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.

Why did you pay for seats that weren't together?

But he’s just a helpless, innocent man.

They were the only ones left that were close ish together. Plane was very full.

It’s always, always the woman’s fault.

I would have done EXACTLY what this woman did. I would have sat in my window seat (that I have probably bought at an extra cost, not preferring a centre aisle of three), I would have been polite to your husband, I maybe might not have chatted, but I might have equally chatted to pass the time of day. Then, when it came to the time when we all get off, I would have expected to file off in order of seating, so him first, then me next, then the people in the next rows behind me. That's it really.

You’re being absolutely ridiculous. And I’m sorry to say, you sound incredibly insecure.

Is there a backstory to your relationship? Have things ever been rocky?

I wouldn’t have swapped. I book a window seat as I hate flying and I hate having to move for people to get out so no chance I’d have risked an aisle seat in a 3.

What's wrong with talking to another woman's husband?

I wouldn't have moved and sounds like he didn't even ask her to.

I wouldn't have offered to move. I would assume most healthy relationships csn survive 10 hours apart. Plus, if I paid for a window seat, it's because I want one.

Never read anything so ridiculous. Not true actually, as Mumsnet is such a treasure trove 🤣.

You can’t go without talking to your DH for 10 hours? I can’t think of the last time I sat with either DH or (adult) children on a plane. My prerequisite is an aisle seat as far toward the front as possible. I have 2 kids who have the same preference, whereas DH and other kids like windows. I refuse to book anyone into the same row as myself unless it’s a 2 configuration (hardly ever, 3 is the most common 3-4-3), as I don’t trust them not to ask me something banal during the journey and if I wax the person in the middle seat I’d be murderous. The other aisle preferences get booked further back behind me if no corresponding aisles on same row.

Last thing I want to do on a flight (and all if our are basically long haul) is talk to anyone, even if it is DH/kids. I sit down, earphones go on and don’t come off except for when food/drinks trolley passes so I can hear/acknowledge flight crew.

No way I’d swap with anyone no matter what sob story they give about being separated from whoever. In fact, with headphones on, they’d not even get me to hear the sob story. I always pick my seat carefully, and pay, I’m not moving.

As for exiting, you sound like a pain. You exit row by row. You were clearly at least one row behind. So, you don’t get to exit with DH who is a tow in front. The woman obviously was savvy to how a plane exits, you not so much. You just get off and meet up with the rest of your party in arrival lounge where it meets the sky bridge. The people who clog up the sky bridge stopping to wait for others in seperate rows/areas of plane should be shot, just move out and meet up in arrivals. Surely being separated for a matter of minutes is not going to kill anyone.

So she talked at him for two solid hours without him making any contribution to the conversation? Even though he had insisted very firmly “ Don’t talk to me ,I have nothing to say to you, I doubt you have anything interesting to talk to me about and anyway I want to watch a film/ read my book/ turn round and wave to my wife.”

What a bitch.

So you booked and paid for your seats but did not get to sit in the seats you booked and paid for?

You don't like people taking to your DH?
Does he have work colleagues? Neighbours, friends?

Is there more to this op?

Did your DH get up and come talk in the ten hour flight?
If not, I would be more annoyed at my DH for not coming and meeting me or taking a walk round the plane in all that time rather than a woman who happened to be sat next to your DH.

I probably wouldn't have wanted to swap if I had booked a window seat. I dislike moving after I'm seated and just want to be left alone by anyone I don't know—which is why I wouldn't have had hours of conversation with some random stranger, either.

It's over now, in any case, and you should never have to see her again, so time to let this one go.

I wouldn’t have swapped either and you are coming across as very insecure and a bit mad .

At my dc school they line up outside the classroom in the morning, once my dc didn't get to stand next to her school friend in the class line and she was annoyed. I reminded her the whole line thing only takes one minute anyway. This thread reminds me of that, except the difference is they are six years old.

I can't imagine noticing this, let alone being annoyed by it.

Did he chat back? Why's it her problem not his?

It’s the first rule of misogyny ‘Women are responsible for what men do’

You haven’t answered the key question of whether she had a window or an aisle.
if she had a window she should not have felt any need to swap.
if she also had an aisle then maybe. But she might have all sorts of reasons for wanting to stick her seat (lucky number, not liking the look of the person you were sat next to).
And hell no, she didn’t have to wait to let you off first. Are you some sort of princess that you think she should defer to you?

I like an aisle seat on a plane and would only swap like for like. I was once asked to swap for a middle seat and refused. I hate being close to randoms.

Entitled...

If I’d booked a specific seat I wouldn’t swap. I’d swap like for like but I always pay for an aisle seat and wouldn’t swap to a middle or window seat.
I’ve been in between couples before but wouldn’t swap because I need an aisle seat.

The getting off the plane is a non event - you exit row by row.

Honestly, it just sounds like you’re jealous.