Booking seats A and C on a plane

[Rhubarbgarden]

Flying home alone on a long haul flight last night I was allocated a 'B' seat. I sat down and shortly afterwards a couple appeared and sat down in the A and C seats. It was obvious they were together, so I straight away offered to swap seats so they could sit together. They declined, saying "no we always do this'. They then spent the rest of the flight talking across me. I felt most uncomfortable and it was very difficult to relax, sitting in the middle of a conversation. Really unpleasant. I know that some people prefer window seats and some prefer aisle seats, but surely it's unreasonable to force a stranger to be piggy in the middle like that?

That happened to me on a 9 hour international flight, and I had 3 week old dd on my lap. I asked if they wanted to swap (i wanted an aisle seat as I knew i would be getting up constantly). They refused. Luckily dd slept most of the way and dh an dd1 were only about 5 rows back.

Angus they probably wanted a window and an aisle. Although they could have had A and D, we've done that before.

I wonder if this is one of those things that we (I) consider to be rude because I'm Bristish.

Maybe it's just a very British attitude to consider it not the done thing to book two plane seats with one in the middle, but other country's general attitude might just be that it's just booking a seat. You just book the seats you want to sit in because its a service on offer, so you do it, and it's a non issue.

I don't think it's the booking of seats thats the problem, it's the person stuck in the middle whilst the two talk past her.

I am not British born. I find this outrageously rude! I am not sure what I would do. It would drive me nuts.

We're British. So that blows that theory out the water .

We always do this. About 90% of the time, no-one appears to sit in seat B. Bliss.

Yeah, wanting a window and an aisle is the same as wanting the moon on a stick.

Oh no hang on...

I would have opened up widely the in flight magazine and stuck it up in between them, apprently engrossed in expensive.perfume and mini cans of pop. FOor the whole flight.

You need to lean forward and block their eyeline and keep moving to block it. Eventually they will get fed up and ask to switch seats (or at least they did when this happened to me).

DH loves the window, I love the aisle. But I would never talk over another person.

I've said talking over the person in the middle is unreasonable. If you want to chat sit together. I don't find wanting an aisle and a window similar to wanting the moon though. Book A and C or A and D. If you don't want to sit in B, pay to choose your seat. No-one likes sitting in the middle.

what if it is to help with motion sickness? one likes the window and one likes the aisle?

they booked first.

oh well shrug

^what if it is to help with motion sickness? one likes the window and one likes the aisle?

they booked first.

oh well shrug^

That's fine, but don't be so rude as to speak over a person who's unfortunate enough to sit in the middle of you. You've got your comfort, let them have theirs. (sorry you doesn't mean just YOU it means people in general)

Get a ginormous newspaper for next time and block their view of each other.

Having said that, my DH and I intend to book seats A and C on a plane later this month. We're travelling with almost 2 yr old DD and there's often lots of spare seats on the plane in B. We've done the journey a few times and usually ends up with someone in our row and DD going mental because she doesn't have a seat.

We will swap if someone sits in B though, just really hoping they don't!

'yeah, outraged, they probably want the feckin moon on a stick too. You can't have everything and sod the comfort of other passengers.'

I thought that comment was to me because it had my name in it! I didn't think any other comments were to me!

How very rude and annoying......

Chased if your 2 year old goes mental if she doesn't get a seat then maybe you should consider paying for one for her?

Hic, not every airline allows you to do this. I flew with DD 18 months when I was pregnant with DS and tried to book a seat as didn't want her on my lap.
Not possible.
So I ended up seated in an aisle seat but in the middle of a family group who got very drunk and with constant bickering teenagers. Great fun!
OP, they were weird...why would you do that? If you travel together just sit together...odd.

This is so wrong. YANBU.

As a slightly grim by the by, this happened to my parents ages before internet choice of seats and the guy in B refused to move. My bro, sister and me were across the aisle. My dad fell asleep and the guy in b started to masturbate at my mother. My mother, in the window seat had to call cabin crew for assistance, they took him away and is teenage children kept plaguing my mother about what had happened. Poor woman she was so flustered hissing at us between her teeth to shut up. My father was most perturbed. We were totally open-mouthed with shock and horror. Our mother!

The problem is talking across the op the whole flight. Pick whatever seats you want, but have a little consideration!