Page 11 | Not to have given up my seat on plane

Rainbowgoldover · 2024-05-26T06:14:44+00:00

Just wondering .... I flew home last night from holiday with a friend. BA flights , flight out was dreadful, cramped seats , allocated at check in so we had last row next to the toilets ... On the way back we learnt our lesson so paid to book seats, I booked an aisle seat, friend booked a window seat, flight about 70 per cent full. The person in the middle seat , asked me if I would move so she could have the aisle seat. I refused and said no I booked aisle and don't want to sit in middle seat. She said but I want to be near my family in the row opposite. I still politely refued to move. Cue lots of aggro, she finally got the flight attendants to move her accusing me and my friend of talking over her , we absolutely were not, both had headphones on watching netflix. If you really want to sit somewhere why can't you pay 23.99 and pre reserve a seat, don't make others feel bad for not giving up theirs ?

drusth · 26/05/2024 16:07

NovemberAutumn · 26/05/2024 12:26

I was on a flight from Melbourne to Heathrow via Singapore and there was a family of 5. The mother and 3 kids were in the middle row of 4 and the husband was across the aisle, I( was next to him in the middle and DS1 aged 2 was in his own seat on the window.

The husband kicked off big time saying that his wife was terrified of flying and the airline had promised they would be all seated together. No amount of the cabin staff saying they were same row, but separated by the aisle made a difference- and no amount of the cabin staff (and other passengers) pointing out that there no such thing as 5 seats together because that did not actually exist made any difference. Finally the husband said they would be getting OFF the plane and would catch another one. Cheering when they left- but of course we had to wait for their luggage to leave as well and missed connecting flights etc.

I did wonder though- for a start they were English, so how had they come to Australia in the first place and clearly flown okay- and secondly- how was it apparently impossible to understand that the plane did not have 5 seats in a row. very very bizarre.

It did mean that DS1 and I could spread out for the entire flight.

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That is seriously batshit! I can’t imagine the airline would have let him rebook for free?!

EmpressaurusDeiGatti · 26/05/2024 16:05

dreaaamm · 26/05/2024 15:29

@Barney16 Barney16 · Today 15:27
I wouldn't swop. And I'm always in the middle because DH is, frankly,too ample to sit anywhere except the aisle. I dream about an aisle seat..

If you want an aisle seat and you are pre-booking seats anyway, why don't you have one across the aisle from you husband? easy to chat across the aisle and then you get your wish.

Maybe @Barney16 thinks it would be awkward to ask anyone else to sit next to her ample DH.

Kelly51 · 26/05/2024 16:01

Getting fed up of this occurring on nearly every flight I'm on, people need to stop being so entitled and pay for a seat like most of us do.
Plus, if it's adults travelling, surely you can cope without having to sit next to your OH or friend.

Washingupdone · 26/05/2024 16:01

Reimburse plus extra for my inconvenience and disappointment. We must think in these things in advance, airlines do charge extra for these privileges.

BustyLee · 26/05/2024 16:00

GiantHornets · 26/05/2024 15:00

Why should tickets be more expensive to allow people to pick their preferred seats without charge?
I don’t care where I sit, and I don’t need to sit with DH or my friends on a flight.
Why should I pay more so you can pick & choose?

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Some of us relish every opportunity to get away from family - even on a plane.

funinthesun19 · 26/05/2024 16:00

Yanbu. You paid for the seat so it was your seat.

That being said, the unreasonable part of my brain finds you booking seats with one in left in the middle of you both really annoying. But you booked them according your own preferences so that’s that.

Arlanymor · 26/05/2024 15:57

I would have given it to her… if she reimbursed me. I do try and accommodate people where I can but I really don’t like sitting in the middle. If someone has a leg injury and I have the aisle or something where their need is pressing then that’s different, but not in that case. Reimburse me and you can have it.

