FYI the old boyfriend was so embarrassed by her he stayed in his seat and looked sheepish the whole tripHold your ground! Some people realize the seat isnt for them after booking in advance and mostly walk to someone in the aisle seat requesting an exchange. My husband and I sit aisles with me in front of him as I dont recline my seat but one notch. With a packed flight you get what you get. Yes, its a tough situation with all the traveling Dynamics but I think youre within your rights to want to keep the seat that you have unless theres not an upgrade or a reasonable alternative or similar seat available. However if their request is reasonable (i.e. I would say "Sorry, but I specifically booked this seat because { characteristics which made you pick that seat}". This is rude, one said. To be fair, sometimes when you book with points for example, you cannot book the entire family together at the same time, one explained. Because I am handicapped, I paid the difference and chose the Main Cabin rate to be a little more comfortable. 80,000 points bonus, 5x points on select travel. The pilot and flight crew needed to know where I was in the event of an emergency. they have reason to believe that a swap would be more beneficial to them than inconvenient to you), then I would take a more polite, understanding approach. Man Refuses To Switch Plane Seats With Newlyweds But Feels Like A 'Villain' After Passengers & Crew Turn On Him By Megan Quinn Written on Mar 01, 2023 Photo: DavideAngelini / Shutterstock She threw a fit when I refused to give up the window seat next to my husband so she could lean against the wall and sleep. How about arriving at your seat and finding someone already sitting there, all settled in, who then asks if I mind him taking my seat so he could sit next to his wife? The worst part was that her boyfriend, who could have doubled for The Rock, was waiting for her at the gate when we arrived. Precisely! To his dismay, he was the womans husband, and he never bothered to give up his seat either. Friedman later said another reason she did not want to move seats was that she had a disability, which led more commenters to take her side in the debate on flight etiquette that her video created. An influencer has been applauded for refusing to swap seats on a flight so a family could sit together.. So it is an aisle seat or business class or better. I said no and told him my switching would not solve the elderly ladys request to sit next to her husband. Another revealed: My parents purposely booked my whole family apart so we couldnt fight., One suggested: As a mum, I fully agree. My buddy Robert Rose, who hosts the popular travel show Raw Travel, which airs nationwide on a variety of networks including CBS, NBC and Fox, posted a message on Facebook, By now, Im sure youve seen all of the terrible images and graphics of states and hospitals being overwhelmed by COVID-19. Yes, they want your seat. Im happy to be cordial when I see her, but she isnt taking the hint when I respond to her invitations by saying Im busy. They keep coming. One other thought on switching. If they do, book early and pick your seats like I do. We booked aisle 6 as my husband is handicap and I was having knee problems, we checked in had our boarding passes for row 6 then while waiting they called my husband up and moved u to the very last row where we were crammed w a baby and mom on the outside The people who sat in our seats were friendly w gate attendant it was a dissgrace, I cannot believe they did this and after hours on the phone Jet Blue was terrible to deal with I am still looking as the flight was expensive for us to be treated like that and to be crammed while my family was in row 7 we were split up my family was there to help me w my husband. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. She got in my face and continued her tirade at lower volume but I took then took the opportunity to say loud enough everyone could her me included 3 stewards standing frozen waiting to jumpdont threaten me again or I will scream and you wont be sitting anywhere other than the police room at the airportI got almost a 100% standing ovation from all within earshot. The other time, a woman in her twenties, some 30 years younger than I, travelling alone, asked me to change my aisle seat for her center seat "because it will be easier for me to work on my computer." You are allowed to be as old-fashioned as you and your fianc agree to be. Unless they make a convincing appeal for why they really need my seat, I say something like "sorry, but I specifically reserved {an aisle seat, a window seat, a seat in the front of the plane, etc}". Plus, 3x points on gas and $100 annual hotel savings. Needless to say, she walked away defeated and I kept my seat. If the request does not come from a flight attendant, just say. The next time she tries to pressure you, assert yourself: Ive already said I dont want to go. You could also change the way you respond to her invitations, from Im busy which suggests you would go if you werent busy to No, thanks. That way, your message will be clear. I had to lean into the aisle the entire flight. An influencer has been applauded for refusing to swap seats on a flight so a family could sit together.. