In this situation would you offer to switch seats on a flight?

[Flightquandry]

Me and my husband took a flight today that was 10 hours long.

The cabin formation was
2 seats together / aisle / 3 seats together / aisle / 2 seats together.

Unfortunately, by the time we booked we couldn’t sit together. My DH was in a set of 2 seats with another woman and I was on the end of a row of three.

As soon as we took our seats the woman next to my DH went into full on chatty mode. When they were talking he mentioned he was travelling with his wife and she questioned why we weren’t seated together. He explained that we’d only been able to book what was available. She shrugged this off and then chatted to him incessantly for about 2 hours. I was seated across and behind so could see this and it stung (my problem entirely!)

I fully appreciate that she was in the seat that she booked! But in all honesty in her shoes I would have offered to swap seats with me. All seats were of the same value monetary wise. She even waved at me and then poured herself more drinks and chatted to my husband.

what would you do in her shoes? I would have offered to swap? Weirdly as well as we left the plane she followed by husband off and didn’t let me get in behind him to exit.

It sounds like she was in a window seat and you were in an aisle seat, so I wouldn’t have offered to swap in that situation. If it was an aisle for an aisle, or a window for a window then yes.

I would have probably let you get in behind your husband on exit, but perhaps she thought it would mean everyone else in your row also “pushing in”.

You exit by rows, totally normal for her to follow behind him.

Also, sounds like she was never asked to switch seats? Nor did you ask the person beside you to switch with your husband (though, they might have been sitting beside
a friend/partner, so might not have wanted to move.

She also may have wanted/needed the window seat.

You are being unreasonable...it sounds like she had a window seat, and also there is an order to how people file off an airplane.

She had a window. You didn’t have a window seat to offer in exchange.

Yeah I agree but I can’t imagine being happy chatting to another woman’s husband for 10 hours when his wife was just behind. I know it’s her seat tho

Get over it OP. Next time secure seats together.

You are being weird about this.

Unless it was a like for like exchange, why should she offer her seat?

And of course she should follow your husband off the plane - you leave on a row by row basis. You’re complaining about not walking behind him for just a few seconds, a minute at most?

People are allowed to talk to someone of the opposite sex without it meaning they are trying it on…

Why didn’t your husband swap with you so you sit next to her?

Yeah hard to explain. We were all ready to leave. She knew we were a couple but made sure not to let me in behind him

Your problem is that she was talking to your husband, rather than you not sitting together. Don’t you trust him?

Could your husband not have stepped back slightly to let the woman go ahead of him if it was such an issue not to walk together until you were off the plane?

If people waited for couples to walk off a plane together, it would take ages for everyone to get off.

You’re only walking off a plane - she was in front of you so she goes first.

She did the totally normal thing of exiting by row. Even if you’re all “ready”. What’s weird is your idea that being a couple means that everyone else has to change normal (and most effective) processes.

'Another woman's husband' also commonly known as the man sitting next to me on the plane. He's a person in his own right, not your belonging.

you sound jealous he was chatting to her 🙄 Dud he ask the person sitting next to you if they'd mind swapping seats? No?? Sounds like he was happy to have someone new to chat to.

People need to book the seats, no i would not swap and no I would not exoect anyone else to swap for us

they have booking for a reason

Unless she is desperate for a shag I would presume she has her reason not to swap

Basically, your DH was talking to a woman for 10 hours and you don’t like it.

No, I wouldn’t. If you were that desperate for another woman not talk to your husband, or even walk behind him for a few seconds, then you should have paid for a seat to sit next to him.

She obviously was happy to though, otherwise she would have done what most of us do and put headphones on, or read a book or something. I do that even when I am sitting with my own husband on a flight!

I would have swapped with you in those circumstances but I don’t tend to get overly attached to “my” seat.

Your husband should have let you off in front of him, or stopped to ensure you made it out behind him.

I’ve already explained that we paid for our seats!!

YABU. Unless they both disappeared to the loo at the same time, came back looking a bit crumpled, and muttering something about the mile high club, in which case you may have a point.

I don't like window seats so I probably would have swapped with you, but presumably this woman didn't fancy sitting on the end of the middle row and she wasn't obligated to move for you, so hard cheese in afraid.

Unless you think she's his mistress who he has brought along on your holiday to pop off and see, I don't really see the problem.

Perhaps now isn't the time to mention that I know a woman who is a longterm mistress who secretly goes on every "family" holiday to meet up with her affair partner. Vile.

I wouldn't have given up a window seat. Why didn't you ask her to swap if you were that desperate to sit next to him?

He didn't have to talk back though, did he???

He could put his ear phones in, ignore her??