fairoaksjim

This is the second time this has happened to me and I am <bold>sick and tired of it.<bold>

I boarded my plane only to find a family had commandeered my seat so they could "sit together as a family." And of course they asked "would you mind?"

This meant that I would have to spend an 11 hour flight in the middle seat instead of the aisle I worked hard and booked early to secure.

I hate those situations where you are made to feel bad for not doing what you should never have been asked to do,

One time I held my ground and I wound up leaving my ipod on the plane. Last time I switched and wound up feeling resentful for 11 hours.

What would you have done?

rkkwan

I mind, so I don't switch. Tell them to get seat assignments early next time.

Or ask them how much they're willing to pay for your seat.

fairoaksjim

<bold>sick and tired of it.</bold>

ellenem

The same thing happened to me.

I told them that I would change only if another aisle seat was available elsewhere on the plane. There was no aisle seat available so I did not switch.

fairoaksjim

<bold>sick and tired of it.<\bold>

Lexma90

I wouldn't switch an aisle seat for a middle seat, especially if the family had comandeered your seat - that's plain rude.

rkkwan

To make something bold, you only need the letter "b" inside the brackets. Then the "/b" inside brackets at the end. No need to do the "old" part.

NoleNomad

Tell them you would like to accommodate them but you suffer from claustrophobia and your doctor has instructed you to sit in an aisle seat.

fairoaksjim

<b>sick and tired of it</b>

adventureseeker

I echo your frustration.

I wish that those who are asking do so only when you are offered the same type seat (aisle, window, etc.) or better.

Maybe there should be a rule that if you give up your seat that is an automatic upgrade to business/first class!

rkkwan

BTW, I did give up a window seat for a middle seat last Christmas for an 8-hour flight from Houston to London. However, 1) they ask nicely, 2) I got my seat by standby and didn't choose it myself, and 3) I don't like that window seat, having to climb over two persons to get out.

FainaAgain

Once a woman in a middle seat asked me to switch as &quot;she will not be happy in the middle&quot;. I sweetly (I think) smiled and said: oh, you don't want to see how unhappy I can get in the middle! It worked. We even talked a little.

I would switch only if a seat better then mine is offered, or at least the same.

Pellegrina

I don't switch, either. If it is that important to travelers that they have adjacent seats, plans should be made ahead of time. Those of us who reserve a seat for long flights should not be bothered by those wanting to switch.

Therese

I don't switch, as I am claustrophobic and couldn't possibly manage a long flight (or even a pretty short flight) in a middle seat. So I do mind, and quite vehemently, but also don't get in a tizzy about it.

I certainly do sympathize with the family, and do endeavor to accomodate them if possible. I generally enlist the help of the flight attendant who can usually find somebody who can participate in some sort of three way switch that leaves everybody happy. And said flight attendant usually comps me a drink for having co-operated.

I will say that I don't usually find that the others have already switched seats, but have taken their original seats and then ask me (either directly or via the flight attendant) to make the switch.

Occasionally somebody has simply decided that they prefer your seat. If there's the slightest resistance to my taking my seat I have the flight attendant deal with it.

Therese

And I've been on the other end of the situation, where despite my best planning I somehow end up in a non-aisle seat (equipment switch, seat assignment gone awry, whatever). and very much appreciate those kind souls who have switched with me.

fairoaksjim

The flight attendant couldn't help, but she took goooooood care of me for the whole flight.

By the way now much do you hate sitting in economy in a 747?

That movie screen has worse resolution than the first color TV we had in the 60s. Embarrassing.

CasaDelCipresso

make the flight attendant deal with it - that's their job.

(and don't be too hard on people...somtimes it works the other way as well; I booked flights REALLY far in advance when my son was 2 and we were flying to Europe...obviously, had seat assignments with all three of us together...when got to the counter they had messed up and put all THREE of us at different ends of the plane! I asked them to change it and they refused and said wait until we boarded...so I did...seriously...went and ploped my TWO YEAR OLD on his own in his middle seat in the middle of the plane and went and sat in mine towards the front and sent my husband towards the back ;-) !! hmmm...amazing...they magically &quot;found&quot; us seats together *laugh* and there I thought I'd have a nice, peacefull kid-free trip ;-) )

rkkwan

Depends on whose 747 you're on.

Anyways, after I agreed to that switch into a middle seat, the lead FA did comp me a drink. That was on a CO 777.

Zeus

I simply tell them that an old football injury requires me having room to flex my knee on the left side of the aisle. No lie. Just fact.

MelJ

I've been asked to switch and, if there's a comparable seat, no problem. However, on an occasion where my seat had been commandeered before I reached it, I politely showed my seat ticket and said &quot;thanks, but no thanks&quot; to moving.

I remember one long flight when a guy spent the entire pre-flight trying to get people to move so he could sit with a girl he'd met in the airport. He was scrambling around, getting in the way of people trying to use the overheads and, generally, being such a pain no one helped him. So, what did he do? He spent the flight perched on the edge of the girl's seat and, as a result, continuing to get in the way of passengers wishing to stroll the aisle, go to the loo, etc.