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They asked. Be straight with your fianc and talk this through. I would also get on the plane early and ask the passenger before they got settled in. On planes, the best seat is in the eye of the beholder. Across TikTok, the audio in the video has been used by many to discuss the experience of being asked to look after or pander to the needs of another person's kids. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. Sure, others can ask why. Her video has been viewed more than 840,000 times - with a majority of people applauding her for refusing to switch seats. When I watched. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 60,000 points bonus, 3x points on dining, $50 annual hotel credit. When Ive seen elderly couples board late and be likely to be separated, Ive offered without being asked. Attempting to interfere with the duties of a flight crew member. Its safe to say that most people wont be, Photo credit: via @ohhappydani on Instagram This has been a challenging year, month and week for the United States of America. Her video has been viewed more than 840,000 times - with a majority of people applauding her for refusing to switch seats. We will not stop that. On "Are You Obligated to Switch Seats on a Plane? At the last second, two young women came on board and were frustrated that they had middle seats and not together, so the one next to me said Why dont you go back there and take her seat so she and I can sit together? as if it was expected that I would just jump up and do that. Think you might be having a bad day with a delayed flight or uncomfortable seat? If I was asked to switch, I would do it if it was an equal seat, ie, aisle, not right by the bathroom. The passenger said the woman continued to "make a scene" and call him out in front of other passengers. Nap. If they wanted that seat, they could have done the same thing. People blurt especially about weather in the middle of winter. The caption when a family asks me to switch seats on the plane so they can sit together, followed by a raised If you want to avoid having to cave to peer pressure or looking like the bad guy by not switching seats to accommodate families, then book a seat in the exit row since kids under 15 cant sit there. Its hard for most passengers to say no to someone who wants to sit beside their loved one. One guy downright refused to swap his seat with a mother who didnt stop condemning him. Re: Seat Switch Refusal-Part 2 (or 3) u got to hold your ground, rise above the nastiness and get into your zen zone. Some readers will correctly object that flight attendants are too harried on today's crowded flights to do much seat-rearranging. Redoing the align environment with a specific formatting, Calculating probabilities from d6 dice pool (Degenesis rules for botches and triggers). My total ticket, including seats, fees, and taxes, was $972.85. Sorry. A stewardess with an elderly lady came to us and asked to check our boarding passes. NOW, if the airlines want to offer an upgrade OR an incentive to accommodate someone who is whining to the flight attendants, I MAY consider such an offer, but more than likely not. On other occasions when flying alone, I found myself in the middle seat between a married couple who hoped the seat would remain vacant. My moving would allow them to sit together. Thats a hard no. The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. This is a powerful position to take. Certainly not!" Like S. Kincaid, I am an older woman as well. How to react to a students panic attack in an oral exam? When it comes to small children, the rules do get thrown out because you cant expect little kids to sit alone. Its not your job to placate anyone though I recognize that women often feel pressured to. In a TikTok post which has now garnered more than 900,000 views, Audrey Peters toasts the camera with a glass of fizz.. Little did the guy know the womans husband was watching from a corner. As a non family-attached member of society, who travels a lot and was faced with this more than once, it really bugs me when families put single travelers in this situation. But does the person who first requested a seat swap approve? Then came the looks. I just avoid the bulkhead. Is it possible to create a concave light? Several passengers made nasty comments. But I digress. Paying extra didnt count for Jack!!! I live on the Big Island of Hawaii and when I travel on inter-island hopper flights, I purposely book a window seat on the pertinent side both directions of the plane to view the islands and the coastline. Be better., One suggested: To be honest - this mindset p***es me off., While another added: God forbid we be expected to make anyones life easier!. Her husband was seated some rows behind. I travel alone quite frequently, plan ahead and select my seat for a reason and hold my ground. But you may be able to short-circuit these annoying conversations. So I never offer a reason. Sign up for notifications from Insider! She told me I HAD to move to a middle seat near the back of the plane. Typically, people are even willing to pressurize co-passengers for swapping out their aisle seat for a window or vice versa. I trust that most fellow-flyers will then be sympathetic enough to withdraw from the confrontation. Respond appropriately depending on their situation. The same happened to the lady beside me. In this case, my response to "why?" However, not everyone was on Audreys side with her seat refusal. 