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 .

Perhaps they tried, but had booked later than her, so that seat was taken?

Oh, ok - I didn't know that. I always just pay. It still wouldn't presumably help people who don't have an officially diagnosed condition, like weak bladder, sore hip, tallness etc. Otherwise everyone would just call with an excuse and get free seat allocation.

I do think children should always be sat with at least one parent free of charge though, that just seems obvious to me. But I would say it's better to be able to specifically choose at least aisle and front row seats as a lot of people want them for health issues, and it would be impossible for airlines to allocate them to the most deserving if everyone who wanted one called up and complained they needed it as they had a sore toe.

Plus as I still remember the days pre-autoimmune which brought on my claustrophobia - when I would pay £17 to fly to the continent and sit happily wherever I was allocated, smirking at people screaming and crying because they'd been separated from their boyfriend for 90 minutes - I don't feel I have any right to bitch about having to pay now. I look fondly (and very jealously) at those people squidged into middle seats, knowing they're saving a fortune - and that they have no idea of the terror of a sudden severe claustrophobic panic attack!

That would be up to the flight staff to assist them with that.

YWNU