An airplane seat one- not had one of these for a while

[Cheeseandlobster]

Was flying back from holiday yesterday in an aisle seat. There was a mother and daughter on the plane, the daughter being about 14. They had originally been sat in someone else's extra legroom seats at the front and had to then move to the row behind me where there was an empty aisle seat. The daughter was very vocal about being unhappy with how little room she was going to have then insisted she had to have her suitcase at her feet which the cabin crew did not police.

Shortly after take off the woman in the seat next to me started vomiting. I am emetaphobic so as soon as I could I moved to the aisle seat behind.

Well you would think I was devil incarnate
The daughter and the mum made passive aggressive comments for a lot of the flight to each other. They wanted to stretch out and sleep and now they couldn't. The daughter said she couldn't handle this. They both had their suitcases at their feet so the mum's shoes were in my leg space, but no effort was made to move them. Lots of pointed elbowing when I was trying to sleep and just general whinging. I was damned if I was going to react and just ignored them. It was clear this entitled mum was raising an equally as entitled daughter. They must have known there was a strong chance there would be someone else in their space but they were just so annoyed by it.

When they got off the mum pulled a woman's hair quite hard by mistake but I heard her laughing about it with her daughter in baggage reclaim as the woman had pulled her up on pushing in shortly after so this apparently was funny.

I am sure I wasn't unreasonable but it would be great to hear about other entitled passengers. I I have always loved hearing these stories

This is a train one.
London to Edinburgh I had booked 6 seats for me, DD and 4 Dgc (3x2) gets to our seats and they are occupied by one male in each row.
I asked them all to move and was told to f* we are all staying here. Gets the conducter who tried to get them to move, lots of shouting.
In the end he told us that he was upgrading us to first class. The 3 men said that it's ok they will give us our seats and they will go to first class.
The only time I've sworn in front of the DGC and told them to do one. We had a lovely journey.

The 3 men said that it's ok they will give us our seats and they will go to first class.

The entitlement there is insane! It’s hard to believe these people actually exist.

He also refused to get up to allow me to use the loo halfway during the flight

I would have just climbed over his lap, in that case!

Years ago we were on a train from Swansea to London with our DSs aged 4 and 7. Older DS has autism and various other SEN. They completely buggered up our pre-arranged seat bookings so we ended up in the quiet coach - not at all appropriate but it was the only coach in the entire train with 4 unbooked seats together. We couldn’t split up into two 2s because DS1 used to get extremely distressed in public places if he couldn’t see us all. Plus the train was so full that two 2s would have been tricky anyway. So we sat in the quiet carriage. The boys were so, so well behaved and hardly made a noise, but someone complained about us anyway, so we were turfed out of the quiet carriage (rather humiliated by being thrown out by the conductor in front of all the other passengers) and ended up being split up, DS1 with me and DS2 on DH’s lap somewhere else. Cue DS1 to have an almighty meltdown.

We complained to the train company because it was their cock-up with the pre-booked tickets. They sent us an apology and four free tickets to anywhere. We went to Cornwall because it was the longest and therefore most expensive trip available.

@CatkinToadflax I hope the kind lady got an upgrade on her re-booked flight.

sueelleker it was one of those crap Tui flights where they stuff as many seats into the plane as they physically can, so I’m not sure if an upgrade would have been possible. I think she was offered some sort of incentive though - I certainly hope she was!

Love this thread. Though as a few posters have shown...why don’t ppl complain about things right away or get staff to help them sort it out? Why do they just sit and seethe?

Posted to soon! Was going to say @ripples101 - I would have been er, very vocal with the staff if they had served me someone’s leftovers

(the rule is if you are in the middle seat you get both arm rests)

News to me. On some planes there is no arm rest on the window side so the only arm rest they have is the one adjacent to the middle seat. Cabin crew told me that you get the one to your right.

When I had baby 1, I flew longhaul to visit family.
I was in business class as it seemed easier with a 3 month old.

I got on the plane and found a well known (but young) footballer in the seat next to me. He took one look at baby sleeping peacefully in the sling and declared loudly "I am not sitting next to THAT'.
I sat down and cried.
The stewardess said 'come with me sir'.
He handed her his shoes (guess because he was a youngster, he had not twigged she was not his servant), she was nothing bar polite even though she looked somewhat taken aback.

She came back 5 mins later and said 'he is seated in 56b (the very last row of economy)and you now have 2 seats to yourself'.
My post natal tears dried and I had a great flight where baby slept the whole way!
(Hope he played awfully- he was a pig.)

