How do people feel about even-trading plane seats?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone remember the story about the obese man who purchased 2 tickets because he needed 2 seats to be comfortable?
The airline mixed up his booking and assigned him 2 seats in a different aisle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last week I flew cross country and had a middle seat. A couple came and they had the aisle and window seats on either side of me. They said they book that way in hopes the middle seat is not taken. They offered to trade me the middle for the aisle and I sure as hell took them up on the offer! But otherwise, I wouldn’t trade aisle for window, not with my bladder.

I refuse to switch with the absolute A-holes who do this. They make so much harder for people who actually want to sit together to find seats together.

F—k them. I keep my middle seat every time.

Please explain? Because the math is not mathing.

Whenever i try to book a flight lately with my family, i encounter planes for which literally the only empty seats are middle seats. Therefore it is impossible for me to find even two seats together despite a willingness to pay and what (to me) is a perfectly reasonable timeline for booking flights.

Now, i understand first-come, first served and i am not complaining. It the flight happens to have been filled by a bunch of singletons or people who otherwise don’t want to sit next to someone, fine, I’ll deal.

But it makes my blood boil when people do it deliberately in effort to game the system. I repeat, F—k them. I carefully selected my middle seat out of the dozens of middle seats and I’m keeping it.

I like your attitude better than what we encountered one time: We had window-aisle and asked the middle seat occupant if they would like our aisle seat. The person said "well, I'd really prefer the window." We said no and buckled our seat belts. When we have two seats you don't get to decide which of them you're trading for.

Yes you do as you are the one trading.

[Anonymous]

It's simple. You can ask. And when I say no, you walk away happy and unconcerned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last week I flew cross country and had a middle seat. A couple came and they had the aisle and window seats on either side of me. They said they book that way in hopes the middle seat is not taken. They offered to trade me the middle for the aisle and I sure as hell took them up on the offer! But otherwise, I wouldn’t trade aisle for window, not with my bladder.

I refuse to switch with the absolute A-holes who do this. They make so much harder for people who actually want to sit together to find seats together.

F—k them. I keep my middle seat every time.

Please explain? Because the math is not mathing.

Whenever i try to book a flight lately with my family, i encounter planes for which literally the only empty seats are middle seats. Therefore it is impossible for me to find even two seats together despite a willingness to pay and what (to me) is a perfectly reasonable timeline for booking flights.

Now, i understand first-come, first served and i am not complaining. It the flight happens to have been filled by a bunch of singletons or people who otherwise don’t want to sit next to someone, fine, I’ll deal.

But it makes my blood boil when people do it deliberately in effort to game the system. I repeat, F—k them. I carefully selected my middle seat out of the dozens of middle seats and I’m keeping it.

I like your attitude better than what we encountered one time: We had window-aisle and asked the middle seat occupant if they would like our aisle seat. The person said "well, I'd really prefer the window." We said no and buckled our seat belts. When we have two seats you don't get to decide which of them you're trading for.

Yes you do as you are the one trading.

Right?! You're the one attempting to initiate a trade, not the middle seat person in this story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I only fly in class and this doesn't happen. I do not care what you all do in economy.

I fly in first class and recently had a mom who was upgraded with her 10 year old and they weren't together. She was put out that I wouldn't trade my row 2 seat for the bulkhead where you can't keep your stuff with you. There is a reason why upgrades always end up in that seat. I felt guilty saying no, but was frustrated that I felt guilty, and that she tried to guilt me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We fly a lot and have never had this happen (family of 5). People are making me worry about our upcoming trip lol.

I have had to separate from my kids because we had to change flights last minute, or were on Southwest. Only one time did I ask for someone to move because my youngest was 7, and there weren’t any seats near each other. A young adult went to sit in an exit row, so we could sit together and I hope it was win-win.

I do think this is mostly the airlines’ fault, but entitled people definitely make it worse.

It seems less likely to happen if you book everyone under the same reservation. Our worst experiences are when, for instance, my 16-year-old and I were booked together and my wife and the other children were booked together. In this scenario, that's two reservations but we executed them within minutes of each other and selected all seats together.

