Why do so many idiots ask to switch seats on planes these days?

[Anonymous]

I would only switch seats for a better seat. Or, I'll take that middle seat in the back if you compensate me the full price of my ticket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a boomer guy not want to switch seats with my spouse who was randomly assigned a different seatat the back of first class he claimed wanting to be off the plane first. I was like ok but it did make for an awkward rest of the flight. It's always the old people who are inflexible and think they are king.

What's awkward about it? Why didn't you switch to be further back with your husband, instead of bringing him forward?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every time I have needed to ask a stranger to switch seats so I can sit next to my kids, it has 100% been because the airline switched our seats (I'm looking at Delta, who has done this 3 times over the last 10 years, I always pay to pick my seats). This has even happened when we flew business class.

Now my kids are old enough that if we got reassigned we would just roll with it, but once it was when my son was 18 months old. It was insane.

I travel a few times a month and have never had my reserved seat changed. Do you get to the gate and the desk agent moves you? How does this happen?

I'm not the PP, but the same thing happened to me with Delta. Actually it was a Delta/Air France flight. I reserved MONTHS in advance for my family and paid to pick our seats. Then I checked online on our flights, again months in advance and they had moved our seats. Obnoxious! Fortunately it was still early enough that I could pick new seats together.

To answer your question, they switched the seats online, without notifying me. And the airplane wasn't switched, so Delta couldn't blame it on that.

I had the same thing happen with Turkish Air. I had even paid extra to reserve the seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Flying back to DC a week ago we had our flight canceled because of the storm. They rebooked us through a different city, but put us in center seats all over the airplane. We had previously paid to all sit together but we had to take the rebooked flight or stay overseas until after the storm. There were no other seats or flights. I have two small kids, 5 and 8 yo. It was a a 5 hour long international flight. The gate agent said she had no way of seating us together so we'd have to ask on the plane.

What exactly should I have done differently?

If even the airline can't help you, what do you expect a passenger to do? They are passing the bucks and making us hating one another. Very convenient.

Fortunately other passengers saw the situation and traded, taking the middle seat and giving us aisle seats next to our kids. We didn't even ask. A couple of nice dads offered as we were getting the kids seated. Clearly they're not the OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Flying back to DC a week ago we had our flight canceled because of the storm. They rebooked us through a different city, but put us in center seats all over the airplane. We had previously paid to all sit together but we had to take the rebooked flight or stay overseas until after the storm. There were no other seats or flights. I have two small kids, 5 and 8 yo. It was a a 5 hour long international flight. The gate agent said she had no way of seating us together so we'd have to ask on the plane.

What exactly should I have done differently?

If even the airline can't help you, what do you expect a passenger to do? They are passing the bucks and making us hating one another. Very convenient.

Fortunately other passengers saw the situation and traded, taking the middle seat and giving us aisle seats next to our kids. We didn't even ask. A couple of nice dads offered as we were getting the kids seated. Clearly they're not the OP.

I've had people trade too.

[Anonymous]

Here was a smart switcher—I selected an aisle seat for myself and a middle seat for dd, then about 6 years old. The woman in the window seat “offered” dd her window seat if would switch to the middle. Of course, dd was excited to switch, and I felt like I couldn’t say no to the “helpful” lady.

[Anonymous]

I never mind not sitting with my family

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Flying back to DC a week ago we had our flight canceled because of the storm. They rebooked us through a different city, but put us in center seats all over the airplane. We had previously paid to all sit together but we had to take the rebooked flight or stay overseas until after the storm. There were no other seats or flights. I have two small kids, 5 and 8 yo. It was a a 5 hour long international flight. The gate agent said she had no way of seating us together so we'd have to ask on the plane.

What exactly should I have done differently?

Nothing, some times you can't get your way.

Absolutely nothing other than suck it up and let the flight depart on time. If you’re not capable of that, then you’ll need to rebook a different flight.
I was coming back from Paris w/ 3 of my kids. We were in business. Flight cancelled and we were put on a flight where all that was left were random middle coach seats. To make it worse, we were about 40 minutes into the flight and they announced they did not have catering (other than beverages) for coach. Was it fairly miserable? Yes. Did we survive? Yes. Unless you’re flying private, you need to roll w/ the punches. I never would have thought about guilt tripping someone to switch seats. If your child is old enough to be at school without you, they’re old enough to fly not seated next to you. I understand there are special circumstances, but then you just suck it up and rebook later. One of my children is special needs, so if we ever get bumped with her, we have to decline the rebooking.

