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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Plane seat drama

387 replies

itstoohotnow · 02/08/2024 12:29

Just returned from a European break, booked 4 plane tickets for DH and 2 DS (19 &16) and I, eldest DS decided too old to go away with mum and dad so stayed at home. I contacted the airline as cheap non refundable ticket but said I can use it as a spare seat between DH and I so all good.

On return flight, only 2 hours long and we have seats A (me) B (spare) C (DH) and D (DS) then a couple with a baby in E & F

Couple with baby realised we were together and pretty much demanded DS moved to seat B - I politely pointed out it wasn't a random spare seat but a booked and paid for one, now I have 2 kids so appreciate it's hard to travel with a little one and would have offered the seat but they were so bloody rude and entitled. I pointed out we had paid for 4 seats and they had only paid for 2 - so asked for a contribution towards cost £30 (by this point they are just demanding the seat because they have a child)

They got pretty rude and offensive (called me a fat b**ch) so I said no, stewardess said was up to me

Should I have given them the seat?

OP posts:
Grammarnut · 02/08/2024 13:48

No. If they wanted a third seat they ought to have bought one. Many years ago I travelled with ex-H and 2 DCs. On the way back there was a patient with a drip on board. We had centre aisle seats, so had a rest of some sort in between the centre seats. My DD fell asleep over this. Stewardess told me DD should not be using two seats as the plane was full. I had to loudly point out that she was not, but leaning onto the cup rest between 2 seats, both of which we had bought - DS was on the other side. I got the feeling she thought I should have my five year old on my lap so someone else could have her seat. Having booked a seat for DD this really annoyed me. I am with you. Entitled couple, let them get on with it.

PassingStranger · 02/08/2024 13:49

Marchitectmummy · 02/08/2024 12:31

Nope, classic case of where being rude gets people...no where.

Yes, so many people don't know how to handle things.

Original poster
itstoohotnow · 02/08/2024 13:51

Ahh thank you everyone, I feel better now Smile

OP posts:
anon4net · 02/08/2024 13:56

While I wouldn't have asked for money, I don't in the slightest think their attitude warranted your giving it to them at all! Sorry they treated you this way. What a horrible experience as you then had to sit with them/next to them the whole way!

theemmadilemma · 02/08/2024 13:56

Well done OP.

The entitlement of some people is just astounding.

NasiDagang · 02/08/2024 13:59

CalmaLlamaDown · 02/08/2024 13:11

Going against the grain here, but I would have offered the spare seat once I saw they had a baby. It’s only a two hour flight, so personally the extra space wouldn’t have made that much difference to me.

But your seat, your decision.

We are supposed to give up seats to rude people? If someone calls me a fat bitch, I wouldn't budge.

Peony15 · 02/08/2024 14:02

Former airline staff here.
If you book a ticket and no show / don't check
in within the airline's deadline you are not entitled to your " seat " as you are no longer flying.
The seat gets released when the flight closes between 60-40 mins before departure generally.
Every airline also overbooks flights to cover for no shows / people missing flights due to traffic, illness, late connecting flights.
Nor do you get guaranteed a specific seat even if you paid for it in case of equipment change/ defect seats / accomodating people who
by law have to sit together or close by ( kids under 12 have to be within reach of parents in adjacent seats/behind/across aisle ) to put on oxgygen masks in emergency.
When DS no
showed you lost the seat and the airline could have reallocated it after check in deadline. You ticket was non refundable, maybe travel insurance covers it depending on circumstance. You were not entitled to the empty seat, any passenger could have been allocated it but sometimes if flights are empty no show seats stay unfilled.
I can see why you think you " owned "
DS seat but you didn't.
Just info, not commenting on scenario of the other passenger.

JC89 · 02/08/2024 14:02

No, it wouldn't have been unreasonable for them to ask (once, politely) but once you said no that should have been the end of it. I wonder if they assumed you had only paid for 3 seats and chosen to leave a gap in the hope that you would get a free middle seat?

PrincessHoneysuckle · 02/08/2024 14:03

So if I've paid for my family to sit together I might lose that seat for someone who couldn't he arsed to pay?

Polarnight · 02/08/2024 14:04

No. Under any circumstances. You paid for the seat and that's it.

BMW6 · 02/08/2024 14:05

You had paid for the seat, if they want it they should reimburse you for it.

Otherwise No, they can fuck off.

TonTonMacoute · 02/08/2024 14:07

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 02/08/2024 13:39

Well no YANBU at all.

Only problem is that DS ended up stuck beside a rude couple with a baby rather than sat with his Mum and Dad!

