To wake someone up on a day flight?

I think you were very unreasonable to wander around a flight talking to someone you weren’t sitting with. I hate that. And if you like to sit in an aisle you should book it, it’s awful to be forced to get up constantly during a long flight no matter if you’re asleep or not. He didn’t have the right to sleep for 9 hours straight of course, but getting disturbed 4 times is a lot.

Sorry, I misunderstood! I didn't realize you meant for her to ask if there was a free aisle seat she could move to at the beginning of the flight. I thought you meant to speak to them after this exchange with the middle seat passenger - which seemed pointless!

Once at travel the designated travel elevation they can move people around if there is space or inquire if someone might be willing to swap for your seat.

I didn’t suggest to involve cabin crew because there were a few frank words exchanged 😆

@PizzaPowder 😮

Irrelevant that it was a day flight - I was zonked out on a three hour day flight this week because I’d come off 2x 12 hour flights plus transit time and hadn’t slept.

i haven’t been in a window seat for years because I pay to avoid it, but in the past I have got the (awake) aisle person to stand up and then stepped over the sleeping middle seat person without waking them up.

As per pp in this case since you’d woken the chap up you could have offered to swap with him.

I used to climb over until one day i slipped and landed on a guys bits 😬Haven't done that since, can still hear him scream.

You didn't do anything wrong OP. If people want peace they can book a window seat.

And this is why I only book aisle seats when traveling alone...

What would you expect cabin crew to do? If he refused to get up then yes, definitely, ring your call button. But because he seemed annoyed? I don't think flight attendants can police peoples emotions.

No matter which class of travel this is public transport - I’d speak to cabin crew next time if you’re met with this scenario again and explain the issue to see if they can move you. Some people have a medical reason to move every couple of hours. As others pointed out though: you knew this would be an issue - couldn’t you have paid to change your seat for an aisle one? Or given the sleeping person your window seat?

I agree with this. I always try and book an aisle seat anyway, but if I am in the window seat I only wake my seatmates up if I really need to use the loo, not just because I fancy a wander.

I think YABU. If you need the loo then that's fair enough, but just to see your mate and stretch your legs I wouldn't wake someone else up.

Pay for a seat next to your mate if you can't go a flight without speaking to her, there are plenty of stretches you can do in your seat to avoid leg issues .

Equally it is very advisable to move often on a flight

I like to get up and walk around, so I always get an aisle seat in order to avoid disturbing anyone. I don't care if people next to me want to get out - I'm happy to move for them.

So I think you were both unreasonable really. If he didn't want to be disturbed, he should have had a window seat. If you wanted to get up and move around, you should have had an aisle seat.

Also agree if someone wants to sleep undisturbed they should book a window.

If they wanted to nap and not be disturbed then they could book the window seat.

You are not wrong, Id wake up anyone next to me if I wanted to get out for any reason.

If you need to get up every 2 hours to stretch legs you should book an aisle or extra leg room seat.

I think it's reasonable on a long flight to expect to ask once to go the toilet, plus expect that the person next to you might go once so there could be an opportune second opportunitu, and maybe when they say we are going to turn seatbelts on for landing soon (you are getting off soon so they won't mind a second request).

That seems like a you problem, if you dont want people getting past you all the time then book a window seat.

I would not give a reason for wanting to stand up - I would just say "Excuse me, could I get past please?" then they would probably assume you needed the bathroom

It's important for some people to stretch their legs. For example, I have an increased risk of blood clots on long-haul flights because I'm short and my feet can't rest on the floor adequately. The only way I can stop the blood pooling in my thighs is to get up and walk around every so often.

So I think YANBU. But if you don't get allocated an aisle seat on a flight, maybe it would be worth warning the others in your row that you'll need to get up, and offer them the chance to swap with you. If they choose not to, they shouldn't later complain about being disturbed.

Although you did nothing wrong i would be annoyed if you woke me up to stretch your legs especially if I'd just fallen asleep.

Did you offer to swap seats once you had woken him? If you fall asleep in a middle seat you can expect to be disturbed at some point but every two hours while you had a chat would be unreasonable.

They are twats. I recall on a long haul flight, the woman next to me refused to get up to allow me out. So I stepped on her to climb out and she was pissed.

I did not care.

However I don’t like to move on flights. If I knew I wanted to move every 2 hours I would ensure to have an aisle seat. It’s unusual to not be able to select one (even if that means paying) on a long haul flight. I would have offered to switch seats.

So you are BOTH being unreasonable.

EITA

Night and day aren’t really relevant on long haul flights where you’re crossing time zones. But if he wants to sleep undisturbed he should have booked a window. Just as you should have gone for an aisle given you like to be up and down like a yoyo. The compromise is you don’t actually need to be get up quite that frequently especially not for a wander and a chat with your mate and he obviously can’t expected uninterrupted sleep in a middle seat in economy. I would just sit tight until you actually need the loo, then by all means wake him, and take that as your opportunity to have a stretch and see your mate at the same time.

If you take the aisle seat you should expect to have to get up for the person/people inside. If that's a problem, then book a window seat.

Aisle seats are sought-after and even booking early doesn't always guarantee one. It's the height of selfishness to take something that means you will block other people and then complain when they would like to be unblocked. For any reason.

Don't give it too much thought. He might not be used to flying much.

If he wanted to not be disturbed, he could have booked a window seat himself.
It's completely normal to have to get up on flights. He'll get over it.