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

[Anonymous]

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?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was a guy on my last flight who was in the emergency row with a very religious couple who had a lap baby. He claimed he didn't want to sit next to a baby, but the vibe was really that he didn't want to be near Jewish people either. It started getting loud so I told the flight attendant I love babies and would be happy to switch with the man from my aisle seat if that would help.

He agreed and I whispered to the couple that I was jewish too, and spent a three hour flight with extra leg room, a window seat and playing patty cake with a cute baby.

A baby was allowed in the exit row? That shouldn’t have happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I booked tickets last month for a trip in a few weeks. Would have happily paid for two sets of two seats but only singles are available for my family of four. Hoping a person switches (window for window, one row up) so I can sit next to my 5 year old. My 8 year old will be fine by herself for a few hours.

How else would you handle besides asking to switch?

When you have school age children and want to travel at the same time as all the other people with school age children, you handle by planning trips further in advance. And if you plan last minute, when you look at the flight options and there are no seats together you haven't found the option that works for you. Different airline, different date, different time, different connection. Whatever it is.

Nah. Just ask to switch. Most people are chill and accommodating.

[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?

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

I didn’t feel one bit of remorse when my 9 year old started puking next to the lady who wouldn’t switch. She was in a middle seat too.

Haha!

[Anonymous]

OP - you seem really angry about this potential situation. How often has it come up that someone asked you to switch? Seems like a one and done situation and in the pantheon of travel annoyances, it is pretty far down there.

[Anonymous]

My coworker paid for premium — two seats to a row instead of three, better food, free drinks, and more legroom. I guy asked her to switch with him back in economy so he could be “near” his family, who weren’t even in her row!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why so angry? Just say 'no thanks' people can ask and you can decline.

+1. It's OK to ask for things. It's OK for people to say no. Neither side needs to feel attacked.

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.

Just how short are you? I’m 5’ 1” and never have a problem putting my luggage in the overhead bin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are what’s wrong with the human race.
I flew Iceland Air with my spouse and our 4yo. They assigned us 2 seats in the emergency row and one in the back. Then when I sat with the 4yo they said she wasn’t allowed in the emergency row. I’m certainly not having my 4yo sit alone that far away from us. Luckily some complete strangers said they would switch with us.

I’ve switched a row with someone and ordered a vegetarian meal. When they brought the meal to my original seat the person said, “ she’s in the seat behind me” they gave it to me. Took 5 extra seconds if that.

I don’t think you should give up a window or aisle seat for a middle if you paid for it. But any other scenario. Just be kind.

You should have paid to pick seats for you and your toddler. I am not paying for you.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I blame the airlines. It should be an automatic, free service, to sit families together.

It should not. Everyone else has to pay to select seats. Families should not get a pass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. I will not change my seat because you want to sit next your spouse or kids. It isn't my problem you can't sit together.

I also booked special meals I picked or the flight, so get it through your stupidly thick skulls that even if we switched seats, it causes even more problems when people have pre-specified meal picks. And no, I'd never, ever in a million years give up my aisle or window seat for a worse middle seat.

Why do so many morons insist with sitting next to family members if they can't book next to each other? It's a flight. They're not going anywhere and you'll be fine for a few hours. Requesters for switching seats cause so many stupidly awkward situations and can cause even more problems when other passengers may have specific meals or bought items on shops they have to locate your seat in order to deliver to you. Just sit in your own damn seat people and shut up.

Ok but had to ask twice because airline cancelled my flight and I rescheduled at the last minute and did the best i could. While sure my six is allowed to sit by herself she was anxious as was I and so we asked to switch.

But prior to that - yes I paid extra to sit together and do the airlines care about that when rescheduling? No, Th ye just take my money ask give me a seat.

Please be understanding. Stuff happens.

[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.

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

- not a Boomer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I booked tickets last month for a trip in a few weeks. Would have happily paid for two sets of two seats but only singles are available for my family of four. Hoping a person switches (window for window, one row up) so I can sit next to my 5 year old. My 8 year old will be fine by herself for a few hours.

How else would you handle besides asking to switch?

Plan better.

Could be a dying relative - lots of reasons for last minute trips you can’t plan for.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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?

You can't fly that much if you've never had a flight changed and rebooked where you don't get to choose your seats. Or if you haven't had an airline substitute a different plane so you end up with different seat assignments. Both are common occurrences and are legitimate reasons why parents end up seated separately from their parents.