him. He then tells me that 6D is the window. I probably shouldn't have said "Funny way for the seats to be numbered A,B,C,F,E,D". He then said that he was assured he was allocated an aisle seat. "Sorry I have had this seat allocated for 5-6 months". He reluctantly moved to his allocated seat of 6F.

It was a full flight. Feel sorry for him if that's what he'd been told.

 

[marki]

One of the last to board QF flight last night (as usual) and notice someone sitting in 6D with 6F available. I motioned to him that he was in my seat and he got up to let me through. "No I am in 6D" I tell him. He then tells me that 6D is the window. I probably shouldn't have said "Funny way for the seats to be numbered A,B,C,F,E,D". He then said that he was assured he was allocated an aisle seat. "Sorry I have had this seat allocated for 5-6 months". He reluctantly moved to his allocated seat of 6F.

It was a full flight. Feel sorry for him if that's what he'd been told.

Don't feel funny for long as it may not have been straight forward for him that day anyway!

 

[Quickstatus]

One of the last to board QF flight last night (as usual) and notice someone sitting in 6D with 6F available. I motioned to him that he was in my seat and he got up to let me through. "No I am in 6D" I tell him. He then tells me that 6D is the window. I probably shouldn't have said "Funny way for the seats to be numbered A,B,C,F,E,D". He then said that he was assured he was allocated an aisle seat. "Sorry I have had this seat allocated for 5-6 months". He reluctantly moved to his allocated seat of 6F.

It was a full flight. Feel sorry for him if that's what he'd been told.

He might have put in his seating preference in the frequent flyer account as "aisle". And then assume the company will give him as aisle seat everytime.

 

[OzEire]

I'm constantly amazed at how poor the average traveller is at reading their BP and the seat signage. I reckon that a flight with only FF pax would board in about a third as much time.

 

[Denali]

I'm constantly amazed at how poor the average traveller is at reading their BP and the seat signage. I reckon that a flight with only FF pax would board in about a third as much time.

I remember reading once someone complaining about the pax who is row 28 gets on board, stops at row 3, reads BP, walks, stops at row 12, reads boarding pass, walks and repeat.

I then started noticing people doing this and yes, at some point Im thinking, Dude. Youre row 29 and this is row 3 - just keep walking.

Maybe its because FF spend more time looking at seat maps.

 

[get me outta here]

I think it indicates short term memory problems.

 

[JohnK]

I think it indicates short term memory problems.

When you get on certain aircraft on some overseas carriers the numbering between economy cabins is not continuous.

Also on Qantas long haul aircraft the economy cabin starts at row 23 on A330's and row 43 on 747's. If you entered the aircraft in business class it can be confusing.

When I board I know my row and constantly look up at row numbers to make sure I have not gone past my row. Don't need to stop to do it though.