IME 16 year old sons would far prefer this option.

AllThePotatoesAreSinging · 02/08/2024 14:12

itstoohotnow · 02/08/2024 12:29

Just returned from a European break, booked 4 plane tickets for DH and 2 DS (19 &16) and I, eldest DS decided too old to go away with mum and dad so stayed at home. I contacted the airline as cheap non refundable ticket but said I can use it as a spare seat between DH and I so all good.

On return flight, only 2 hours long and we have seats A (me) B (spare) C (DH) and D (DS) then a couple with a baby in E & F

Couple with baby realised we were together and pretty much demanded DS moved to seat B - I politely pointed out it wasn't a random spare seat but a booked and paid for one, now I have 2 kids so appreciate it's hard to travel with a little one and would have offered the seat but they were so bloody rude and entitled. I pointed out we had paid for 4 seats and they had only paid for 2 - so asked for a contribution towards cost £30 (by this point they are just demanding the seat because they have a child)

They got pretty rude and offensive (called me a fat b**ch) so I said no, stewardess said was up to me

Should I have given them the seat?

Once they called me a fat bitch I would have wanted 5x what I paid for it

pinacollateral · 02/08/2024 14:13

AnnieMcFanny · 02/08/2024 13:09

I wasn’t aware you could claim the seat if one of the passengers decided not to fly. It would surely be a ‘no show’ and the seat would then go back into the system to be allocated to another passenger.

Edited

They'd bought and paid for the seat though. If the airline won't refund it, they can't take it back.

pinkyredrose · 02/08/2024 14:14

CalmaLlamaDown · 02/08/2024 13:11

Going against the grain here, but I would have offered the spare seat once I saw they had a baby. It’s only a two hour flight, so personally the extra space wouldn’t have made that much difference to me.

But your seat, your decision.

If you want to give away something for free that you paid for that's up to you but most people wouldn't

notimagain · 02/08/2024 14:17

@Peony15

If you book a ticket and no show / don't check
in within the airlines deadline you are not entitled to your " seat " as you are no longer flying.
The seat gets released when the flight closes between 60-40 mins before departure generally.

Interesting but that’s one company’s policy.

Where I worked we used to close flights at most airports at STD -45.

Anybody who had not checked in on-line would have their seat reassigned at that stage but those who had checked in on-line kept their seats, since at most airports you didn’t have a scooby do whether those passengers were in the airport on the way to the gate or not.

As a result their seats did not go back into the pot be reassigned to, for example standby passengers.

We only knew the genuine numbers no-shows/none flyers on a flight at STD -3 minutes, when doors were closed….

LlynTegid · 02/08/2024 14:19

I'm glad you said no and feel better for doing so now.

I would support the airline refusing to carry someone like that again, not that it will happen.

BettyBardMacDonald · 02/08/2024 14:21

JC89 · 02/08/2024 14:02

No, it wouldn't have been unreasonable for them to ask (once, politely) but once you said no that should have been the end of it. I wonder if they assumed you had only paid for 3 seats and chosen to leave a gap in the hope that you would get a free middle seat?

It's totally unreasonable for them to ask. It's always rude to bother strangers to benefit oneself.

Heliotropolis · 02/08/2024 14:24

No, you shouldn’t, and especially after the words “fat b” were uttered.

Debtfreegoals · 02/08/2024 14:24

im probably with a minority but you probably were being petty

thenightsky · 02/08/2024 14:27

their “way”’would have ended with one of your party squished in the middle (presumably your DS) having paid for four seats, whilst they got to spread out. And take the prime aisle seat.

The seat that was empty (middle seat) would be the seat that I'd offer (if they'd been polite). Maybe. Certainly would not squish DS in the middle.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 02/08/2024 14:28

GCAcademic · 02/08/2024 13:36

Fair enough, but I hope you don’t spend the whole flight talking to each other across the poor person in the middle. I’ve seen people do this, and it’s really bloody rude.

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I feel a bit insulted that you even ask.
Dh and I was brung up proper so we do know how to behave.

Hoosemover · 02/08/2024 14:30

No….this is why society is going down the tubes. No-one is taking NO for an answer.

pinkyredrose · 02/08/2024 14:31

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 02/08/2024 14:28

I feel a bit insulted that you even ask.
Dh and I was brung up proper so we do know how to behave.

Show quote history

😂

GCAcademic · 02/08/2024 14:31

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 02/08/2024 14:28

I feel a bit insulted that you even ask.
Dh and I was brung up proper so we do know how to behave.

Show quote history

😂Sorry about that!