A flight conundrum re aisle seat .

[hattie43]

I came back from holiday recently on a direct 14hr flight . I knew this was long so paid extra for an aisle seat both ways to give me more legroom .
When I boarded and got to my seat a man asked me if I’d swap seats with a lady who’d hurt her knee . Her seat was in the middle of a row and I didn’t want to be squished up for 14 hrs so said no . She had no obvious injury eg no bandage / plaster / crutch but was I unreasonable in not giving up my seat .

For the cheeky aisle seat swap request, the best strategy is to make sympathetic noises but then go into hideous detail about your terrible UTI and the fact you have to get up to use the loo every 45 minutes.

Is what you're calling a bassinet seat the bulkhead i.e. front row? I have to book them as I have pretty severe claustrophobia which means I can't cope with people reclining into my face. There's certainly no chance of my swapping so they'd just have to cope, or leave the flight and book another with the correct seats. Why didn't they book the bassinet seat in the first place though? Feel bad for the poor woman who felt bullied into moving, I hope the 'gripped' cabin gave her sympathetic looks, and glared at the dim people who couldn't even manage to book seats properly. It's hardly rocket science.

No! I always book an aisle seat, especially on longer flights. I’ll always need the loo at some point - maybe more than once - and it’s a PITA to have to ask people to move. Plus it feels less cramped.

When I was younger and more agile I’d climb over anyone sleeping in the aisle seat - stepping on the armrests - but sod that now.
Dh always wants the window, so very often the person booked in the middle thinks I must surely want to swop - I’m sure people think we’re a bit weird for not being desperate to sit together.

I am going on a 9hr flight soon, that I have booked a window seat at the bulkhead as it’s daytime. And the 7hr return flight is overnight so I have booked the aisle seat at the bulkhead. I have paid personally for those seats even though it’s a work trip. And I will not be giving them up. (Unless it’s for an upgrade the business - but the plane is fully booked and I suspect that won’t be an option…and it may well be overbooked but I am going on an important work trip so either on that plane or the airline rebooks me on another route that gets me there the same day, in premium economy or higher).

@OtherS You cannot book a seat that’s not available. You had one of the seats parents with babies should have. Maybe pay to go PE to get more space?

On a recent flight we boarded to find a chap seated in one of our pre-booked seats, funnily enough the window seat. After a few hard stares and making it clear we were not going to cave in, he grudgingly moved.

Odd how CFs never mistakenly sit in the middle seat.

Well done for doing this. And agree, he was chancing it - terrible when people play out toddler activity as adults. It’s not on.

DS who is 6’2” recently flew transatlantic and being a student and understandably too tight to pay for a seat, he waited for allocation. Got the middle seat both ways…. Was thrilled on way out to find no one sitting next to him but he was wedged on way back. He sucked it up and survived.

YANBU

The seat "parents with babies should have"?! I have the seat I should have - the one I paid for. If parents with babies - or anyone else - want it, they need to be a bit more organised and book sooner. Or they need to pay to upgrade. I book early and choose seats that work for me, precisely because I need certain seats. Why on earth would it be up to me to pay more to accommodate their needs because they haven't organised themselves properly?! What an absurd argument 🤣🤣

I usually accept bassinet seats are for parents with babies and avoid them. It’s being kind to parents really over yourself. You can get seats elsewhere but choose not to. Not very kind really.

As stated in my original post, I have a diagnosable health condition that means I cannot sit anywhere. Unlike a parent who can keep their child on their lap if they don't want to buy a seat for them. I even have an access card I can flash to declare I must not be crowded - surely that trumps a parent who just wants to put down their child? You are most certainly not at all kind if you demand I either fork out vastly more money, or don't fly at all, just in case some random unorganised parent wants my seat! What an horrible attitude. Do you regularly attack disabled people? Oh dear indeed.

(Not that it matters at all of course - I could be entirely healthy and choose to sit right at the front with my short little legs tucked right under me, not benefitting at all from the extra legroom. That is absolutely my right and I wouldn't not choose an aeroplane seat on the off-chance someone more needy requires it, anymore than I wouldn't forgo a good table in a café on the off-chance someone came in after who was celebrating their mum's birthday, or drive at the far end of the carpark on the off-chance someone with a sore ankle turns up who would benefit from a closer space, etc etc. I take it you do these things? Or is your only 'kindness' sitting in a seat that costs less and doesn't inconvenience you at all? So actually not very kind, really.)

Depends whether you think you are more important I guess. These days everyone has a reason why they want something more than someone else. You could probably sit one row behind but you prefer not to. Anyway, I’m sort of past caring as it doesn’t affect me.

Surely you didn't say this ?? Just say no !!!

