Best CF airplane stories

[BreadInCaptivity]

Inspired by another thread.

About 5 years ago we were flying back from the USA. We'd booked Premium Economy seats on Virgin. Configuration is 2-3-2.

Our two late teens were in front of us and we had the 2 seats directly behind. All settled in when a family of 4 embarked with 2 young children (around 5 and 7 at a guess).

They proceed to the 2 seats behind DH and I and start putting their bags down when the mother asked (politely to be fair) if we would mid swapping seats so they could sit together as a family.

Given our two were older (and once headphones were on were not going to be engaging with us) we decided to be nice and said ok.

Can you guess where this is going?

Asked where the other seats were, looking around the PE cabin a bit baffled as it appeared to be full....

Yep - they'd only booked 2 seats in PE and wanted us to take their 2 seats in economy 😂.

Clearly we said, no (with rather incredulous expressions on our face's) and sat back down. Parent then both start calling us selfish (oh the irony) and demanding we move. DH made the point that if sitting together was so important, then booking in the same cabin might be a good idea for the future, but as stands he was sure if they went down to economy the people in the seats next to those they'd booked would be very happy with a free upgrade 😀.

The response from the Father "I'm not giving up a better seat I've paid for"....to which DH deadpanned "I couldn't agree with you more"...at which point DH and I couldn't stop laughing enough to respond further.

Cabin crew eventually had to get involved as the parents had an argument over who was going to sit where. Mother won and spent the first 20 mins of the flight making loud passive aggressive comments to her child about "mean/selfish" people until crew got involved again and told her to pack it in or they'd be moved to economy if they didn't stop harassing us.

Thankfully the rest of the flight was uneventful but DH and I still chuckle about it now and again 😃.

Anyone got any others?

I think it would be fine to have different prices for better seats like aisle, bulkhead, extra leg room, etc., but have everyone choose their seat when booking. That way you know what you’re getting and can decide if it’s worth it and people aren’t paying a premium to book a middle seat just because they want to sit next to a family member who’s already paying extra for an aisle seat.

Agree the policy of over booking seems outrageous. But at the same time, since some of their major customers need flexibility on the plane they catch I don’t think that’s something they can get around without prices going right back up to the sorts of prices we used to see (which you can still pay now if you want more security against getting bumped). It should be clear when you book if you’ve chosen a ticket at risk of being bumped and what the risk is based on the airlines past performance on that route.

I would have probably looked for another flight. To me it is worth paying for but some people may prefer a cheaper flight.

Because absolutely nobody wants a middle seat.

If not pre booking seats, leave checking in till just before check in closes. Good chance you’ll get the legroom seats that no one has wanted to pay extra for. Work best for very touristy destinations

We were coming home from Tenerife. We had booked an aisle and middle seats.
Got there and a woman was sat in the aisle seat I asked her to move she wasn't even booked in that row. She wanted us to be separated so that her DH and son could sit together. Then loudly complained about us. Her DH and son put their heads down.

I prefer to sit on the aisle, and usually pay for the privilege. DH and I used to sit each side of the aisle.

On one flight I was asked to swap with a mum holding a babe in arms, which I would have done if they had the aisle seat, perhaps even for a window seat, but I am not giving up my paid for aisle seat, for the middle. The mum wanted to sit near her mum holding the second twin (in the row behind me), which I understood, but move the granny from an aisle seat towards her daughter to give a like for like swap.

Another time DH and I (in our paid for aisle seats) were boarded, last seat next to me looked like it was going to remain empty, when a massive body builder got on. He walked up to me, blocking the aisle, indicating for me to move to the middle seat. I stood, facing the aisle and waited for him to move so he could access his middle seat. He gave me the evil eye, but I refused his seat. He proceeded to man spread for the entire flight, or at least, he tried. I resolutely planted my leg and refused to move it. When the seatbelt sign when off, I reclined my seat, he copied, I jumped mine back up preventing him from encroaching on my shoulder space.

He was rude, intimidating and aggressive the entire flight. He kept thumping the seat in front when she tried to recline, despite reclining his own seat. When he thumped the seat she looked back at me and I quickly told her he wasn’t with me.