It is crazy to me that you think that the right approach in that situation is for families to decline rebooking rather then just ask someone if they are willing to switch. No guarantee that the next available flight will have seats together. And if you are asked to switch and you don’t want to, just say no,

+1 I don't get it either. But there are diehards on this forum who believe you should stay put for days until adjacent seats are available (or rent a car and drive, if applicable) rather than ask someone to switch seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I need someones seat, I offer them money.

Offering to compensate someone for something you need is the decent thing to do.

I've offered money and was turned down

Offering money is "decent". It's not a guarantee the person will accept.

Of course. It was fine in the end and my two year old made friends with the guy who said no

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a boomer guy not want to switch seats with my spouse who was randomly assigned a different seatat the back of first class he claimed wanting to be off the plane first. I was like ok but it did make for an awkward rest of the flight. It's always the old people who are inflexible and think they are king.

Boomer guy was correct here. You’re rude and entitled, as well as ageist.

- not a Boomer

Not op but I would disagree with you. Boomers are really bad about being in. Also the ones that yell at scream at the stewardess. I just hate their entitlement. They're a very bad people

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agreed. The last time I did it was so two 20ish women friends could sit together. I gave up a window for an aisle but I actually don't like aisles because of waiting people, people brushing past, the carts, etc.

My condition was that they relocate my carryon to the bin above the asker's seat. I already boarded early and got my luggage situated. I'm short so luggage stowing is often the worst part of my flight. They got my luggage moved, so I did them a favor.

Money wouldn't motivate me to move unless it was $100 or more. I wouldn't want to encourage that tendency for someone to think it takes a taxi type tip to get what you want. An airplane is not a trading pit.

You literally just said you'd consider moving for $100+ By you own admission, you will accept a tip to give someone what they want.

Anonymous wrote:An airplane is not a trading pit.

It's not, unless I give you enough money ($100+). So, consistent with your inconsistent statements, it is a trading pit.

PP. A plane shouldn't be a trading pit, but I might entertain a high $ offer on a whim. At that price level it's not a trading pit reflecting a real market, it's a person overpaying for a luxury good and proving you have some real need.

Everyone that's so fussed about the cost of seat assignments should realize $20-$50 for the trouble doesn't compensate.

Think of it more like wergeld for my spoiled peace of mind pre-flight vs. a "market price".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never mind not sitting with my family

We purposely book windows and aisles because everyone has their own seat preference. We survive not sitting next to each other.

[Anonymous]

It’s bizarre to me how attached some people immediately become to their arbitrarily assigned (or selected) seat for a one-time flight. As if you have birth to that seat, or spent years lovingly designing it or hand-crafting it.

I assume it’s just a temporary psychotic reaction to the stress and dehumanization that is modern commercial air flight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s bizarre to me how attached some people immediately become to their arbitrarily assigned (or selected) seat for a one-time flight. As if you have birth to that seat, or spent years lovingly designing it or hand-crafting it.

I assume it’s just a temporary psychotic reaction to the stress and dehumanization that is modern commercial air flight.

You can't see the difference between an aisle seat near the front and a middle seat in back?? That's what 90% of these seat switches involve. If you're giving me a comparable seat or better sure I'll switch no problem. You want me to take a crappy seat in the back for my extra leg room seat? Damn right I'm attached to that seat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s bizarre to me how attached some people immediately become to their arbitrarily assigned (or selected) seat for a one-time flight. As if you have birth to that seat, or spent years lovingly designing it or hand-crafting it.

I assume it’s just a temporary psychotic reaction to the stress and dehumanization that is modern commercial air flight.

It's also incredible how people think they are somehow more deserving of a particular seat when they just won the airline lotto. It just as easily could have been their flight that was cancelled or their seat that was reassigned. There's some false sense that because they did "everything right" or "paid for their seat" or "booked early" that they can't be subject to being bumped like anyone else. Sorry to burst that bubble, but airlines do ridiculous and unfair things daily.