Not to have given up my seat on plane

[Rainbowgoldover]

Just wondering ....

I flew home last night from holiday with a friend.

BA flights , flight out was dreadful, cramped seats , allocated at check in so we had last row next to the toilets ...

On the way back we learnt our lesson so paid to book seats, I booked an aisle seat, friend booked a window seat, flight about 70 per cent full.

The person in the middle seat , asked me if I would move so she could have the aisle seat.

I refused and said no I booked aisle and don't want to sit in middle seat. She said but I want to be near my family in the row opposite. I still politely refued to move.

Cue lots of aggro, she finally got the flight attendants to move her accusing me and my friend of talking over her , we absolutely were not, both had headphones on watching netflix.

If you really want to sit somewhere why can't you pay 23.99 and pre reserve a seat, don't make others feel bad for not giving up theirs ?

In the event of a disaster I very much doubt everyone would still be sat in their identified seat in one piece even if they hadn’t moved

Thanks!

A polite request is fine , it was the aggro when I refused to move

Calling over to her friends I've asked and she has refused, cue them saying but what about your bladder!?

Then causing a fuss with the flight crew!

Read about this mind of thing but never had it happen to me before

Same here. How did she even know you were together unless you were talking?
also a dick move to book aisle and window in same row -presumably expecting to get the benefit of an empty middle seat -ie the whole row.
YABU to book those seats. If you aren’t talking it wouldn’t matter about being on the same row.

I've got a temperamental bladder so I always book an aisle seat. Cheeky cow.

BA do now!

A bog standard seat was 23.99 to reserve , and exit seats were 43.99 from memory

One way

Well it may depend on the disaster, given the state of terrorism in the world. It wouldn't necessarily have to be a Lost style scenario.

You and your friend deliberately booked aisle and window seats on the same row, which was a bit of a weird thing to do. Did you do it in the hope you’d have the whole row of three seats to yourselves?

I wouldn’t move from a seat I’d paid for, but I wouldn’t book seats the way you and your friend did either.

Her family and her friends were on the flight?

I think she's fine to tell her travelling party that she's asked as it stops them pestering her about asking. It's not her fault they piped up with some nonsense about her bladder.

This. It was an inconsiderate booking.

YANBU not to move but booking an aisle and window seat when you're together is just odd.

I would. In a heart beat. I’d want the best seat if I was paying, and to be close to travel companion. I’m afraid I’m not paying to take the shite seat. Fuck that.

Happy to. You pay £ x what I paid for sitting here and 100% on top to me for changing my seat to one I didn't want..

No? Fine.
Works everytime.

Why would you want to be that close to them though. You can't talk across the person in the middle that would be so rude

Your seat booking was manipulative, hoping for the middle seat to remain free, but I wouldn’t swap a seat I’d paid extra to book unless it was for a better seat so you both were and were not unreasonable.

HTH 😂

@Bushwhacked20 I’ve found BA significantly cheaper than EasyJet depending on the route. Unless travelling in business BA charge for seat allocation and luggage allowance.

I agree with this. It forces someone to be gooseberry and creates social discomfort.

I also assume it was an attempt to keep the middle seat empty, which indicates to anyone sitting there they are not welcome.

Last flight I was on- me in the window seat with 15 month old in lap, partner next to me. A woman on the end in the aisle seat and her husband in the aisle seat opposite, but two empty seats next to him as the flight wasn't full. Of course we wished the woman would move over to sit with her husband and leave us an empty seat for our family of 3. But was clear she wasn't going to and it was completely her right. Personally I really like having a window seat and will book one when there is the option.Some people like having aisle seats, they they can book whatever seats they like and so can you and your friend. It's fine to ask someone if the would mind swapping, totally unreasonable to act so entitled when they want to keep the seat they paid for.

I was flying to Italy and I had booked the window seat . An elderly couple sat next me and the lady asked if we could swap as she had a bad shoulder. I obliged and sat in the middle. I spent the next 2 hours with them bickering across me and even dropping food all over me, it was a nightmare. No good deed goes unpunished.

Totally not your fault!!! I would consider swapping if it was like for like (aisle seat to aisle seat) but not the middle seat - their fault for not paying and sorting themselves out. Even if you know each other doesn’t mean you have to swap

My friend has this situation except it was worse as her company had paid exit row for her and someone wanted her seat cos they wanted to sit with family. She refused (and quite rightly so) as the family member only had a normal
seat with no extra leg room but she was made to feel like the villain for the whole 14 hour flight as the family members kept on giving her death stares when they could have bought the seats also but didn’t want to pay!! Some people are so entitled seriously these days.

If you’re travelling in a pair and don’t want the middle then I would book aisle seats opposite each other. It’s really weird, and super awkward to book the aisle and window and expect some poor stranger to sit between you.

The person driving the unhelpful interaction is the person who won’t pay twenty quid to book their preferred seat but is quite happy to dictate where other people sit. The level of entitlement is excruciating.

Yes...
The last time I flew back from the US, I was between a couple who'd done this - but it was them who asked me if I'd like to swap and whether I'd prefer aisle or window. So that was fine!

In the OPs case, if she really preferred aisle, which many do, then she was under no obligation to swap. She and her friend might have asked the CF if she'd like the window so she wasn't between them, though obviously that's not what the woman wanted. If we'd booked including an aisle, no way would we relinquish it, makes a huge difference to DH.

@Rainbowgoldover and what about your bladder? I have a very fit and health relative with a stoma, she’s very discreet and very private but she would have felt guilty in that situation despite needing to empty it frequently. I’m petty enough to have said “yes I empathise, I have severe incontinence which is why I booked the seat” (I do actually have incontinence). The question is: did your neighbour get up during the flight?

I never swap airplane seats.
I always sit in the aisle.

They were quietly watching Netflix.
Poor stranger needs to pay £23.99!