"[He] said that 'she hates traveling, but giving her the seat would've made things easier in the end,'" explained the poster. Shockingly, the crew never intervened in Wolfsons matter both the times until she sued them. For the world, for that matter. If you are a tall person you may use this explanation: I'm sorry but I chosen the aisle seat because I'm too tall to seat comfortably in the other seats. On planes, the best seat is in the eye of the beholder. (Edit in response to Wildcard's comment) Be gracious in your response and the scowling and glaring is their problem, not yours. I would not use the approach of pretending to think the request was an offer (as suggested in other answers), unless the asker phrased it as such, because to me it sounds obviously disingenuous. But this spurs more questions, or silent but detectable hostility and scowling from some of these rejected seatmates. lve resigned myself to expect it for its predictability, and I do feel a little miffed when Im picked again because of my advanced planning, but I just move. travel.stackexchange.com/questions/48775/, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. I Refused to Switch Seats on a Plane. 2. You werent wrong to politely refuse a request to move. I personally hate travelings so I spent a bit more money to be closer.". One guy downright refused to swap his seat with a mother who didnt stop condemning him. I suggest that stewards look elsewhere for volunteers if fellow passengers try to shame me from the sidelines. Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported that, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. One of the male passengers climbed over the seats to avoid any physical contact with her. Book your flights earlier babes.. For example I am generally happy to swap seats if it helps someone out, but also have no inhibition against asking someone for a swap if it means I can be closer to a friend of family member (sometimes booking seats together just doesn't quite work out for one reason or another). It is crazy to expect people to give up an aisle seat for the middle seat. 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. Now a flight attendant wouldnt ask that because they know the reason. Im so sick of people thinking its ok to disrupt someone for their lack of planning, one said. Ideally, the passenger with a pressing, real need (not just a want) for a seat change thinks ahead and discusses his problem with the agents at the desk in the boarding area, who can alert the cabin crew. Obviously if the other person is way taller than you, give her the seat ;). 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. RELATED: How to Get the Exit Row For Free. The pilot and flight crew needed to know where I was in the event of an emergency. Some readers will correctly object that flight attendants are too harried on today's crowded flights to do much seat-rearranging. I am not sure I understand: they want you to take their worse seat (dirty, middle or whatever), just like that? Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. would be "I do not wish to change" or "I reserved this seat" or (again) "This seat is just fine". Not really. dear Johnny Jet, it is my understanding that for identification and tracing purposes in case like pandemics and serious aviation or other accidents/incidents, passengers are to remain in their assigned seats; in fact prior to takeoff announcements are made to take the assigned seats in my experience; quite surprisingly to me, i have not seen any reference made to this reason in the comments nor in your own remarks. You werent wrong to politely refuse a request to move. I travel alone quite frequently, plan ahead and select my seat for a reason and hold my ground. Was I Wrong? Now, its getting annoying. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. A couple embarking on their honeymoon failed to book seats together on the plane ride. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered. Melanie Wolfson paid for an aisle seat but was shocked to find two men in the window and middle seats. People blurt especially about weather in the middle of winter. Also, our wedding is taking place across the country, and including this man in wedding events over several days doesnt sit right with me. "NTA (not the a**hole). By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. I book my travel well in advance and select my seat at the same time. A stewardess with an elderly lady came to us and asked to check our boarding passes. The man asked another male passenger to swap seats with Wolfson. Typically, people are even willing to pressurize co-passengers for swapping out their aisle seat for a window or vice versa. Book your flights earlier babes. Audrey Peters has ignited a furious airline etiquette debate after she refused to swap seats for a family to sit together. Thanks for reading! Now, with respect to the scowling and hostility: stay polite. I think its a tough call. Our wedding is approaching. This usually lets me claim my preferred seat: on the aisle in the bulkhead row. No one in their right mind would go from a window or an aisle seat to a middle seat. Disagree, its just compassion for others. This puts the interaction on a positive footing. I remember once, I was flying from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and I had an aisle seat. It turned out that the gentlemen beside me now was her husband. Requests to change seats should be made to the flight attendant not to the passenger. 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. RELATED: The 7 Dirtiest Things on an Airplane, According to a Flight Attendant. This is rude, one said. And I always ask if an upgrade is available. Rudy Dong/Unsplash. Never again. Is it possible to create a concave light? I dislike the implication that taller travellers automatically deserve the more comfortable seats. It has been a turbulent few years for the aviation industry, with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic putting a halt to worldwide travel. In a TikTok post which has now garnered more than 900,000 views, Audrey Peters toasts the camera with a glass of fizz.. When folks have asked me to move, I am very polite but explain that I paid for my seat in advance so that I could have extra leg room or movement. I fully agree with your stance., One added: Its not my fault you guys didnt plan it better., Another added: If youre asking to switch seats my new seat has to be equal or better than where I am now. Smile and be polite yet firm. But would you trade your comfort for someone who wants to sit with their kid? If you don't, you could actually make it the truth by applying a personal policy to book seats with a number which is suitably relevant to you, thereby maintaining a clear conscience.). This brings me to my problem: The last two times Ive flown, a steward asked me to change seats to accommodate a parent flying alone with small children. unfortunately for her loud enough so everybody in first class could hear her. 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The flight attendant asked if I wanted her to ask people to move so we could sit together, and before I could reply my kids declined saying they were all set they behaved as angels sitting alone. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. "but this was a time not to be tactful." Man refuses to swap plane seats for a mother and her baby because he paid extra to sit there 2 Passenger with no experience lands private plane after pilot incapacitated Palm Beach International Airport/Live ATC Recordings When I travel, I book my flights well in advance. A reader seeks reassurance after declining to move for parents flying with children. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone. Even the longest flight on earth is 16 hours and however much you love your husband, kids, sister, uncle, or fourth degree cousin am sure most people can survive being separated by five meters of seat rows for the duration of a flight. What am I doing wrong here in the PlotLegends specification? Plan ahead or drive. But cant control cancellations and sh**** rebooking. Otherwise no dice., While one recalled: So funny people are like this. Perhaps they might be able to accommodate your needs.". You're probably not, as if you were. The pilot kept asking in different ways/ I kept saying no. 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. Just say no, call the attendant if pressured, and ignore them. A polite decline will leave you in the seat you reserved. The business practice of bumping is not illegal. Can you explain this part? How can I refuse tactfully, without causing this bitterness? How can I politely refuse to help classmates with their work? with her boyfriend makes you uncomfortable or you just dont want to see this guy at your wedding. I am keeping the seat I paid for.'". I select mine well in advance esp. If someone wants to take a chunk of their life to be mad at a perfect stranger who is being polite, that's their problem, not yours. Respond appropriately depending on their situation. This is what the family of the elderly lady (see below) probably did. Was I Wrong? The reader submitting the question wrote: I am an organized person. But I didnt want to move! I just avoid the bulkhead. Terms apply. Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. You politely declined the offer to switch and now are staying polite. One positive story and one crazy one. How Hard Is It to Get the American Express Platinum Card? Other people can do so as well. No Im not switching for a middle seat. I get up a lot of flights and dont want to annoy my seatmates, so I always book an aisle seat, and I often fly alone without my husband. TikToks about whether adults should make sacrifices for children they encounter often spark debate, especially in the context of flight etiquette and whether it's fair to be asked to swap seats on planes so families can sit together. In February, a TikToker received more than 9 million views on a post in which he used the audio to document the moment he refused to let a crying child take the last spot on a Formula 1 test ride.