Well the airline in their infinite wisdom:
-moved my 16-year-old
-"upgraded" me to a different location
-kept my wife and 4 other children together

So that's 3 locations on one airplane. This is 7 people with the same last name who all booked to sit together.

But, honestly, so what? I have been on many trips with my kids by myself and unless they are five and under, I wouldn't have any qualms about them sitting on their own. You can switch with your wife halfway through the flight to give her a break. I presume the 16 year old leaves the house without a parent sometimes. You are in a plane. It's like a big room. You are all in the same room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Taboo according to whom? Who is keeping such a detailed rule book.

If the airline fcks up our reservation and seats me away from my kids, when, yes, we paid for and selected seats together, etc.--then I just literally pull out cash and offer it to someone to make the switch. People have always declined the cash but gone ahead with the even-or-better switch. I usually buy them a drink later.

This mostly has happened b/c I am a frequent flier so they auto-upgrade me sometimes from my selected seat, seating me in a "better" seat, but away from my wife and kids.

You sound obnoxious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I only fly in class and this doesn't happen. I do not care what you all do in economy.

I fly in first class and recently had a mom who was upgraded with her 10 year old and they weren't together. She was put out that I wouldn't trade my row 2 seat for the bulkhead where you can't keep your stuff with you. There is a reason why upgrades always end up in that seat. I felt guilty saying no, but was frustrated that I felt guilty, and that she tried to guilt me.

This happens to me a lot in first class too. I’ll trade if it’s aisle for an aisle. I won’t take a window seat. It’s usually the older couples (60+) that get upgraded for free and still want to sit together that get the most upset.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taboo according to whom? Who is keeping such a detailed rule book.

If the airline fcks up our reservation and seats me away from my kids, when, yes, we paid for and selected seats together, etc.--then I just literally pull out cash and offer it to someone to make the switch. People have always declined the cash but gone ahead with the even-or-better switch. I usually buy them a drink later.

This mostly has happened b/c I am a frequent flier so they auto-upgrade me sometimes from my selected seat, seating me in a "better" seat, but away from my wife and kids.

You sound obnoxious.

Agree, give the wife the better seat and you sit with the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

One time someone who would have been sitting next to my three-year old alone was refusing to switch for an equitable seat because they were already “settled in”, as several PPs have referenced. I loudly questioned why they were so eager to sit next to a three-year old by themselves and suddenly they were more than happy to switch.

You yelled at someone.

I would have left my headphones in and ignored you until the flight attendants had law enforcement forcibly remove you and your child.

I didn’t yell. Just said it loud enough so people around could hear. You sound like a pervert too, though, so I’m not surprised you wouldn’t trade.

+1 Anyone who would be sitting next to a young child alone and refuses to move has nefarious intentions. 1+1=2.

Oh god, not you again.

[Anonymous]

I don’t mind being asked. If it is an even trade or better seat I will consider it. If the reason is young kids (or other good reason) I’ll consider swapping even to a worse seat- depending on the situation (length of flight or if I have a tight connecting flight etc).

That being said, I think people make too much of it at times. My kids have been fine sitting away from me for a shorter flight from age 8ish on, when necessary. I was flying alone with all three to see my parents once, and the best I could get was 2 sets of 2 seat. I sat with my 5 year old and my 7 year old twins sat together a few rows ahead of us. It was just fine. 4 hour flight and they were content with iPads and snacks (they do not need help with things and do not bother their seatmate). Not worth asking people to move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We fly a lot and have never had this happen (family of 5). People are making me worry about our upcoming trip lol.

I have had to separate from my kids because we had to change flights last minute, or were on Southwest. Only one time did I ask for someone to move because my youngest was 7, and there weren’t any seats near each other. A young adult went to sit in an exit row, so we could sit together and I hope it was win-win.

I do think this is mostly the airlines’ fault, but entitled people definitely make it worse.

