Airline will bump someone from their window seat up on my request for medical issue how do you handle confrontation?

[Anonymous]

Wow I think that was really low of you to bump someone out of the seat they paid extra for. You have no idea what medical conditions they may have that made them do the right thing and pay for the seat they needed. And they wouldn’t have a doctor note on hand because they didn’t think they needed it because they weren’t trying to steal something from someone else but did the right thing and purchased it.

What you should have done is got a seat on another flight if this one was full. Getting this specific flight is not an entitlement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BS excuse to get a window.

He could have sat in either of the very middle two seats and then he wouldn't have to get up for anyone.

-- -xx- --

YES! A middle seat in the middle row sounds perfect for someone with a back issue. They'd never ever have to get up. The aisle people would just use their own aisles.

Yes but the doctor said we need to keep pressure off the lower back and to lean and get a window seat. That's what the doctor said until full recovery. We just are following the doctor note for air travel.

You can’t lean against the side of the plane in any kind of first class seat unless you bend your spine totally to the side. I have done much PT for my lower back and none of them ever said “hey, you should sit crooked and lean against the wall and that will fix you”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is this mystery plane that has 2-4-2 in first class?

+1 it doesn't exist. Also, I don't know of any first class seats where you can wedge yourself against the fuselage/window? That would be quite difficult, even on an older plane.

here is the plane, maybe its the fault of the airlines and I read online they are phasing out this outdated seat layout

Please explain to someone who does not fly first class. Do these seats not recline a lot or fully? Even it that doesn't take pressure off the spine, I have been in business class and the seats were such that you cannot lean against a window. That only worked in economy.

Yes they recline and lie flat. When these came out in the early 2000s they were among the first lie flat seat, they were cutting edge. Obviously not anymore. They eventually came to be known as "coffin class". You can easily walk by someone in the legroom area, unless they have it in lie flat mode. It's possible but cumbersome to step over it in lie flat mode.

OP, how does your husband sleep at home, sitting up leaning against a wall?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What kind of 4 hour flight uses an airplane so large that there is a first class configuration with 2-4-2? This is the configuration on my last flight to Sydney.

Today's SFO-ORD flight, for instance, uses this plane.

https://www.united.com/en/us/flightstatus/details/354/2025-04-22/SFO/ORD/UA

It's somewhat common on longer domestic United flights between hubs, and to Hawaii.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is this mystery plane that has 2-4-2 in first class?

+1 it doesn't exist. Also, I don't know of any first class seats where you can wedge yourself against the fuselage/window? That would be quite difficult, even on an older plane.

here is the plane, maybe its the fault of the airlines and I read online they are phasing out this outdated seat layout

Please explain to someone who does not fly first class. Do these seats not recline a lot or fully? Even it that doesn't take pressure off the spine, I have been in business class and the seats were such that you cannot lean against a window. That only worked in economy.

Yes they recline and lie flat. When these came out in the early 2000s they were among the first lie flat seat, they were cutting edge. Obviously not anymore. They eventually came to be known as "coffin class". You can easily walk by someone in the legroom area, unless they have it in lie flat mode. It's possible but cumbersome to step over it in lie flat mode.

OP, how does your husband sleep at home, sitting up leaning against a wall?

Ha ha, not OP posting here with specifics on this plane type. Just someone who has flown United a lot and knows their fleet well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of 4 hour flight uses an airplane so large that there is a first class configuration with 2-4-2? This is the configuration on my last flight to Sydney.

Today's SFO-ORD flight, for instance, uses this plane.

https://www.united.com/en/us/flightstatus/details/354/2025-04-22/SFO/ORD/UA

It's somewhat common on longer domestic United flights between hubs, and to Hawaii.

But OP said it’s a 4 hour flight. I’ve never taken a 4 hour flight on a plane that big. Only flights to Europe or Australia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What kind of 4 hour flight uses an airplane so large that there is a first class configuration with 2-4-2? This is the configuration on my last flight to Sydney.

Yuck.

OP, can you switch to another flight time with a different plane?

[Anonymous]

I'm not OP, but a million miler plus on United. I've flown that exact configuration a lot, and on 4 hr flights as well. IAD-DEN is roughly 4 hrs and it often has that configuration. So does IAD LAX and SFO, sometimes IAH too.

Anyway, what makes zero sense is why OP needed to bump anyone from any seat. There is no seat there in first class where you'd need to get up for anyone unless you are sitting in the aisle--which since there are two of them, OP's DH would just sit next to her. whoever is next to him would obviously go out the other way.

