Why all these stories about fliers not wanting to give up seats?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:you pay for what you want pay up for the entire family to sit together and don't bother other people. its a fairly simple concept

The point that multiple people on this thread have made is that sometimes airlines don’t even give you the option to buy seats together or they rebook you in different seats after you’ve already paid for them.

You need one parent with a child or children, not two parents or adults. If you cannot sit next to your child get off the plane and get the next flight.

"The next flight" might be hours later, or even the next day; so basically you're saying that -- in the event where the airline has bumped parents from seats they paid for due to schedule or equipment changes -- it's better for the family to add an uncertain number of delays to their itinerary than it is for someone to just move a few rows?

Then sit apart. Done.

Last week we had a weird set of seats. A man was stuck next to my grumpy 4 year old and 10 year old. I asked him if he wanted to switch with my brother, one row back (same window seat). I could tell he was a #NeverSwitcher but my 4 year old’s whining about why he wasn’t allowed to sit in the window seat apparently convinced him. After a long pause to think through the consequences of not moving, he did it.

I asked the flight attendant to offer him a drink from me.

See that shouldn't be a problem for the vast majority of people- window for window is an equivalent swap. I would think 98% of people would do this with zero issues.

Several people in this thread have said they wouldn’t. Never move ever no matter the circumstance.

It isn't just "window for window" -- being closer to the front of the plane matters. Who you're going be next to matters.

I've been asked to move from a window in Row 3 to a window in the second to last row of the plane. No way.

People who want you to move almost always want you to move to a seat this is worse in some way.

So you would prefer to deal with a whiny 4 year old child sitting next to you throughout your flight in order to be in an equivalent window seat one row closer to the front of the plane? Because that’s the situation pp described.

For me, I’m putting my Bose.noise cancelling headphones on,ordering a double and enjoying my flight. Wjhat your whiny spawn does is not my problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you pay for what you want pay up for the entire family to sit together and don't bother other people. its a fairly simple concept

The point that multiple people on this thread have made is that sometimes airlines don’t even give you the option to buy seats together or they rebook you in different seats after you’ve already paid for them.

You need one parent with a child or children, not two parents or adults. If you cannot sit next to your child get off the plane and get the next flight.

"The next flight" might be hours later, or even the next day; so basically you're saying that -- in the event where the airline has bumped parents from seats they paid for due to schedule or equipment changes -- it's better for the family to add an uncertain number of delays to their itinerary than it is for someone to just move a few rows?

DP: Good point. Then, unless you’re in the very last row, next to the toilet, you can offer a better seat to someone. As a PP pointed out, in most of these examples, people are trying to sit together AND keep their preferred seats.

On the rare occasion I've been separated from my young kids in a flight (always due to a cancelled flight as we pay to ensure seats together), I've never been trying to get a "preferred" seat. I've pretty much always said "i'm fine with the last row, fine with a middle seat, just want to be next to my kid."

I have still gotten push back from people, even when asking them to switch a middle for a middle in the same part of the plane. Some people just seem to adopt this attitude of pure hostility when flying. I don't get it.

[Anonymous]

Maybe they are already settled in and don't want to have to do that again? Did you offer to upgrade them or buy them a drink or offer some cash for them accommodating you and your kid? I you offer cash someone will do it.

[Anonymous]

Why is no one asking couples or friends to split up and accommodate the requester? Why *always* singles? Discrimination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If y'all want to sit together, pay for your seats next to each other.

We do. But flights get cancelled and you get rebooked with hours to spare and don’t always get to pick your seats. Have some sympathy.

It happened to me a few months ago. Flight was canceled. Just canceled. I booked another flight on another airline with less than 8 hours notice so we could make our vacation. No seats to choose from. Plus since I bought this those tickets at that last minute it was a gazillion dollars.

Luckily a really nice gate agent helped me - but you have no idea.

It was very stressful and you have no idea why people so t have seats together. Might no be their fault.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe they are already settled in and don't want to have to do that again? Did you offer to upgrade them or buy them a drink or offer some cash for them accommodating you and your kid? I you offer cash someone will do it.

"Already settled"? It's an airplane, not a hotel suite. I would offer to buy them a drink, but an upgrade? To move to a similar seat a few rows away? And cash? This is ridiculous.

I accommodate other people all the time, every day, for nothing. Just because I'm a person who lives in society and accommodating each other in basic ways is how we make that work. Not by expecting someone to give me cash or an upgrade worth hundreds of dollars just so they can sit next to their small child in an airplane. Good grief.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If y'all want to sit together, pay for your seats next to each other.

We do. But flights get cancelled and you get rebooked with hours to spare and don’t always get to pick your seats. Have some sympathy.

It happened to me a few months ago. Flight was canceled. Just canceled. I booked another flight on another airline with less than 8 hours notice so we could make our vacation. No seats to choose from. Plus since I bought this those tickets at that last minute it was a gazillion dollars.

Luckily a really nice gate agent helped me - but you have no idea.

