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Original poster

Seats on planes

59 replies

Kinsters · 21/03/2023 10:52

I always see things about families asking others to move seats and how unreasonable they are for asking but today it happened to me!

I was flying with my parents and two young children and we'd booked separately (ie my parents on one booking and me and the kids on another) but deliberately put our seats next to each other and the airline just changed our seat locations?? It worked out well on one flight as we ended up with a spare seat for the baby but on the second was a bit of a pain. I didn't actually ask anyone to move as the flight was totally full and there was already to-ing and fro-ing in the seat next to me and the children. There's really no point to my post except to say that if someone asks whether you'd mind moving it's not necessarily down to their own poor planning! Has this happened to anyone else? I've no idea why the airline would do it but I'm sure they did as I have the conversations with my mum where she discussed what seats they'd booked and I booked mine next to them!

OP posts:
gogohmm · 21/03/2023 13:13

Did you accidentally book an exit row for you and dc? Airline would have moved you, but not your parents as no contraindications

Original poster
Kinsters · 21/03/2023 13:19

Nope, definitely not an exit row. The first flight I think they could have been trying to be helpful and give me an empty seat for my lap baby, not realising that we'd booked adjoining seats on purpose. The second flight I've no idea. Could have been a change of aircraft or people being bumped from another flight I guess.

My FIL once got told at the gate that he was no longer business class as the plane had been changed. What a disappointment!

OP posts:
smashinggrapes · 21/03/2023 13:26

"The first flight I think they could have been trying to be helpful and give me an empty seat for my lap baby"

Just like the poster who thinks she was moved because someone on another booking had the same surname as her, what makes you think they do this?

They don't move people out of seats they've paid for just because someone has a baby

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Original poster
Kinsters · 21/03/2023 13:36

smashinggrapes · 21/03/2023 13:26

"The first flight I think they could have been trying to be helpful and give me an empty seat for my lap baby"

Just like the poster who thinks she was moved because someone on another booking had the same surname as her, what makes you think they do this?

They don't move people out of seats they've paid for just because someone has a baby

Because I can't see any other reason why they'd have done it. The seat next to me was blocked for the baby per the seat map at the gate (I was checking where we were all sat with the ground staff as I noticed the row numbers weren't the same). They couldn't have blocked the seat without moving us as my mum was supposed to be sat in that seat!

OP posts:
FlounderingFruitcake · 21/03/2023 13:49

Kinsters · 21/03/2023 13:36

Because I can't see any other reason why they'd have done it. The seat next to me was blocked for the baby per the seat map at the gate (I was checking where we were all sat with the ground staff as I noticed the row numbers weren't the same). They couldn't have blocked the seat without moving us as my mum was supposed to be sat in that seat!

Show quote history

Something to do with oxygen masks maybe? There were only 3 in the row maybe so it couldn’t accommodate 4 passengers??

I flew on a regional jet on a domestic US flight recently. 2x2 configuration, me and lap infant DS next to a a random stranger. I noticed there was an open row of 2 seats behind so asked the flight attendant if we could move so DS could have his own seat. And she yes please do because there aren’t extra oxygen masks on this side of the aisle anyway so the seat next to you should have been blocked or you should be on the other side. Slightly scary that it took me to ask but lap infants are a bit different over there- they’re completely free, don’t get their own boarding pass, don’t need ID and don’t get a seatbelt so who knows!

No idea if that could apply to you, did you ask the staff why at the time?

smashinggrapes · 21/03/2023 13:58

Eh? I thought they moved your mum? What does "blocked for the baby" mean? What's a "seat map at the gate"?

I fly a hell of a lot and I've honestly no idea what you're talking about 🤣. The most obvious scenario is that you didn't all actually select the seats you thought you did. You've not checked the original bookings which could clear things up.

Another reason they'd move prebooked seats is a change to the aircraft used. Another reason is some rows only have 3 oxygen masks. Most booking systems now will only allow you to book a row with 4 oxygen masks if you have an infant.

Original poster
Kinsters · 21/03/2023 14:10

smashinggrapes · 21/03/2023 13:58

Eh? I thought they moved your mum? What does "blocked for the baby" mean? What's a "seat map at the gate"?

I fly a hell of a lot and I've honestly no idea what you're talking about 🤣. The most obvious scenario is that you didn't all actually select the seats you thought you did. You've not checked the original bookings which could clear things up.

