Or for any of a number of reasons they had to book the flight at the last minute, and seat booking had closed and/or only individual middle seats were still available.
Emetophobe warning:
– I have never deliberately induced vomiting in myself, or in anyone else. I got very indignant many years ago at a school nurse who induced vomiting in me. I hate vomiting, and had gone to her in the hope of getting something to settle my stomach so that I wouldn’t have to; when she gave me something to drink, I assumed that was what it was for and drank it. I yelled at her, once I was able to, for giving me something that made me instantly worse instead of better and she said that’s what it was supposed to do, so that whatever was making me ill would get out of me faster. I was furious.
Man, I can relate. I went to see a live show at a theater a while ago and found myself sitting next to a young girl. I don’t know how I got the idea planted in my brain - maybe it was around the time that the Me Too movement was all over the news - but I remember thinking, ‘all she has to do is say Mom, that man touched me’ and my life would be over. This thought actually interfered with my ability to enjoy the show.
I wasn’t talking about paying to upgrade to a better seat like the exit row. Some airlines charge a fee if you want to select a seat in advance at all. If you don’t pay the fee you just get a random seat when you check in. It’s mostly just the “ultra low cost” ones like Spirit and Frontier in the US, but British Airways does it too (And maybe other European airlines that I’m not as familiar with). When I said “your preferred seat” I just meant you wanted to make sure you got your preference as to window or aisle.
This is why I said “no”. I am sitting in my nice window seat, or possibly a comfortble aisle seat. And the family is asking me to trade for their uncomfortable middle seat. If their flight was cancelled and they got rebooked and the kid is under 5, then yeah, I probably do. But if they just decided they didn’t want to pay to select seats together, and the kid is old enough not to drop food on me (or need to be fed) then I’ll say I prefer to keep my seat. I don’t mind sitting next to kids. I don’t mind riding in elevators with kids, either. I suppose it helps that I’m female – I don’t expect anyone to accuse me of groping their child. But… honestly, that seems pretty far-fetched. There aren’t many adults who grope kids, and the parents aren’t likely to make that up unless something goes wrong.
I can’t imagine the situation in which I’d be taking one of these hellish budget airlines.
And looking at a sample transcontinental flight on United, the difference between “basic economy” and economy is anywhere from $25 to $80 (so canonically, about a hundred bucks). So, my interpretation of the family’s conversation when they booked is “Honey, do we want to select seats so we sit together?” “How much is it?” “it’s 57 bucks more for each ticket.” “Nah, let’s just show up and bully some poor passenger who did pay into giving us their seat.” (OK, that last part might ascribe a bit more ability to plan than they’ve evidenced)
By the way, I had something like this occur on one of my recent flights across country. I was actually upgraded to the “Premium Economy” section and when I went to take my seat, the guy in the two-wide row’s window seat asked me if I would mind trading with his wife, who had an aisle seat in the middle row in the same section. I leaned in and said in a low voice, “What’s in it for me?”. He gave me a surprised look and started to stammer something, when I burst into laughter and said, “Sure, no problem, they’re both aisles, so no big difference.” and then we traded.
I was in a kinda similar situation returning from Hawaii years ago. I was travelling alone, and I usually prefer to read if the flight is during waking hours. But the guy next to me was chatty and friendly and non-creepy, so we started a conversation.
A family was returning home after visiting family in Hawaii. Mom and Dad and infant were together. Two kids were in the row directly in front of them. The oldest kid (maybe 7 or 8) was sitting another row up directly across the aisle from me and chatty guy. We started interacting with the kid – who was likewise pretty chatty. The funniest thing was that he was entrusted with the box of mana pua (sp? anyway char shiu bao), and he kept opening the box to show us. And I think he really wanted to eat one. At one time, he dropped some on the floor. Oh, well!
Kept us well entertained so I didn’t mind we were unpaid babysitters, of a sort.
I always pick an aisle seat. I hate asking people to get up and I want to be able to get to the bathroom when I want. If you want to switch with me for another aisle seat in a different row no problem. I’m not taking your crappy middle seat.
With switching the seat, I was one of the depends.
First, reasons brought up by other posters.
Family polite and apologetic, plus factor.
Like seat (I prefer aisle), plus factor.
Other factors that become huge though.
Ability (at the time of request) of child to be good? Plus or minus.
Travelling with my wife (the way I almost always do)? Huge negative factor, I want to sit with her.
It’s the child’s ability to be good though that is probably the biggest factor. Is it the sort of child that’s going to shriek and cry the whole time unless a parent is with them? Sure, the staff should be doing something about it in that case, but in my experience, it’s something they often ignore if the flight is under 3 hours. So if I’m going to be miserable with a screaming child the whole way otherwise, I may cave to a lesser of evils.
Buuuut… and I don’t want to sound like an old fart here, I’ve seen far to many people ignore their children’s antics on planes, whether due to lack of care or just travel based fatigue. And I fully acknowledge that it may well be the latter - I tend to want to fly cheaper, so I’ll take early morning flights, where parents may have had to get their kids up at 4am along with themselves to get to the airport and security in time and thus are exhausted.
Still my innate predisposition is to say “too bad” unless given reason to feel otherwise.
Based on the poll, you don’t. You are being asked to give up a seat you selected (almost certainly an aisle, a window, or a middle seat next to someone you know) for their random middle seat someplace else.
If I’m asked to trade for a comparable seat, I probably say “yes”. Why not? But that’s not the poll question.
I am both tall enough that I need at least “economy plus” or an exit row for leg room, and wide enough that anything but an aisle seat is uncomfortably restrictive.
Still, I answered “it depends” because I’m not a monster. If the family is very nice about it, and there are some extenuating circumstances in which they couldn’t choose their seats rather than simply chose not to, and it’s a short flight, and perhaps if they offer me something in exchange (buy my meal or some drinks or something), I might consider helping them out. But I’d hope there’s a smaller person in one of their other rows who’s more willing.
I used to get horrible cramps, sometimes it was so bad I threw up. So one time, I was suffering a lot, and decided to make myself throw up to see if it relieved the Horrible cramps. Weirdly, it did. Only time I did that though.
I do that more regularly when I have a gas bubble that won’t leave my chest. I can’t get comfortable, everything else I try does nothing. So I try to make myself throw up. If I’m really lucky, all that happens when I try is a big belch.
I don’t want to be a dick, but if I paid extra for this specific seat, it’s likely for a reason, and I’m going to need you to take it up with the flight attendants. If the flight attendant asks me to move, I’ll move, but they better guarantee I’m getting a refund on the seat fee.
Same. I always thought the line was “began to pray”. I also thought the preacher liked “my coat”. The actual lyrics relate to the rest of the song and make more sense.
I’ve heard of married couples using a tactic. One books first class, the other books economy. Then the one who booked economy comes up to the stranger sitting next to their spouse in first class and asks to switch, “Sorry, can I switch with you? I would like to sit next to my husband/wife.”
In other words, getting a first class seat for the price of economy. Some nice strangers fall for it.
