So, who's seat is it ?

[Trifle]

We booked a package holiday for a week but dp's work wanted him to return a day early to attend a conference so his work paid for him to fly back on his own.

As we had paid for 4 allocated seats (2 seats in one row and two in the row behind), was I within my rights to insist on using dp's allocated seat so that I got more room to spread out?

The aisle seat also happened to be free so it appeared that there were 2 seats free in the row. Several people seemed to think his 'spare' seat was theirs for the taking until I politely informed them that only the aisle seat was available.

Am I right or wrong ?

[Quoteunquote]

Here is the missing part of your education

[bridgetsmum]

Octopus that is not how it works.
I worked at Heathrow for years.
If a passenger is a no show the airline can use the seat. This is how overbooking works. On every flight there are no shows, not always enough so sometimes the airline offers denied boarding compensation.
But if you don't turn up for a flight, your seat isn't left empty if the airline or other passengers need it

[DowntonTrout]

No. You do not have to have a refund for it to become the airlines seat.

A no show is a no show. Booking an extra seat, for comfort reasons, a wedding dress, or for an under two is different.

I think you would find, if the flight was very busy, the seat would have been allocated to someone else. There could be no argument then. As it was, the seat was "spare" and by not flying the OPs DH had no claim on it.

[lottiegarbanzo]

His allocated seat would have been reclassified after he didn't check in I think, so not yours anymore. If not, then yes, it was yours.

Your description of the situation of the family with infant doesn't makes sense. They had two seats, could have taken a third but wanted a fourth? For whom? Why didn't you give them your row of three, so they could sit with the infant between them, while you took their two seats (presumably next to each other?). Winners all round.

How this actually works and how bothered you might have been about it depends on the length of the flight and type of airline.

If it was transatlantic then seats are strictly allocated and controlled by the airline and people would generally check with cabin staff about empty seats, or staff would intervene if confusion arose.

If it was Easyjet etc then people are all trying to pile into the best seats, many are not pre-allocated and of course you'd have to explain how you were able to control an empty seat.

If only a two or three hour flight, the desire to spread out can't really have been so strong or overriding as it would have been for a 6-10 hour flight.

[manicinsomniac]

At the start of the thread I thought that the seat was yours but the nice thing to do would have been to give it up.

From reading other posts I've now learned that the seat was nobody's and you should certainly have given it up.

[Stravy]

We don't know if the couple with the toddler chose to not buy a 3rd seat or if the airline didn't let them. It seems a bit harsh to say that people with children under 2 should never fly with airlines who don't allow babies to buy seats. Sometimes you need to go where that airline flies to. I don't especially mind having a child on my knee but it's galling that you can't use an empty seat because an adult wants to spread out more.

[octopusinastringbag]

bridgetsmum then the seat should have been given up.

[bridgetsmum]

Exactly octopus,
The seat wasn't OP's to decide who sat there.

[SoupDragon]

The people who tried to take it were a family with an infant who had 2 seats between the 3 of them. Taking my 'paid for but unused seat' plus the spare aisle seat would give them all a seat each.

How does this add up? They are 3 people with two seats. They take the free aisle seat which gives them a seat each. If they took your DHs unused seat too that gives them 4.

[DamnBamboo]

If the person for whom the seat was booked, was not on the flight, then clearly there ceases to be 'ownership' of that seat!

YABU

[PrincessFlirtyPants]

Surely reverse AIBU?

[SidandAndyssextoy]

In the past, I've not paid for an under-2 seat on the basis that I'd cope with them on my lap but an empty seat would be a happy bonus. If there was an empty seat and someone was insisting it 'belonged' to them, and I therefore had my toddler on my lap, I would think they were very silly and selfish, although obviously would have no right to that seat. Given that airlines do tend to charge something for an under-2, you could argue that the parents had more right to what was actually just an unallocated seat than an imaginary person who had flown the day before.