It was very stressful and you have no idea why people so t have seats together. Might no be their fault.

This! Obviously I book my seat next toy young child's when I book a flight-- it matters to me so I do it. When we get separated it's always due to some problem out of my control. I always ask the airline to help first (usually the problem is due to their error anyway) but sometimes yes I'm asking someone to move a row or two. I always try to find someone for whom the move is actually an upgrade or at least not a downgrade. Still some people push back and are angry even at being asked.

[Anonymous]

I haven’t read this whole 27 page post but from now on when I fly solo with my 3 young kids and something happens I will just leave my 2 year old next to whomever they are seated and let them deal. Because obviously that makes sense.

God people are so freaking selfish and rude. The person a few pages up who said they wouldn’t move for a veteran or active duty service person - what entitlement!

You would make a parent sit apart from their kids just to spite them. Instead of being a decent human being you would rather let a young child scream and go through distress. Freaking sociopaths.

[Anonymous]

Also most of the posters on here seem like they would be the people who are crying kids who were hurt and kicks them when they are already down. Literally and figuratively. Because it’s not their problem. Kids are a nuisance and should be ignored.

[Anonymous]

I am always traveling with my family. I don’t think I’ve boarded a plane alone since before my oldest was born 15 years ago. So no I don’t switch and haven’t been asked to. If I were alone I would though. But I don’t see it happening any time soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you pay for what you want pay up for the entire family to sit together and don't bother other people. its a fairly simple concept

The point that multiple people on this thread have made is that sometimes airlines don’t even give you the option to buy seats together or they rebook you in different seats after you’ve already paid for them.

You need one parent with a child or children, not two parents or adults. If you cannot sit next to your child get off the plane and get the next flight.

"The next flight" might be hours later, or even the next day; so basically you're saying that -- in the event where the airline has bumped parents from seats they paid for due to schedule or equipment changes -- it's better for the family to add an uncertain number of delays to their itinerary than it is for someone to just move a few rows?

Then sit apart. Done.

Last week we had a weird set of seats. A man was stuck next to my grumpy 4 year old and 10 year old. I asked him if he wanted to switch with my brother, one row back (same window seat). I could tell he was a #NeverSwitcher but my 4 year old’s whining about why he wasn’t allowed to sit in the window seat apparently convinced him. After a long pause to think through the consequences of not moving, he did it.

I asked the flight attendant to offer him a drink from me.

See that shouldn't be a problem for the vast majority of people- window for window is an equivalent swap. I would think 98% of people would do this with zero issues.

Several people in this thread have said they wouldn’t. Never move ever no matter the circumstance.

Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine. And yes, I've been asked to move from bulkhead and emergency row seats to seats with far less pitch. And yes, my gradeschool children and I have been split when our upgrades clear at the gate. We're grateful for the upgrade and never ask other passengers to move.

Umm yeah, I would hope if you are specifically requesting the upgrades you wouldn’t quibble about being separated from your children if granted them….I’m also assuming that your kids are at minimum older elementary (so a completely different scenario than the pp’s 4 year old) as most decent parents with 5-7 year old kids would presumably prioritize sitting with them over a few extra inches of leg room.

It sounds like you don't fly a lot - upgrades are auto-requested on most airlines. And no, this began happening at 3. She was quiet and fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe they are already settled in and don't want to have to do that again? Did you offer to upgrade them or buy them a drink or offer some cash for them accommodating you and your kid? I you offer cash someone will do it.

"Already settled"? It's an airplane, not a hotel suite. I would offer to buy them a drink, but an upgrade? To move to a similar seat a few rows away? And cash? This is ridiculous.

I accommodate other people all the time, every day, for nothing. Just because I'm a person who lives in society and accommodating each other in basic ways is how we make that work. Not by expecting someone to give me cash or an upgrade worth hundreds of dollars just so they can sit next to their small child in an airplane. Good grief.

Well if you want everyone to consider you, then you need to consider others. Maybe they are traveling for a funeral and just hanging on. Maybe THEY have anxiety and moving disrupts their vibe. Maybe they need an aisle seat on that side because they have a bad knee. It goes both ways.

[Anonymous]

Maybe children should not be flying until they are old enough to sit by themselves.

[Anonymous]

I am nearly always a solo flyer. I have been asked twice to change seats, but no one else around me was asked. I pointed out some couples and families and told the requester to ask them .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven’t read this whole 27 page post but from now on when I fly solo with my 3 young kids and something happens I will just leave my 2 year old next to whomever they are seated and let them deal. Because obviously that makes sense.

God people are so freaking selfish and rude. The person a few pages up who said they wouldn’t move for a veteran or active duty service person - what entitlement!

You would make a parent sit apart from their kids just to spite them. Instead of being a decent human being you would rather let a young child scream and go through distress. Freaking sociopaths.

How quickly you jump to lashing out at others when you don’t get your way. That probably shows. Selfish, rude, freaking sociopath….project much?