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AIBU?

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Original poster

So, who's seat is it ?

123 replies

Trifle · 02/11/2013 01:41

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 ?

OP posts:
Heartbrokenmum73 · 02/11/2013 11:24

Trifle - first you said this The people who tried to take it were a family with an infant, now it's a mother and child (approx 10) Confused

bridgetsmum · 02/11/2013 11:26

You were completely in the wrong.
The seat next to you was not yours to decide who sat in it or not.
Your DH was a no show, you should have informed the staff at the boarding gate that he was not travelling

Heartbrokenmum73 · 02/11/2013 11:26

Great first troll/goady post OP.

Reported.

SarahBumBarer · 02/11/2013 11:30

Did you prevent a mother and 10 year old from being able to sit together then OP Shock or did they just like the look of the two seats next to you better than the two seats (together) that they already had.

And yes Confused where does the infant come in?

SarahBumBarer · 02/11/2013 11:32

But boarding passes would have been scanned as people embarked, went through security etc so Easyjet would have known exactly how many people they had on board surely - so no confusion on the headcount. I mean they would not surely have scanned a boarding pass that was missing a person Confused

bridgetsmum · 02/11/2013 11:35

When you board a flight you must tally up the number of people checked in to the number that have boarded.
In this situation that would have been 1 out.
The system would show Mr OP as checked in online but not on board. However with the rest of his party boarded this would be the first place the staff would look.
When it came to light that Mr OP was not travelling, he would have been "offloaded" and his seat would then be spare for anyone to use

Greythorne · 02/11/2013 11:35

If you DH. did not check in, it is no longer his (or your) seat.

Jolleigh · 02/11/2013 11:37

So, you separated a mother and her ten year old because you felt you'd be too cramped without the extra seat?

Don't you sound lovely.

Airlines overbook to account for no-shows. Your husband wasn't there. There was no backside on the seat, so it was spare, regardless of your resentment about having paid for it.

YAB horrendously U

DowntonTrout · 02/11/2013 11:38

Well whatever the story is OP the fact is you did not have ownership of the seat. Whilst it is always nice to have a spare seat next to you, and you may feel even more able to justify that it was yours as you had paid for it, you were wrong and had no claim to it at all.

So the answer to your question- So, whose seat is it? Is that it wasn't yours.

canyou · 02/11/2013 12:20

you may have paid for the seat but it only becomes yours at check in, your DP could not check in. as he was not there his seat became available and the airline could have sat anyone there.

canyou · 02/11/2013 12:28

and a word of warning even if you book an extra seat for an instrument, a dress, a dog etc if the flight is overbooked the Airline can and most do insist that the extra set goes to. person and the instrument etc go in the hold as a DAA so think carefully when booking seats for inanimate objects.
The airline I worked for HD the reasoning that the seat was cheaper than excess or oversized baggage charges so people bought a seat instead, and would not mind their stuff being put in the hold t he aircraft door to allow someone flyHmm

RhondaJean · 02/11/2013 12:29

Here's a question.

Do you pay for a seat or do you pay for a person to travel and the person is then allocated a seat?

Because if the second, if the person doesn't travel, by my way if thinking the seat isn't yours any more than anyone else's.

Beccagain · 02/11/2013 12:29

We had hand luggage only

For a whole week away??? You must give me packing lessons!

There also seems to be some discrepancy between the 'several people' in the OP and the various descriptions of the family who dared to want to put a bum, rather than a bag, on an empty seat.

Not 100% sure I haven't been had, here

frogspoon · 02/11/2013 12:32

The people who tried to take it were a family with an infant who had 2 seats between the 3 of them.

It was a mother and child (approx 10) who wanted the two seats next to me.

I'm confused.

Who wanted the seat?

diddl · 02/11/2013 12:35

"For a whole week away??? You must give me packing lessons!"

Jeez, it's not that hard!

I just flew Ryanair & only took on one bag-with their measly allowance!

canyou · 02/11/2013 12:36

Rhonda You pay for travelled the set is extra but don't remind Michael O Leary of that Wink

Beccagain · 02/11/2013 12:39

Well I take my hat off to you Diddl.

A week's luggage for me would pretty much account for the hand luggage allowance in knickers alone --but then I am a lardarse!

SarahBumBarer · 02/11/2013 12:39

Ryanair allow you to buy a spare seat so that you can have an extra (although it does not come with any luggage allowance). Presume it depends on the airline.

To be fair to OP, I can pack for a week away within most company's hand luggage allowance. Not hard especially if it is mainly a chill out beach holiday.

FWIW I don't think this is necessarily trolling (may be an idiot) just that OP has not been very clear. OP mentioned family and infant so it may have been Mother, 10 yr old and infant.

Beccagain · 02/11/2013 12:42

FWIW I don't think this is necessarily trolling (may be an idiot) just that OP has not been very clear. OP mentioned family and infant so it may have been Mother, 10 yr old and infant

Well analysed Sarah but I am still Shock that anyone can get a week's clothes/underwear/reading matter into Sleazyjet's on board allowance. But I stand corrected if that's the case (Must try harder!)

SarahBumBarer · 02/11/2013 12:45

by the way it is me that me be an idiot.

Floggingmolly · 02/11/2013 12:46

You were a perfect example of a dog in the manger, op. Well done for hanging onto your empty seat.

Beccagain · 02/11/2013 12:47

by the way it is me that me be an idiot

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But it's as well that you clarified...I honestly thought you were talking about Trifle Blush

LauraTrashley · 02/11/2013 12:49

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Beccagain · 02/11/2013 12:49

Actually going off at a bit of a tangent, this OP is not the first in recent threads who has claimed to have spoken 'politely' to people who are clearly pissing them off, rightly or wrongly.

I think I would have more sympathy if they said 'So I told them to fuck off to the far side of fuck and when they got there to fuck off some more'

but then I love a good fuck ruck!

edam · 02/11/2013 12:51

Am very impressed with the hand luggage only for a week.

OP, you were selfish.