CecilyP · 26/05/2024 15:54

MzHz · 26/05/2024 15:26

Oh fgs, don’t be ridiculous. People can pay to choose seats and if they do, they can sit where they like and there will be people flying solo who don’t care. She wanted to sit with her friends, sat on a row near them on the expectation she’d get someone to swap.

op and her friend should book where they want, they’re under no obligation to seat themselves to accommodate couples or people who want to sit together but who won’t pay to ensure that.

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No, they’re under no obligation, they paid for what they wanted and got what they wanted which was more space as the other woman was eventually seated elsewhere. What OP and friend did would never have occurred to me. It’s a pretty selfish choice which she was entitled to make, but she gets no sympathy from me.

drusth · 26/05/2024 15:53

Possinass · 26/05/2024 11:28

Maybe by the time the stranger booked the flight the only seats left were singles? If all couples do weird bookings like window and aisle it will only leave middle seats free even if you try and book!
You could argue that they could have booked sooner. But someone has to be last! And sometimes trips are last minute.
I once booked a last min Europe break with my husband about a month before going. Other than the very last row all seats together were booked. There was at least 10 rows with middle seats only free. I can guarantee you they weren't all single people in those rows.
We paid to book the last row together. But if we hadn't been lucky and got those seats we would have had no choice but to sit in the middle of people. Whether we paid for them or not we'd have be stuck in between people.
And on the day the flight was full. So lots of people had no choice but to sit in the middle seats.

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Your logic doesn’t compute. Even if lots of singletons booked seats booked first they’d likely book the aisle and window seats first and leave all the middle seats.

So why are you so annoyed at couples doing it? Everyone agrees that talking over the middle passenger is antisocial so that can’t be it?

And then also why is it worse for you as a coupled person to sit in the middle of two people but it’s fine for a single person to sit in the middle?

Philandbill · 26/05/2024 15:51

peachesarenom · 26/05/2024 15:28

I would have swapped from the aisle to the middle if my friend was in the window seat so a parent could be close to their children. I would warn them that I like to get up a lot. I wouldn't have moved near the toilets though.

I guess my experience of other people has mostly been generous and kind. Or maybe those are the sorts of people I look up to. It's nice to be nice people!

I like a pp pointed out am really disappointed that airlines don't seat groups together as standard, what a useless system.

@peachesarenom It is nice to be nice. But the people rudely demanding asking others to move aren't bring nice. What would have been nice is that they'd thought ahead and also booked their own specific seats if they wanted them. DH is taking DD abroad in July and as they want to sit together we've booked their seats together. It's not rocket science...

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 26/05/2024 15:50

CoffeeBeansGalore · 26/05/2024 15:33

Good to know. Thank you.

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Here are some of the airlines which on some routes may have this option.

You'll sometimes find it referred to as a 'comfort seat' or 'neighbour free' and prices vary to the full cost of another seat booking or a modest fee for keeping a middle seat clear.

Emirates

Air New Zealand

Etihad

Turkish airlines }
Andalus Jet }

Some of the US airlines

Qantas

Eurowings (budget airline)

Scandinavian Airlines.

But I suggest always speaking with the airline!

I

friendlycat · 26/05/2024 15:46

I loved the announcement that Easy Jet made at Easter returning from Lanzarote.

"Two sets of families with young children would like to sit together. Can we please have volunteers to change seats to accommodate this for the comfort of both families."

Hmmm. No I'm not giving up my expensive pre paid up front seats in row 2 at over £33.99 each.

But equally so, I've never had the nerve to book the aisle and window seat as that would be my absolute preference. Me aisle, him window.

BustyLee · 26/05/2024 15:38

Didn’t they even offer to refund your booking fee? CF!!

Puzzledandpissedoff · 26/05/2024 15:37

You can always tell summer's rolling round when these threads start

FWIW I'm in the "if she wants a particular seat let her pay" crowd, but here's the funny thing ... has anyone ever heard of one of these entitled types offering to cough up whatever's been paid for the seat they want?

Because I haven't ...