Another reason they'd move prebooked seats is a change to the aircraft used. Another reason is some rows only have 3 oxygen masks. Most booking systems now will only allow you to book a row with 4 oxygen masks if you have an infant.

The ground staff at the gate are sat behind a computer. On that computer they have access to a seat map for the flight that they are about to board. The seat map shows the ground staff all the seats on the airplane and how they are configured. They can see which seats are occupied, which are empty and which are blocked (blocked seats are not to be allocated to a passenger - sometimes crew rest areas, sometimes for other reasons, in my case a lap baby).

These are the people you want to speak to if you have a problem with the seat allocated on your boarding pass.

OP posts:
smashinggrapes · 21/03/2023 14:13

Ok, I see. Then the reason is a safety one, so that your child has an oxygen mask. Not because they were trying to be helpful and give you a seat for a baby!

Ketchupwee · 21/03/2023 14:13

I think it's because often the swap is overly beneficial to the people asking and detrimental to the people being asked e.g (one I have seen in action but not to me) one parent is in an extra legroom row, and the other parent and child are in a normal row about 6 rows further back in the plane. They want to sit together as a 3.

The extra legroom parent never seems to volunteer to give up their premium seat to be with their family, the expectation is usually that the other two people in the extra legroom row give up their premium seats for worse seats further back and the other two family members take their seats

There is literally nothing in it for the strangers being asked, they have paid for those seats, chosen them because they want extra legroom, they are further up the plane, and frankly don't really give a crap about the family being together.

The people doing the asking should be the ones to lose out if sitting together is so important

Original poster
Kinsters · 21/03/2023 14:18

Ketchupwee · 21/03/2023 14:13

I think it's because often the swap is overly beneficial to the people asking and detrimental to the people being asked e.g (one I have seen in action but not to me) one parent is in an extra legroom row, and the other parent and child are in a normal row about 6 rows further back in the plane. They want to sit together as a 3.

The extra legroom parent never seems to volunteer to give up their premium seat to be with their family, the expectation is usually that the other two people in the extra legroom row give up their premium seats for worse seats further back and the other two family members take their seats

There is literally nothing in it for the strangers being asked, they have paid for those seats, chosen them because they want extra legroom, they are further up the plane, and frankly don't really give a crap about the family being together.

The people doing the asking should be the ones to lose out if sitting together is so important

Yes! That's partly why I didn't ask anyone on the second flight as we ended up with two windows and two middles so we'd have been asking someone to move from an aisle to a window which presumably would have been a downgrade for them (personally I like the window but know not everyone does).

OP posts:
Original poster
Kinsters · 21/03/2023 14:27

smashinggrapes · 21/03/2023 14:13

Ok, I see. Then the reason is a safety one, so that your child has an oxygen mask. Not because they were trying to be helpful and give you a seat for a baby!

Thats just not correct though. A quick Google tells me there is an extra oxygen mask for every block of seats so three seats = 4 masks on every row.

OP posts:
Original poster
Kinsters · 21/03/2023 14:33

Kinsters · 21/03/2023 14:27

Thats just not correct though. A quick Google tells me there is an extra oxygen mask for every block of seats so three seats = 4 masks on every row.

Show quote history

They do this not just for lap babies but also for crew and passengers who may be walking around the cabin.

OP posts:
FlounderingFruitcake · 21/03/2023 14:38

Not sure what you’ve googled but it is aircraft dependent, e.g. the regional jet I flew on that only had the extra mask on one side of the aisle. I have no idea what the UK/EU laws are but the FAA in the US says 1 mask per seat, 2 in each bathroom, plus a minimum of 10% more masks than seats evenly distributed throughout the cabin. Crew also have mobile oxygen. So it’s definitely not a given that every single row has an extra mask.

smashinggrapes · 21/03/2023 14:48

Completely depends on the aircraft. It is true and if you saw that they had "blocked out" the seat specifically for a baby then that is the only possible reason.

Original poster
Kinsters · 21/03/2023 14:50

Yes, it depends on the type of aircraft. I am aware of which aircraft I flew on, you are not.

OP posts:
JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 21/03/2023 14:51

We've had seats changed after booking specific numbered seats.