2. The traveler stated that they despise aisle seats due to always being bumped by trolleys and other people. I always feel that prefacing a statement with 'sorry' might give the other person a feeling that they have a slight upper hand. How can I refuse tactfully, without causing this bitterness? I fly often and I usually choose the aisle because it's the only seat where my legs have a chance to fit, because I'm going to put them in the aisle. I really enjoy the views. I definitely wouldnt do it to sit in seat I dont want window or middle. But I didnt want to move! Generally, you are entitled to sit in the seat that you paid for the one that is printed on your boarding pass. However, you dont have to swap seats if you dont want to. If you are someone trying to get a fellow passenger to switch seats, then make sure you have something to bargain with and if you dont, cash helps. Just before takeoff the flight attendant told me I had to switch seats. Works for us. But when this passenger refused to move, the family was not pleased: "The woman said that I was being an a**hole and should just give up my seat so she could sit with her husband and kids. Anyone can read what you share. Well, it sounds nice. This is your wedding. Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people looking to improve their interpersonal communication skills. No Im not switching for a middle seat. ", Another wrote: "A mom asked me to give her two ish year old daughter my water bottle that I had ALREADY opened.". I think it's safer to phrase this as "Have you tried asking a flight attendant whether they can accommodate your needs?" I love it here, and Im delighted I moved! Ill bet that changes these chats. Audrey Peters has ignited a furious airline etiquette debate after she refused to swap seats for a family to sit together. Justin Kase zsixz / Alamy Stock Photo. Book your flights earlier babes.. A few years ago the passenger next to me was overweight and had booked two seats so Im happy with the extra elbow room. What seemed like a peaceful flight turned into a nightmare when a mother approached the guy and asked him to trade his seat so that she could sit with her kid. A handful of people who commented on the post said they were parents themselves. From what I've seen, last-minute requests to change seats are usually because of factors beyond the person's control, like a family got rebooked after their original flight was canceled. So Ill reemphasize not to get made at the person who refuses. An influencer said she refused to swap seats on a plane so a family could sit together. And if there were none left, they could have called the airline and figured it out ahead of time. I totally understand both sides but as someone who is extremely organized and who spends hours planning trips and setting seat alerts so that my family and I get the seats were most comfortable in, it bothers me when I hear stories like this. However, she refused to swap seats, and the two ultra-Orthodox men switched places with female passengers. This body language should be enough to re-establish your privacy. And I, as well, really dont care how adorable your kids are. Justin Kase zsixz / Alamy Stock Photo. I said, Look, Im sorry, no. We would just suck it up and sit apart. Don't suggest you have a preference or specific need. But cant control cancellations and sh**** rebooking. Audrey Peters, a content creator from the US, said a stranger had asked her to move to a middle seat - leaving her laughing over the unfair request. Another revealed: I remember when I worked my a** off to fly first class for the first time and I got made out to be the villain because I didnt wanna move., One wrote: Its so not fun when you reserve a seat and people ask you to move to a middle seat., Another agreed, saying: 100 per cent, it blows my mind that people sometimes then proceed to give you an attitude because you dont want to switch., While one suggested: I paid for my seat. Book the right seat first.' By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. An aisle seat with just one seat beside me. Advertiser Disclosure: The card offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Johnny Jet receives compensation. The New York Times expert replied with: Generally, you are entitled to sit in the seat that you paid for the one that is printed on your boarding pass. She complained about me all the way to her seat and I was stared at/ glared at. Talk to the flight attendant if you don't like your seat. "Can I call the flight attendant? The debate around airplane etiquette has reached fever pitch in recent months - but it has been reignited once again by an influencer who refused to switch I will only change from one aisle to another aisle in Economy Plus. There were, however, a few people who sided with Mr Kloss. Now, its getting annoying. Now, with respect to the scowling and hostility: stay polite. Drop a comment below! In Deltas first class to NYC I encountered a young woman who, because she met an old boyfriend according to her in the line waiting to get into the plane, wanted to sit next to him, also in first class. And generally a worse seat is not a gift I want. They'd still all be together," said one commenter. That doesn't obligate me to sit in a less-comfortable seat by other criteria. How to tactfully refuse to provide academic help? These sorts of comments inevitably lead to arguments. We handed over our boarding passes, which she kept (!).