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 ?

Well that's your assumption, not fact. But let's say it's true. They didn't get that third seat; they accepted it without issue.

Rude woman also hoped for good fortune; she could have guaranteed it for around £20. She didn't think it was worth that much so she took a chance instead. Whose fault is that?

If you do book the aisle & window seats & end up with someone between you though, the least you can do is to not spend the flight chatting or passing things to each other.

You're complaining that it's selfish and inconsiderate to pay for the seats you want. It's far more selfish and inconsiderate not to pay and then expect people who have to move for you!

They shouldn't have talked over and reached over you, but they didn't pay to do that. That's a completely separate issue.

If I paid and selected my seat, then I am sitting in that seat. I would not give it up - and I’ll have the email confirmation at hand for any flight attendant trying to move me. She can speak to her family when they come off the plane or they should plan better next time and ensure that they are together.

When I travel with family and we are split up, we just sit in our separate seats - we spend most of travel time napping or reading or headphones in anyway - there is plenty of time to chat when we get off the plane/train.

YANBU

This annoys me just as much as people whining when they are forced to check a bag. Just fucking pay for a checked bag and a seat.

flights should NOT be cheap.

But that’s different if it’s just you and means a couple can sit together in the other 2 seats. I usually book a window seat as that’s what I like, but my worst flight (thankfully short, was where a couple had booked the 2 aisle seats and the one on my side used the middle seat to unpack their extremely smelly packed lunch which they proceeded to share across the aisle. And to think I’d initially been pleased that nobody was sitting next to me!

Flight a few weeks ago where four extremely loud and drunken women sat across two rows spent the entire flight on their knees hanging over the seats loudly talking to each other. The poor folks sat around them looked like they wanted to throw themselves out the doors.

You paid extra to book a seat, I know but you still would have had the advantage of being seated together rather than in the middle of a couple of strangers.

But @msbevvy I fly a bit for work, almost always on my own, and always sit alone “in the middle/next to/surrounded by strangers”

even when my boss is on the plane, I leave him to it, I just want to watch stuff and chill.

I don’t like the window or the middle, only ever aisle. Only if I’m travelling with my OH will I sit in middle. Then he won’t bother me on his frequent wee trips, and I won’t feel weird stepping over him

if you are seated in middle and ask if ok to swap and get told no, that’s it. You asked, they declined. That’s absolutely fine. Guilt tripping is stupid and far more likely to be counter productive than anything else.

No one is 'stuck' between them, that middle seat passenger chose not to pre book seats and took a chance of as to where they would be seated. The other passengers chose their seating to suit them ahead of the flight.

The price of the flight also reflects that, they paid less, so did not have a choice of as to where they sat. You pays your money and takes your choice

So what would of to have done as per my question above?

if youre worrie about your bladder pay for a seat cant stand entitled people

"social norm"

I was on a flight from Melbourne to Heathrow via Singapore……no amount of the cabin staff (and other passengers) pointing out that there no such thing as 5 seats together because that did not actually exist made any difference.

It does exist in economy class on an A380 Super Jumbo jet which does regularly fly the Heathrow to Singapore to Melbourne route - ie on Singapore Air.

Economy class is 11 abreast 3-5-3.

The A380 is largest passenger plane flying today, it is a double decker. I have flown that myself. So it isn’t unlikely they were promised that.

did nobody ask the flight staff to do anything?

I'd have insisted her husband move to the middle as part of the swap or refuse to swap.

But since you'd swapped, I'd then insisted she swap back to her own seat since they were being rude and inconsiderate.

Disagree - even if they offered the amount of money OP paid - I would not move unless it was substantially more and even then I'd take their attidue into consideration before trying

Rather than people bleat about not wanting a middle seat, wither pay extra, or go with airlines that inc free booked seats or do as we do, arrive early, simples

I haven't flown for a while so can anybody answer this question:-
Can you book & pay seat allocation for 3 seats together if only 2 people are travelling?
And will the cabin crew then honour that allocation?
Reason being being medical condition/disability and needing extra room.

No my point was that it did not exist on that plane. The plane they were actually on. Which they certainly could see for themselves.

Its simple. travellers are offered an opportunity to choose their seats and pay extra. in the nature of our universe, those opportunities will be limited by the conformation of the plane. Book late or decline to pay and you will get what you are given.

Although- it may well be they had been promised an A380. Which might make their reaction slightly more comprehensible.

There are 2 things I don't understand about this seat booking malarkey.

1. Why people make such a fuss about sitting near their friends and families. One thing if you have a young child and then it's your responsibility to book and pay for appropriate seating, but if all older children or adults, how people cannot cope without sitting next to friends and family members and that being 10metres away will create lifelong trauma. It's v silly. Reminds me of when you have to walk in the road to get past people who can't bear to let go of partner's hands for a whole two seconds to let other pedestrians get past.

1. Why people object to paying. In the olden days you'd pay £100 and could choose your seat. Now you pay £50 and have the option to pay another £50 if picking a seat is important to you. Total cost works out the same so why so much fuss.

If a flight is full, logically someone is going to be sat in that seat, and not everyone will have the option of paying to avoid it..

even then you would have been well within your rights to refuse

How are you disagreeing? I literally said she shouldn't move.

You would have paid extra to choose your seat then just given up the seat you'd paid extra for because someone demanded it?

Ok, I got that but the family were obviously upset the airline had booked them on the wrong plane. They were assured they would be booked into a flight that has the 5 seat row, and that didn’t happen. So saying it isn’t a thing that exists is an exaggeration.

Disabled people don’t normally pay for allocated seating. It’s one of the few perks we get.