CecilyP · 26/05/2024 15:35

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 26/05/2024 14:55

Why wouldn't they want to be in the same row? Help each other with bags on boarding/disembarking, getting off at the same time etc. why would they go out of their way to be seated in two totally different parts of the plane?

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I don’t think anyone was thinking different parts of the plane. Perhaps just different sides of the aisle in the same row or one behind the other. Just a more considerate option if one wants a window and the other an aisle.

CoffeeBeansGalore · 26/05/2024 15:33

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 26/05/2024 15:16

It might also be worth discussing with the airline. EasyJet could not have been more helpful when I phoned to discuss my (temporary) health issues and allocated me an appropriate seat at no extra charge

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Good to know. Thank you.

shellshocks · 26/05/2024 15:31

Being 70% full was there another aisle seat you could have taken? I'd have moved to another one.
Either way YANBU.

MzHz · 26/05/2024 15:29

CecilyP · 26/05/2024 15:26

Except they weren’t single travellers. They were 2 friends booking and paying for 2 separate seats in the same row in the hope that one would stay empty so they’d have more room. I doubt either wanted to sit next to a random stranger than to sit next to their friend.

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You’re all saying this that the op and her friend were hoping the seat next to them would be empty- who doesn’t?! But that doesn’t mean they have to book to accommodate anyone, they just booked what they wanted. It would have been a bonus to get the space, but the flight was only 70% full so there were plenty of options for the middle seat madam and her friends. SHE chose her seat expecting someone to move for her.

dreaaamm · 26/05/2024 15:29

@Barney16 Barney16 · Today 15:27
I wouldn't swop. And I'm always in the middle because DH is, frankly,too ample to sit anywhere except the aisle. I dream about an aisle seat..

If you want an aisle seat and you are pre-booking seats anyway, why don't you have one across the aisle from you husband? easy to chat across the aisle and then you get your wish.

peachesarenom · 26/05/2024 15:28

I would have swapped from the aisle to the middle if my friend was in the window seat so a parent could be close to their children. I would warn them that I like to get up a lot. I wouldn't have moved near the toilets though.

I guess my experience of other people has mostly been generous and kind. Or maybe those are the sorts of people I look up to. It's nice to be nice people!

I like a pp pointed out am really disappointed that airlines don't seat groups together as standard, what a useless system.

Barney16 · 26/05/2024 15:27

I wouldn't swop. And I'm always in the middle because DH is, frankly,too ample to sit anywhere except the aisle. I dream about an aisle seat..

CecilyP · 26/05/2024 15:26

RobinHood19 · 26/05/2024 14:40

Why are couples wanting to sit together more important than two single travellers, who presumably want a window and an aisle just as much as the couple wants 2 seats next to each other?

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Except they weren’t single travellers. They were 2 friends booking and paying for 2 separate seats in the same row in the hope that one would stay empty so they’d have more room. I doubt either wanted to sit next to a random stranger than to sit next to their friend.

MzHz · 26/05/2024 15:26

CecilyP · 26/05/2024 14:22

Fair enough, but if you prefer that than to actually sitting next to your friend, please consider separate rows so you leave 2 seats free for people who want or need to sit together.

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Oh fgs, don’t be ridiculous. People can pay to choose seats and if they do, they can sit where they like and there will be people flying solo who don’t care. She wanted to sit with her friends, sat on a row near them on the expectation she’d get someone to swap.

op and her friend should book where they want, they’re under no obligation to seat themselves to accommodate couples or people who want to sit together but who won’t pay to ensure that.

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 26/05/2024 15:16

CoffeeBeansGalore · 26/05/2024 15:10

@MyrtlethePurpleTurtle Thank you

It might also be worth discussing with the airline. EasyJet could not have been more helpful when I phoned to discuss my (temporary) health issues and allocated me an appropriate seat at no extra charge

CoffeeBeansGalore · 26/05/2024 15:10

@MyrtlethePurpleTurtle Thank you