We haven’t left Honolulu yet and I was already asked to change seats — twice.
First, a couple wanted to sit together. So the customer service representative for Continental Airlines looked for seemingly single travelers. Like me. I was asked to move to an aisle seat — away from one of the girlfriends I was traveling to Las Vegas with — and I said OK. Aisle to another aide seat — that sounded reasonable.
But as I sat in my newly assigned seat, an older man asked if I could move to a middle seat because his wife is afraid of flying. They obviously weren’t sitting together.
“She might get sick,” he said.
When was this my problem?
So I moved, reluctantly, without so much as a sincere thank you.
The Universe better repay me in Vegas.
14 Comments
I’ve never been on a plane where every passenger has their own private TV in front of them. Must be how first class lives. I bet there’s a TV in the lavatory.
I just came back from Florida ( 14 hour flight time, and we had these old style TVs hanging from ceiling 4 total in the whole plane ), and you could barely make out what was going on, too much static )
Airline was American Airlines.
Florida was fun though.
Cody,
You need to fly on Hawaiian Airlines, the new Airbus planes all have a screen in front of you and decent programming (no FREE movie though) and a USB port so I can charge my iPhone…
You’re too nice. I’ve moved on a few occasions when it really was an even trade seat for seat (aisle seat), but for the most part, if I can’t relocate my overhead bags, and if I’ve already prepared my seat pouch with my magazines, iPad, iPod, headphones, etc., I say “no.”
the short answer: That sucks.
the long answer: That really, really, reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllly SUCKS!!
Who the HELL do these people think they are? Damn! I guess I’ll NOT fly Continental!
I have learned to say “Sorry, no” and smile as I say it unless it benefits me. On my flight from HNL-SFO the other day, I’m comfortably situated in my seat on United and closed my eyes to take a nap when I heard my name being called. It was the gate agent telling me that my seat had been changed.
I was going from 17D (Economy Plus Aisle) to 5B (First Class Aisle). I smiled and said “thank you” and changed happily.
Hey Cat: … haha … you girls did leave for Vegas … or try to!!! … I already know what happens next … I skipped ahead and saw your next blog …
… I hate when I was asked to switch seats … because I was already seated and comfortable with my stuff stowed away … my seat was adjusted and seat belt fastened … pillow and blanket in place and listening to my music … and already accustomed to my immediate neighbors …
… and when they ask … it’s like you’re put on the spot … because everyone nearby hears them asking if you’ll move …
… they might as well ask it this way …
“Hey loser there sitting alone, you’re comfort and convenience is not as important as this sweet young adorable couple, who are expressing their love and devotion to each by needing to be together through this long treacherous 5 hour trip … so get up off your a$$ and move to another seat … please.”
Hahahaha! Good one Ray! Or swap out “sweet young adorable couple” with “sweet elderly grandparent couple!”
Cat, just say NO. It can be hard for us nice people to say no to these sort of requests. But as I get older, it’s becoming easier. This sort of thing happened to me on my last mainland trip. It seemed every plane I boarded there was someone else sitting in my seat. One was a father in my aisle seat with his little pre-school-aged girl in the center seat and his wife at the window. This guy made it easy for me in that he didn’t even ask me if he could sit there. He simply looked at me and pointed to his assigned CENTER seat a few rows back and said “Oh, I’m with my family. You can sit back there.” I told him, “No, YOU can sit back there. This is my seat and I paid an extra 50 bucks for this aisle seat.”
It happened to be the truth–I did pay extra for that seat (I’m 6’2 so having an aisle seat helps at least one of my legs). But you should use that reasoning the next time you’re asked to move. It’s unlikely the person wanting your seat will volunteer to cough up cash. And if he or she does, you can decide then whether or not it’s worth giving up.
Last time United changed seats on me was from Denver to HNL and I didn’t even know (I started my trip in Dallas) until I was boarding the plane in Denver and the scanner went beep beep beep! They looked and my seat had been changed from 17D to 17H (which was an aisle but it went from an aisle in the middle to an aisle on the window which meant I had to get up if the guy on the window had to go relieve himself.
I was fuming until I saw who got my seat. A Mom with her two young kids at which point, I was ok with it but still pis*ed at United for changing it without notifying me – especially since I’m a Premier member.
I bitched to high heaven when I got back to United customer service and managed to get a $150 flight voucher.
they really really need to do something about the seating!! What is the problem? I have been on both sides of the issue. I have been asked to move and I have asked to have people move. It stinks when you can’t sit by your husband or traveling companion. However, it is way worse to not sit by your young kid!! My poor daughter, who was 4, had to sit by a stranger ( a man no less). No offense to men and some are wonderful to and with kids but as a 4 year old girl a strange man isn’t your most comforting seat companion! I always ask for seats together, when I book online I request seats together. I have to put the ages of my kids when I buy their tickets…. why is it so hard to make sure families with young kids sit together?! ugh. Sorry they made you move, Cat!
I’ve told people no when they’ve asked me to move but would definitely say yes if a kid was involved.
Most of my requests have gone this way, middle seat person says to me, aisle seat person, “Uh, do you mind switching because I really prefer the aisle?”. My response is “Me too! And no, sorry but I don’t want to switch.”
I’ve had people argue, one even pointed out how because I was petite with short legs, he deserves the aisle seat more. I then point I don’t sleep on planes much and have to use the loo a gazillion times so no, I’m not moving buster.
Yay for you Tania!!!!
Yeah, I have a hard time saying no. I feel badly for folks, especially since I’m not that particular about where I sit. What I DON’T like is when people who inconvenience others aren’t sincerely appreciative. That bothers me more than asking for my seat.
Exactly Cat! I was flying to San Francisco once and I always like the window seat if it’s available and I got on the plane and a young couple were already in my seat and when I showed up they asked if i minded. I was too nice and said okay (they looked so flustered with their young child) and took the aisle seat. On my way back I paid extra for the bulk head seat with lots of leg room. A woman next to me asked if I minded moving to the row behind so that her husband could sit next to her. I told her, “normally I would, but I paid extra for this seat” – I thought about it later and realized what I should have said was, “if you want to sit next to your husband, YOU should offer YOUR seat to the person next to him in the row behind us to the bulk seat up front with leg room instead of having the nerve to ask ME to be more uncomfortable! – offer comfort to his neighbor, if it was really because you want to sit next to your husband. Hmpf!”