This happened to me once. I was in probably the best seat on the plane (fantastic window view) and had been working hard for many years to be able to make that trip. This woman came up to me and saying “Can we swap seats? I really need that seat for the view so I don’t get travel sick.”

I said No as it was my seat but she wouldn’t take no for answer.

Eventually, I lost my rag and said “Madam, it’s time to take off. If you don’t leave my cockpit now and go to your own seat I am going to have you removed from the plane.”

I really don't mind middle seats. I'm just back from a 15hr 20 flight out and a 16hr40 return both times in the middle and that's with a chronic back injury that makes moving, sitting etc difficult.

I think not liking them is more psychological or a point of principle than anything else. Once you're sitting, you're sitting, it makes no real difference.

Bulkhead seats are not “meant for parents”. They are popular with parents who don’t want to pay for a separate seat for their baby, because some airlines do have bassinets for those seats upon request. But anyone can book them if they are available and the person can afford it as it’s normally one of the premium prices seats.

On the contrary, here in Canada the only seats that are often kept for families with small children are the last two rows of the plane. It’s to allow families to sit together.

Edit: I just Googled out of curiosity and it seems like British Airways does block these seats for people with infants. On this side if the pond, that’s not the norm. Technically they could ask someone to move, but the person would have already paid for a premium seat so would either need to be given another premium seat or be upgraded. And they only have the bassinet if it’s been requested in advance. I think I’ve only seen it once on a flight.

I wish airlines never started this nonsense of paying extra to choose a specific seat. Go back to the old ways...can ask for a specific type of seat (window/aisle/extra leg room) but ultimately first come, first serve.

Because they make more money that way. It might be different in the UK, but if I’m flying Air Canada and don’t pay to select a seat before check in, on some flights you are considered standby. So the first to get bumped. Once you’ve booked a specific seat, you’re higher in the pecking order, so to speak.

And not sure if this is the case with other airlines, there are different ranking of seats. For example, the seats that you can book without paying a premium are (surprise) the middle seats. Aisle or window seats are categorized as something like “Economy comfort” and they could be an extra 20 or 30 bucks. And the emergency exit rows and the bulkheads “Premium Economy” and are even more. I think around $70 extra (each way of course).

As I’m typing this it’s hit me how utterly bonkers it is and that maybe not all airlines do this.

Yeah, that'd be great - then disabled people could never fly at all. Or indeed anyone who has certain requirements in order to fly in moderate comfort, like someone 6ft4, or someone with a dodgy hip, or a weak bladder etc. Why is everyone so weird about this? If you have requirements, you pay. Which is actually very annoying if you have a genuine need, like a disability, or a baby. But probably less annoying than turning up at the airport, realising your seat isn't suitable, having a screaming row at check-in, and then having to go home as you're unable to fly.

If you're not fussed, just don't pay and feel happy about it. Once upon a time I didn't need to and was very smugly flying for next to nothing. Most people that pay do it for a reason - and the reason, believe it or not, isn't usually to annoy random strangers.

All you need to say is, "Sorry, I need an aisle seat so can't swap."

No. I was asked if I would swap seats but that would have meant the lady sitting next to my 8 and 9 year old. Secondly I book an aisle seat for a reason, my legs get stiff and swell on the plane. Its easier for me to be able to stretch out and walk if I'm not clambering over people.

I had someone sat in my middle seat (dh had the window seat allocated with me next to him) we hadn’t paid for the seats I admit but it’s what our boarding passes said (we checked in the minute free check in opened) turns out the person with the aisle seat was trying it on - I simply said oops looks like you are in the wrong row, she looked embarrassed, apologised and began moving, he offered me her seat 3 rows behind on the aisle not realising dh was behind me a little way because he had paused to stare at the wing or something equally boring. I politely said we had both seats and she moved no fuss but I had grumpy guy on the aisle who whinged the two times on a 10 hour flight we asked him to move(we both went at once to be fair, always do)

Actually, if you have a genuine need you don't pay. If I'm travelling with disabled DD, both DD and I get free seat allocation (her as accomodation for her disability, me as her carer). Usually have to phone to sort though. Weirdly Ryan Air are the only airline that you can do it easily online for free.

I couldn't give a toss where I sit. But I do want to sit together. Long haul, you can be asked to pay £30+ per seat. Return flight for a family of 5 can cost £300+ just on seat allocations. And that was the cheapest economy. That's bloody rediculous!

Shudder to all the above palava and cheeky fuckery!
Business Class or at least PE all the way for us !

Not unreasonable for them to politely ask, but you were not unreasonable to say no. We haven't done flights longer than a few hours. I always end up with the middle seat, because DC has the window and DH has the aisle. Not so bad when it is family either side.
Being in the middle for a long flight, after paying extra for an aisle seat is totally different, and I wouldn't be in a rush to swap