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Original poster

Plane seat drama

387 replies

itstoohotnow · 02/08/2024 12:29

Just returned from a European break, booked 4 plane tickets for DH and 2 DS (19 &16) and I, eldest DS decided too old to go away with mum and dad so stayed at home. I contacted the airline as cheap non refundable ticket but said I can use it as a spare seat between DH and I so all good.

On return flight, only 2 hours long and we have seats A (me) B (spare) C (DH) and D (DS) then a couple with a baby in E & F

Couple with baby realised we were together and pretty much demanded DS moved to seat B - I politely pointed out it wasn't a random spare seat but a booked and paid for one, now I have 2 kids so appreciate it's hard to travel with a little one and would have offered the seat but they were so bloody rude and entitled. I pointed out we had paid for 4 seats and they had only paid for 2 - so asked for a contribution towards cost £30 (by this point they are just demanding the seat because they have a child)

They got pretty rude and offensive (called me a fat b**ch) so I said no, stewardess said was up to me

Should I have given them the seat?

OP posts:
SD1978 · 02/08/2024 19:58

Nope. They were rude and entitled. You had allocated seating, and the 'spare' was paid for. If they hadn't been arsholes you would have offered, but they were. You owed them nothing

Hippomumma · 02/08/2024 19:49

You did the right thing. I say that as a mum of a 2.5yo and a 1 yo. I would never have expected you to give up that seat. If you offered, I’d have been elated but I would never ask. What a pair of CFs!

HaveSomeIntrospect · 02/08/2024 19:36

@CryYourHeartOut why don’t you believe it?

Fartooold · 02/08/2024 19:36

itstoohotnow · 02/08/2024 19:14

This was not a package holiday so return flights were not dependant on everyone being on the outbound flights - I think that's the difference and the fact that we had checked in for both flights and told them at he fare what the situation was

If the flight was overbooked it could have been a different story,,,?

Show quote history

Ours wasn't a package either, must just depend on the airline/who you speak to.

CryYourHeartOut · 02/08/2024 19:34

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Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

macaroniCannellonilasagne · 02/08/2024 19:28

A couple of weeks ago we went to a European city. Around lunch we checked out from the hotel, and there was a thing young adult DD said she was a bit disappointed we hadn’t had time to do.

Just before getting an uber to the airport we checked our flight and it said it was cancelled (it wasn’t, it was overbooked and we had paid nothing because we used bonus points so they probably chose us), the next one would be in 4 hrs. The sun was shining and it was pissing down with rain at home. Best afternoon ever.

We also received £80 to shop for at the airport, plus a total of €1000 as an apology.
For a flight we hadn’t even paid for. Brilliant! We booked new tickets for another holiday straight away for the money.

Original poster
itstoohotnow · 02/08/2024 19:25

Just to confirm a few details

I had checked all 4 of us in online for all flights so had boarding passes

This was not a package holiday - independently booked flights so return is not dependent on you being on the outbound flight

I had contacted easyJet about keeping the seat so we had more space, they agreed this was fine but we could not take 4 carry on bags only 3 and I had followed their instructions on how to let gate staff know etc

The flight was not overbooked so the seat was not required for someone to travel

The couple with the baby were not unpleasant to my teenager

I was about to offer the seat when I realised they had a child but the mother got in first with her rude demands

Asking for £30 may sound cheeky but I thought it was compromise to make them realise it wasn't a random free seat - we had paid for it any wanted to use it for our comfort

OP posts:
Original poster
itstoohotnow · 02/08/2024 19:14

Fartooold · 02/08/2024 18:37

You did the right thing, but I'm quite miffed that you managed it.

A few years ago, there were 3 of us flying out to Corfu, all booked, paid for, checked in.
Friend#3 cancelled last minute so we let the airline know, but kept her seat reserved.
We were fine outbound, had lots of space to spread out, but inbound, the seat had been released and was occupied.
We queried it, but because Friend#3 was a no show on outbound flight, inbound was automatically cancelled.
Smart arse new seat occupier insisted on keeping the middle seat too🤣

Edited

This was not a package holiday so return flights were not dependant on everyone being on the outbound flights - I think that's the difference and the fact that we had checked in for both flights and told them at he fare what the situation was

If the flight was overbooked it could have been a different story,,,?

OP posts:
lolly792 · 02/08/2024 19:03

@ifIwerenotanandroid Yeap, this is what I said, the OP has remembered part of a grammar rule and is applying it completely incorrectly. Then tries to tell us either is correct!

I don't often comment on incorrect grammar but this just sounded so wrong! No one would say 'a seat next to I' so why would they write it? It's similar to when people write 'reply to John and myself' instead of 'reply to John and me'. I've never in real life heard anyone say 'reply to myself' or 'give that box to myself' or 'would you hand that to myself' so it's baffling that so many people write it. It sounds so weird to read.

viques · 02/08/2024 19:03

Grammarnut · 02/08/2024 13:48

No. If they wanted a third seat they ought to have bought one. Many years ago I travelled with ex-H and 2 DCs. On the way back there was a patient with a drip on board. We had centre aisle seats, so had a rest of some sort in between the centre seats. My DD fell asleep over this. Stewardess told me DD should not be using two seats as the plane was full. I had to loudly point out that she was not, but leaning onto the cup rest between 2 seats, both of which we had bought - DS was on the other side. I got the feeling she thought I should have my five year old on my lap so someone else could have her seat. Having booked a seat for DD this really annoyed me. I am with you. Entitled couple, let them get on with it.

Edited

Why did you have to say it loudly, was the air steward hard of hearing?

And what was the point of telling us about the person with the drip?