[SarahBumBarer]

Not every airline overbooks - Ryanair for example do not. You can buy an extra seat too and had I bought an extra seat I would be a bit cross at being expected to give it up to anyone.

However in this case your DH's seat was not an extra seat in your name - it was the seat of a no-show (unless you had in fact transferred it), and if the airline wanted to use it they were at liberty to do so and you had no greater right to use it than anyone else.

[Rufus44]

bridgetsmum I understand that but it wasn't the toddlers seat either, if the OP was there first then she took possession (wrongly but it happens)

I think that the OP should have offered it to the toddler family, that would have been the nicest thing to do..

.I would have offered it, I don't think it's distressing having a toddler on your lap but it is a pain in the butt!

[bridgetsmum]

Rufus

You can't "bagsy" empty seats on an aircraft.
The only way to take possession of a seat is to sit in it.

[janey68]

I'm finding it difficult to add this up... It still seems as though the family with the toddler would have already had enough seats without claiming the extra one? I think the OP needs to come back and explain!

I think technically the seat belongs to the airline for a no show (it sounds as though the OP didn't transfer the seat to her own name, which presumably there would have been a charge for, as airlines stick a charge on anything they can) However, as others have pointed out, that doesn't give the other family any more rights to the seat either...

All a bit odd really as I don't see why the other party of 3 couldn't use the spare aisle seat without expecting the extra seat too. I have to say, I also can't imagine how I'd explain that I wanted to keep an empty seat for someone who was a no show! OP- please come back and clarify!

[Rufus44]

bridgetsmum I completely agree with you, but I have seen it happen all the time, on planes and trains

Most people take the empty seat next to them if someone asks them for it they give it up, as the mother of a toddler I wouldn't have the brass balls to ask for a seat that wasn't mine in the same way that I wouldn't have the brass balls to refuse to give that spare seat

I don't think I said it was the right thing to do, just that it happens

We had a spare seat once, no one wanted it so once we were in the air we used it to lie one of the children down for a nap

[YesterdayI]

Is this a real IABU or a theoretical one ?

BridgetsMum is correct. It was not your seat. You didn't have a bording card for it did you.
I would have let the other family use it (althougth, I admit, that I would have much rather of not)

[bridgetsmum]

Lol Rufus we me and my DH do this all the time. Same point of view, different explanations!!

Yes, exactly.
The seat in the middle was a spare seat. It didn't belong to the OP or the toddler's parent. It was empty.

It wasn't up to the OP to offer the seat because it want hers to begin with.

The way I see it. If I was travelling with an under 2 who was on my lap for take off and landing and there was an empty seat next to me, I would use that seat once the seatbelt sign was switched off.

[Rufus44]

bridgetsmum I would just chuck the toddler in the spare seat and make a break for it!!

[bridgetsmum]

Sounds like a good plan Rucus

[bridgetsmum]

Rufus

[Trifle]

It was an Easyjet flight and the boarding passes had been printed in the UK prior to travel. We had hand luggage only so bypassed the check in and went straight to passport control. It was only when on board that the stewards queried a the head count and I informed them that dp had returned home the day before.

It was a mother and child (approx 10) who wanted the two seats next to me. I advised that only the aisle seat was free. There's not much space on Easyjet flights and on a 4 hour journey at 11pm I didnt particularly feel like squashing up to allow other members of their party to spread out.

[Rufus44]

Although I am very passive aggressive

I would spend the whole flight going to my 2 year old

I know you are tired darling but we don't have any room for you to lie down

I know you want to draw but there is no room on mummy's lap

I know you want to get down, please don't cry

I would do it loudly, with lots of over dramatics and drive everybody round the twist!!!! I would have a very bewildered toddler

[lottiegarbanzo]

What? That makes no sense! You can't not book a seat for a ten year old!

You said a couple with an infant had only two seats. Ten is not an infant and you can only take under-twos on your lap. What are you talking about?!!