@workhomesleeprepeat

Love this thread. Though as a few posters have shown...why don’t ppl complain about things right away or get staff to help them sort it out? Why do they just sit and seethe?

I have been on a flight when a fight broke out after someone complained. That’s why I didn’t say anything. Some people are bullies and will throw their weight around to frighten everyone else.

It’s terrifying being in a small space with a huge man punching and kicking when you have no means of escape.

why don’t ppl complain about things right away or get staff to help them sort it out?

In fairness it can depend on which airline you're using - especially if it's one of the US majors

I don't quite know what happens to the rightly famous American service standards once aircraft are involved, and no doubt some are willing to help, but IME you're just as likely to be asked "what do you want me to do about it?"

@Aroundtheworldin80moves love that username. :)

@Twofurrycatsagain where was that flight going, from where to where? That’s nuts!

My father became very ill on holiday and had to use a wheelchair - therefore when we flew back the people in the extra legroom seats were asked to move for him, my god you would think they had been asked to give up their first born child!

assuming that they had paid I'm assuming your dad wasn't being grabby and refunded them?

Grabby! 😱😂 Jaaaaysus

Omg @ Maerchentante that could well have been me! I have to sit by the window to reassure myself we are not crashing and remember explaining this to some folk on monstrous flight to jersey 5+ years ago

I do however always book in advance/ pay more for my chosen seat.

@Ellamiss Yes am with you with the scary types. Used to do a lot of Asian travel and there were always horrible sex tourist type men getting drunk and being lairy. but what if it’s a simple thing like being served the wrong food? Why do people just not say anything to staff?

@Puzzledandpissedoff I get that some airline staff can be unhelpful (very rare in my experience but maybe others have experienced this more) - but you wouldn’t say anything on the basis that they might just not be helpful?

Lol I must seem very rude and obtuse in public just wanting the bare minimum things I’ve paid for

My fault for not being clear, workhomesleeprepeat. I'd still speak up, yes ... it's just that on past experience I wouldn't necessarily expect a positive response

I think a lot of people are a bit scared these days that a complaint on a plane will result in them being met by police on arrival at their destination. Most cabin crew are fantastic but it's not unheard of for crew to exaggerate a complaint to get the customer in trouble.

@PotatoBasher

When I had baby 1, I flew longhaul to visit family. I was in business class as it seemed easier with a 3 month old.

I got on the plane and found a well known (but young) footballer in the seat next to me. He took one look at baby sleeping peacefully in the sling and declared loudly "I am not sitting next to THAT'.
I sat down and cried.
The stewardess said 'come with me sir'.
He handed her his shoes (guess because he was a youngster, he had not twigged she was not his servant), she was nothing bar polite even though she looked somewhat taken aback.

She came back 5 mins later and said 'he is seated in 56b (the very last row of economy)and you now have 2 seats to yourself'.
My post natal tears dried and I had a great flight where baby slept the whole way!
(Hope he played awfully- he was a pig.)

Bullshit.

Either you, or the stewardess.

I was on a long-haul flight and a man joined about an hour into the journey. He sat down on the seat on my left and spread his right arm and right leg several inches into my space. When I asked him not to he told me I'd have to get used to it. In the end I stuffed something down the side of the seat to stop him encroaching.

@UnaCorda

I was on a long-haul flight and a man joined about an hour into the journey. He sat down on the seat on my left and spread his right arm and right leg several inches into my space. When I asked him not to he told me I'd have to get used to it. In the end I stuffed something down the side of the seat to stop him encroaching.

Where had he been in the interim?!

Bullshit. Either you, or the stewardess.

Yes, does sound a bit fictional...

@AntFarm

I think a lot of people are a bit scared these days that a complaint on a plane will result in them being met by police on arrival at their destination. Most cabin crew are fantastic but it's not unheard of for crew to exaggerate a complaint to get the customer in trouble.

Um, I don’t know what airlines you fly, but this is just not true. I have never, ever complained and had anything other than politeness. And pre-covid, I travelled a lot, for work, to see family, multiple long haul trips every year.

Most cabin crew are fantastic but it's not unheard of for crew to exaggerate a complaint to get the customer in trouble.

But in my experience the downside of that is if the situation gets escalated to the point that police/law enforcement agencies get involved the crew can get bogged down post flight, prior to going home or getting rest on a night stop with giving witness statements or similar....getting the feds in isn't a decision made lightly (and it's not a decision made by the cabin crew alone).