It seems less likely to happen if you book everyone under the same reservation. Our worst experiences are when, for instance, my 16-year-old and I were booked together and my wife and the other children were booked together. In this scenario, that's two reservations but we executed them within minutes of each other and selected all seats together.

Well the airline in their infinite wisdom:
-moved my 16-year-old
-"upgraded" me to a different location
-kept my wife and 4 other children together

So that's 3 locations on one airplane. This is 7 people with the same last name who all booked to sit together.

But, honestly, so what? I have been on many trips with my kids by myself and unless they are five and under, I wouldn't have any qualms about them sitting on their own. You can switch with your wife halfway through the flight to give her a break. I presume the 16 year old leaves the house without a parent sometimes. You are in a plane. It's like a big room. You are all in the same room.

My daughter has been flying alone since she was 7 years old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last week I flew cross country and had a middle seat. A couple came and they had the aisle and window seats on either side of me. They said they book that way in hopes the middle seat is not taken. They offered to trade me the middle for the aisle and I sure as hell took them up on the offer! But otherwise, I wouldn’t trade aisle for window, not with my bladder.

I refuse to switch with the absolute A-holes who do this. They make so much harder for people who actually want to sit together to find seats together.

F—k them. I keep my middle seat every time.

Please explain? Because the math is not mathing.

Whenever i try to book a flight lately with my family, i encounter planes for which literally the only empty seats are middle seats. Therefore it is impossible for me to find even two seats together despite a willingness to pay and what (to me) is a perfectly reasonable timeline for booking flights.

Now, i understand first-come, first served and i am not complaining. It the flight happens to have been filled by a bunch of singletons or people who otherwise don’t want to sit next to someone, fine, I’ll deal.

But it makes my blood boil when people do it deliberately in effort to game the system. I repeat, F—k them. I carefully selected my middle seat out of the dozens of middle seats and I’m keeping it.

First, "reasonable to you" means nothing, if the majority of the seats are already booked. But that's beside the point.

In the scenario you are describing, it doesn't matter *which* two seats the earlier bookers took - there still won't be any seats together for your family. Let's say that no couple traveling together did what you are complaining about, and all took either the middle and window or middle and aisle seats. It's no easier for you to find seats together, because there's still only one seats available in the row.

How is this not obvious?

Because singletons in windows/aisles could still sit next to couples in window/middle or aisle/middle you freaking dumb@$$.

How is THAT not obvious?

[Anonymous]

I'm team equal or better. A few times we get the aisle/window and will offer the middle person whichever seat they prefer if we want to sit together. I've never had someone turn it down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last week I flew cross country and had a middle seat. A couple came and they had the aisle and window seats on either side of me. They said they book that way in hopes the middle seat is not taken. They offered to trade me the middle for the aisle and I sure as hell took them up on the offer! But otherwise, I wouldn’t trade aisle for window, not with my bladder.

I refuse to switch with the absolute A-holes who do this. They make so much harder for people who actually want to sit together to find seats together.

F—k them. I keep my middle seat every time.

Please explain? Because the math is not mathing.

Whenever i try to book a flight lately with my family, i encounter planes for which literally the only empty seats are middle seats. Therefore it is impossible for me to find even two seats together despite a willingness to pay and what (to me) is a perfectly reasonable timeline for booking flights.

Now, i understand first-come, first served and i am not complaining. It the flight happens to have been filled by a bunch of singletons or people who otherwise don’t want to sit next to someone, fine, I’ll deal.

But it makes my blood boil when people do it deliberately in effort to game the system. I repeat, F—k them. I carefully selected my middle seat out of the dozens of middle seats and I’m keeping it.

I like your attitude better than what we encountered one time: We had window-aisle and asked the middle seat occupant if they would like our aisle seat. The person said "well, I'd really prefer the window." We said no and buckled our seat belts. When we have two seats you don't get to decide which of them you're trading for.

Yes you do as you are the one trading.

Right?! You're the one attempting to initiate a trade, not the middle seat person in this story.

A middle seat is the least valuable in the row. If the person in the aisle offers you a trade, you take it or leave it - you don't ask for the window seat.