On the way back from Rhodes earlier this year, a the couple in the row in front of us had booked the window seat and the aisle seat leaving the middle seat free - clearly hoping no one would sit there and they’d have the row to themselves.

Flight was full so they were out of luck and when the person with the middle seat arrived, they kicked up a right stink, the man in the aisle seat refused to let middle seat person pass, abusive to him and cabin crew. They were told to sit down, shut up and let the middle row person into his seat or they’d be removed from the flight. Did eventually let the poor bloke into his middle seat but continued to grump and moan the whole flight.

@RawBloomers

Agree the policy of over booking seems outrageous. But at the same time, since some of their major customers need flexibility on the plane they catch I don’t think that’s something they can get around without prices going right back up to the sorts of prices we used to see (which you can still pay now if you want more security against getting bumped). It should be clear when you book if you’ve chosen a ticket at risk of being bumped and what the risk is based on the airlines past performance on that route.

There’s a lot of anecdata flying around about that subject and some times airlines get caught with unavoidable equipment changes but it would interesting to see how much deliberate overbooking really still goes on…

One of the main aims of EU261 was to seriously dissuade airlines from gross overbooking and certainly where I was they got very good at estimating how many on flexible tickets would turn up.

Certainly on the basis of my very own anecdata (legacy Longhaul) it was very very rare to leave commercial passengers behind - I can’t recall ever doing it….staff passengers OTOH..😱

What are the LoCos like?

Yep. We have just flown to USA and back on last minute flights - our child is 7 so was automatically placed next to one of us each way - but there was not the option to book (even if I paid for it) for all three of us to sit together. Not entirely sure what we'd have done if they didn't automatically assign the child seat next to one adult - we had no real choice in flight times or dates!

Sadly I was cheeky fuckered and didn’t have the guts to sort it out.

flying alone, my partner was in first (ha, no longer my partner!! As he was on company dollar) he’d specifically booked me a nice economy seat- upstairs and in a pair. I was the isle, B seat. Lady whose husband was in A asked if I’d swap, she was downstairs, but still a B seat (don’t worry!!). Her seat was miles away but when I got there I realised I’d been had. Her B seat was a middle seat, in between 2 huge men(I was flying to South Africa..)

I was sheepish, but I still look back and wish I’d gone back and explained that she’d made a mistake, it wasn’t a fair swap! I’d never accept that these days.

Flying from the US, exonemy extra leg room seats which the people in front thought was for them too.

The mum stood in front of DH (in his leg space) to feed the baby dad was holding. Encouraged their older child to walk through our seats to get to grandma instead of in front of them. Got to the point we had to have the staff speak to them, after grandma called my then 11 year old rude foe objecting to having her leg kicked after grandma decided to stand in her space to stretch. They were awful, completely entitled and so rude.

DH always pays for extra leg room seats as he is tall. DD has always sat with us in them, from the age of 5 and other children are also sat in them.

I have one mild one from a few years ago. I was flying to west Africa on a night flight and had booked an exit seat. Paid extra for it etc. sat down and settled in when a large guy loomed me and asked would I swap with him because he was so tall. I’m 5’5 so not v tall. I stood up to look at where he was pointing to (his seat offering) and saw it was in the middle of the middle four next to his wife and two infant children. Errr no thanks. So not only did he want to ditch his wife with two little ones he wanted my seat! I said no I had paid for it and he shuffled off.

A child is allowed in the extra legroom seats at the front but not the ones over the exit row. This is for safety reasons. You may have to
help with lifting the door. I think the age is over 12.

Why do you need to be so rude about it?

not so much seat moving CFery but we fly long haul overnight to Cape Town regularly. It's a long flight and I'm deeply sympathetic to people travelling with children as I am often one of them. Crying baby - no problem. Shouty toddler - irritating but it is what it is. Random 5 year old wandering the aisles - fine, they're bored.