Andylion · 02/08/2024 18:52

Grammatically either can be used but it depends on the situation

🤷‍♀️

ifIwerenotanandroid · 02/08/2024 18:44

itstoohotnow · 02/08/2024 14:48

Grammatically either can be used but it depends on the situation.

The easiest way to decide is to put in into a sentence without DH or DS as follows,

Me had seat A
I had seat A

Obviously you would say I had seat A so using I would be grammatically correct

Show quote history

Don't know if anyone's corrected this, so here goes.

Sounds like you've half-remembered the rule & in this case got it wrong. Your example uses a completely different sentence, so it's irrelevant that 'I' is correct in it. You've changed from a sentence with first person object (me) to one with first person subject (I).

Suppose your original sentence was 'Mum gave a book to my brother & I'. Take out 'my brother &' & you're left with 'Mum gave a book to I' which isn't grammatically correct. I think that's the rule you referenced.

Anyway (1) it's hot & I'm winding down after a walk in the sun, so I hope I've got it right & that's my excuse if I haven't😁& (2) I'm glad you didn't give up the seat.

willstarttomorrow · 02/08/2024 18:43

Absolutely not. If you want certain seats you pay for them. I recently have boarded several flights in which boarding has been held up by people sitting in the wrong seats, filling overhead lockers with small bags/coats etc and blocking space for people who have paid for carry on. It is not hard, even on BA euro flyer this is not included for a basic ticket.

Mumoftwochildrenand6furkids · 02/08/2024 18:41

No and had they had spoke to me like that would of told them to fuck right off.

TeabySea · 02/08/2024 18:40

ChildlessCatLady · 02/08/2024 17:04

They got pretty rude and offensive (called me a fat bch) so I said no, stewardess said was up to me.

Should I have given them the seat?

Apparently not!! I'd have been tempted to tell them that I'd just discovered that I needed the extra seat after all, now that I know I'm fat.

I'd have done the same. I might have said "Fat bitch trumps entitled crybaby" if I was feeling particularly hacked off.

I think it was fine they asked, but once you'd explained they should have left it. Name calling isn't going to endear them or make anyone give up a seat.

Fartooold · 02/08/2024 18:37

You did the right thing, but I'm quite miffed that you managed it.

A few years ago, there were 3 of us flying out to Corfu, all booked, paid for, checked in.
Friend#3 cancelled last minute so we let the airline know, but kept her seat reserved.
We were fine outbound, had lots of space to spread out, but inbound, the seat had been released and was occupied.
We queried it, but because Friend#3 was a no show on outbound flight, inbound was automatically cancelled.
Smart arse new seat occupier insisted on keeping the middle seat too🤣

DiduAye · 02/08/2024 18:33

Typical entitlement of new parents with added rudeness they couldn't even have bought the seat for twice the money after that,!! Don't give it another thought

paradisecircus · 02/08/2024 18:31

YANBU. I wouldn't have asked for the money but they were rude so ruled themselves out of any favours.

fuckingbastard · 02/08/2024 18:28

Nope. In all the multiverses.

shuffleofftobuffalo · 02/08/2024 18:21

Im so glad you stood your ground OP, they sound vile. This sort of thing seems to be more and more common these days.

On the last few flights I've been on (all easyJet I think) there has been a "sit in your allocated seat and shut up" type announcement during boarding and everyone did, no drama on any flight, only changes were made because unsuitable/unwilling people were in the exit rows. And then it was the one person who was changed not the whole party if they were sitting together. All very sensible.

One of the flights was pretty empty and the announcement was sit in your allocated seat, no changing, need bums on those seats to balance the plane.

Longma · 02/08/2024 18:16

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines. at the request of it's author.

TheWeeDonkeyFella · 02/08/2024 18:15

macaroniCannellonilasagne · 02/08/2024 17:34

Last week I booked an emergency seat (extra room). But there was a man already sitting there when I got there. Told him this was my seat, he just said No. Showed him my boarding card but he just turned away. Had to call staff who told him to move. I saw that he then sat in another window seat at the front, and he had to be moved again because once again it wasn’t his seat. Some people are just rude.

That's terrible but doesn't suprise me, cheeky entitled behaviour on flights is getting so bad these days. Especially from the something-for-nothing brigade.

OP - Y definitely NBU. It's also hilarious posters saying you shouldn't have suggested payment even though you'd be giving up something you paid for.

macaroniCannellonilasagne · 02/08/2024 18:12

Ineedanewsofa · 02/08/2024 17:58

Omg @CloudywMeatballs I’ve had the misfortune of being allocated the seat between a couple like you and your husband! It was so bloody awkward, couple wouldn’t swap so they sat together but instead talked across me, passed snacks/drinks and generally treated me like I was in their way the entire flight. Such selfish, shitty behaviour!

Show quote history

Yeah I hate people who do this. So rude. So entitled.

mondaytosunday · 02/08/2024 18:11

I flew to Australia with my 20 month old and it never occurred to me to ask someone to give up their seat! If I wanted one I would have paid for it.

Ineedanewsofa · 02/08/2024 17:58

CloudywMeatballs · 02/08/2024 13:09

They achieved a much higher level of comfort.
When my husband and I fly together we always book the window seat and aisle seat. Most of the time there is someone in the middle seat, but occasionally we get lucky and have the seat free.. We can stretch out more, put stuff on the seat, use the middle seat's tray table, etc. It does make a difference.

Show quote history

Omg @CloudywMeatballs I’ve had the misfortune of being allocated the seat between a couple like you and your husband! It was so bloody awkward, couple wouldn’t swap so they sat together but instead talked across me, passed snacks/drinks and generally treated me like I was in their way the entire flight. Such selfish, shitty behaviour!