Each time it has been due to an aircraft change giving a different configuration. Normally on planes that aren't 3+3 configuration.

The worst one was for a long flight from the west coast of the USA where we ended up with the middle two seats in a 3+4+3 configuration. We had booked a window and aisle in a 2+4+2 configuration.

We have booked window and middle on a 3+4+3 and ended up across the aisle from each other too.

smashinggrapes · 21/03/2023 14:56

"Yes, it depends on the type of aircraft. I am aware of which aircraft I flew on, you are not."

Ok soz 🤣 didn't realise it was classified information

Original poster
Kinsters · 21/03/2023 15:00

smashinggrapes · 21/03/2023 14:56

"Yes, it depends on the type of aircraft. I am aware of which aircraft I flew on, you are not."

Ok soz 🤣 didn't realise it was classified information

It's not. I just find it so weird on mumsnet when people come on here and act as if they know all these details and things that they can't possibly know. Like you know that my parents must have booked the wrong seat, you know that there isn't one extra oxygen mask per row, you know that the airline dont reallocate seats to space people out. It's just so, so odd.

OP posts:
FettleOfKish · 21/03/2023 15:06

@smashinggrapes In fairness it's not completely impossible. Part of my job used to be manually allocating seats on charter flights for a tour operator and if my flight wasn't full I would try and allocate people with lap infants next to an empty seat (although I wouldn't 'block' the empty seat). I probably wouldn't have moved someone who had paid for specific seats though.

I don't expect for a second that the big airline players allocate by hand, but we don't know who the OP was flying with.

@Kinsters as you'd booked and paid for your seats I'd say it was more likely a change of aircraft (even the exact same aircraft type can have a different seat number layout), two flights combined together, or an error at the time of booking which we can't rule out if you don't go back and check.

If it were either of the first two I'd expect a 'sorry, there's been a change to your seats' notification either in advance or at the gate. I've had easyJet change an aircraft after I'd checked in and got my boarding pass, and I got an email asking me to download a new one as my seat number had changed.

Sillysausage2 · 21/03/2023 15:09

We had a flight cancelled and had to rebook on a different flight the day before so automatically got allocated what was left. 3 adults, a 2 year old and 4 year old. They’d put my husband and 4 year old together, me in row 2 and my 2 year old in row 27. I had asked and they told us to sort at airport, asked checking In and they said to check at boarding, they said just to keep him on my lap but then the flight crew were panicking looking for the missing person who wasn’t on the flight.
only I was at the top of the plane heard them say seat 27E. Obviously I wasn’t leaving a 2 year old on his own but they asked they guy beside me to move, he was sitting with his friend, he didn’t say a nothing but I felt awful about him being asked to move

AlisonDonut · 21/03/2023 15:10

I once moved after someone asked, on the way back from New York

They took my vegetarian meal. And there were no extras. So I had no food.

Never doing it again.

So if someone refuses, maybe blame the previous selfish people who took their meal?

smashinggrapes · 21/03/2023 15:13

"Like you know that my parents must have booked the wrong seat, you know that there isn't one extra oxygen mask per row, you know that the airline dont reallocate seats to space people out. It's just so, so odd."

I haven't said I know anything. Just pointed out the most obvious reasons. Same as the poster who worked in seat allocations for an airline. She wouldn't have blocked a seat and moved a paying customer and most airlines are using computers these days, not people.

Original poster
Kinsters · 21/03/2023 15:13

AlisonDonut · 21/03/2023 15:10

I once moved after someone asked, on the way back from New York

They took my vegetarian meal. And there were no extras. So I had no food.

Never doing it again.

So if someone refuses, maybe blame the previous selfish people who took their meal?

Oo that's harsh. The crew should have asked to see their boarding pass before giving out the special meal!

OP posts:
Original poster
Kinsters · 21/03/2023 15:14

smashinggrapes · 21/03/2023 15:13

"Like you know that my parents must have booked the wrong seat, you know that there isn't one extra oxygen mask per row, you know that the airline dont reallocate seats to space people out. It's just so, so odd."

I haven't said I know anything. Just pointed out the most obvious reasons. Same as the poster who worked in seat allocations for an airline. She wouldn't have blocked a seat and moved a paying customer and most airlines are using computers these days, not people.

😂

OP posts:
LondonPretty · 21/03/2023 15:50

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