But the ones that get me are where the parents are the pains. Flights are usually configured 3-4-3. As a family of four, we had the four seats in the middle. In front of us, family of five with 2 seats in front of me and DD and then 3 seats across the aisle from them. Parents decided to leave the 3 children in the 3 seat and sit together in the 2 (part of the 4). But she was up CONStANtly to check on them. Lots of climbing over her DH (on the Aisle) so leaning over my space. Then climbing ove the children. Lots of shouting. constantly opening and closing the overhead. For hours no one could walk down the aisle. it was RELENTLESS and she kept waking me up with all the performative climbing/shouting the whole flight.

Eventually one of the kids came to sit next to her DH and she moved to sit with the other two and things calmed down... until we were getting ready to land at which point it all started up again.

I also find it extremely annoying when children are allowed to kick the seats. I always let it go for the first few times/minutes but if the parent doesn't intervene, I turn around and ask them politely but firmly to stop. Mine have done it too so I am not judging them for having a child who does it, but I do judge them for not making more effort to stop them.

Unless it was a family or someone with a disability I would automatically say no.
And I'd only swap for the former two reasons if it was a fair swap.
I'd never give up an aisle seat.

Actually, that reminds me - DH and I were once offered an upgrade to Premium Economy. But we had two seats in regular economy on a flight where it was just the two of us sitting in a 2 seat configuration and the premium economy seats where in the middle of a 4 seat configuration. We declined and stuck with our economy seats - PE is nice, but not nice enough we wanted to be hemmed in by other people on both sides.

The woman that had booked Business class started to complain because we had been given the middle seats and we were messing up their family. They had 4 seats from the 6 and expected the middle seats to be free. She went on and on for the whole flight, I booked business class the middle seat should be free.

Tbf, I see her point. She's paid for the middle seat to be free and thus have more space. The airline should have reimbursed her the difference between business and economy, because that's now what's she's sitting in

@2024christmas

I don’t think I was rude. She wanted my seat, I said politely sorry but no.

We then had a normal flight. We both slept a bit, as did most of the plane. I got up a few times, perhaps 3, to use the bathroom, nothing excessive. It’s a 13hr flight so a few trips seems reasonable. She got up perhaps twice, but not as often as me. I moved once to let her out.

She was able to book an aisle seat if she wanted one. It wasn’t a cheap flight and was already a premium economy seat, a few extra £ for seat booking wouldn’t have made much difference in the price.

I mean you could have moved from your seat every 30 mins if you’d wanted to, but that’s 26 loo trips and it might have annoyed you as much as me and others 😄

Would you really have given your aisle seat that you had paid for, swapping to a middle of 4, to a total stranger who rudely demanded it for no real reason? You’re a more generous person than I am for sure.

I have experience of this. Virgin to Florida many many years ago. A group of children stood in this space to exchange their pogs (do you remember them!!). There was one boy who had his back to me and kept taking a step backwards on to my feet. I was wearing sandals. After he took no notice of my complaints, I took the tray table out of arm rest and raised it to about calf height. Because at this height it had not fully turned round the next time he stepped back he caught his leg on the metal. I suppose this is mean but I had ver bruised feet. The kids left.

"I wonder if these stories are planted by the airlines..."

No, they really aren't. My DH used to fly a lot and he used to be on a forum called Flyertalk (think Mumsnet but for frequent flyers).

There were regular stories of this happening and there was even one thread of stories that has now been going for about eleven years, "Seat Swap Request Horror Stories":

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travelbuzz/1464730-seat-swap-request-horror-stories.html

Incidentally, there's also another long running thread (14 years now) entitled "“Do You Know Who I Am?”: The Definitive Thread of DYKWIA Stories" that's an eye opening read at times:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta-air-lines-skymiles/1318124-ido-you-know-who-i-am-n-definitive-thread-dykwia-stories.html

No two it isn't. Most airlines offer reasonable adjustments if your travelling with a disabled guest. (Reasonable adjustments are the law!) I always contact them to ask and so far all have come back with adjusted boarding and seats booked together.
I don't make their rules for them and it doesn't look good if they don't help a wheelchair user board effectively!

A man boarded the plane late and all the overhead lockers were full so there was nowhere for him to put his hand luggage. The crew politely told him that his suitcase would have to be put in the hold. As this point he started throwing other people’s luggage out of the overhead locker and down the aisle so he could put his suitcase in there. I don’t know what he thought this was going to achieve but… he was removed from the flight!