There is no "lean against the window" . That's just dumb, and seems highly unlikely a doctor ever said that. These people don't sound like they spend much time in first class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of 4 hour flight uses an airplane so large that there is a first class configuration with 2-4-2? This is the configuration on my last flight to Sydney.

Today's SFO-ORD flight, for instance, uses this plane.

https://www.united.com/en/us/flightstatus/details/354/2025-04-22/SFO/ORD/UA

It's somewhat common on longer domestic United flights between hubs, and to Hawaii.

But OP said it’s a 4 hour flight. I’ve never taken a 4 hour flight on a plane that big. Only flights to Europe or Australia.

Yes, it's about a 4 hour flight from SFO-ORD. As indicated by the link, United is indeed flying a 777 today on that route. United flies widebodies pretty frequently between their hubs, which have a lot of traffic and can easily fill a 300+ seat plane like this.

Not OP here. This isn't that uncommon, especially for United. Today, for instance, they are flying four 777s between Newark and SFO.

https://www.flightaware.com/live/findflight?origin=KEWR&destination=KSFO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a million different ways to get from one place to another. Why not book a different flight? To willfully book middle seats and then use a spurious medical claim to kick people out of their paid for window and adjoining seats in first class is going to lead to conflict. The airline would have to pay me quite a bit to give up my preferred premium seat on a long flight, particularly when it's obvious it's some cheap and inconsiderate passengers who are being a pain in the ass for everyone else. Book a different flight if you want to avoid a serious confrontation. And try to be a better person when you travel. If you can't afford to travel, don't.

+1

I'm unclear on why you are traveling anyway? Why do this to your husband? If it's a wedding, graduation or some other important occasion, you would have had plenty of notice to book a flight ahead of time. If it's a last minute thing like a funeral, just send your condolences.

This. It’s really hard to imagine a situation that justifies what she is doing. And even if it was for something medical (which I seriously doubt) then the switch should be just for the guy and not OP too so she can “help” him. I’m sure all the call buttons and flight attendants walking around first class looking to help people could do that just fine, and they could get OP from her seat wherever if they really needed to. She’s just gaming the system. They are entitled, cheap and rude.

[Anonymous]

If the seat number is on your ticket, there is nothing any passenger can say about it. Just show the ticket. End of story.

Also, in that configuration, a middle seat person doesn't have to move for anyone except themselves.

Also, wherever you are, you'd better hold it in if you don't want to move and go to the bathroom.

You don't sound mentally with it, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a million different ways to get from one place to another. Why not book a different flight? To willfully book middle seats and then use a spurious medical claim to kick people out of their paid for window and adjoining seats in first class is going to lead to conflict. The airline would have to pay me quite a bit to give up my preferred premium seat on a long flight, particularly when it's obvious it's some cheap and inconsiderate passengers who are being a pain in the ass for everyone else. Book a different flight if you want to avoid a serious confrontation. And try to be a better person when you travel. If you can't afford to travel, don't.

+1

I'm unclear on why you are traveling anyway? Why do this to your husband? If it's a wedding, graduation or some other important occasion, you would have had plenty of notice to book a flight ahead of time. If it's a last minute thing like a funeral, just send your condolences.

This. It’s really hard to imagine a situation that justifies what she is doing. And even if it was for something medical (which I seriously doubt) then the switch should be just for the guy and not OP too so she can “help” him. I’m sure all the call buttons and flight attendants walking around first class looking to help people could do that just fine, and they could get OP from her seat wherever if they really needed to. She’s just gaming the system. They are entitled, cheap and rude.

I think they're just rude and not that bright, since the seat change doesn't even make any sense--there's literally no logical explanation for it. Certainly not "he needs to lean against the window". That's ludicrous. Go sit in economy where you can actually lean on the window. Not that it's likely to be good for you spine to sit that twisted against a curved airframe over the edge of the armrest.

[Anonymous]

OP, just tell them the airline assigned you those seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the seat number is on your ticket, there is nothing any passenger can say about it. Just show the ticket. End of story.

Also, in that configuration, a middle seat person doesn't have to move for anyone except themselves.

Also, wherever you are, you'd better hold it in if you don't want to move and go to the bathroom.

You don't sound mentally with it, OP.

Just not smart. The whole question and starting of this thread is pointless, so I'm guessing they don't fly much or have any experience flying first class since moving seats in this scenario was completely senseless.

[Anonymous]

The only way this would make sense is if this was an economy seat. First class seats you can’t lean against anything except the seat. I’d call troll but this is too stupid even for a troll.