Eventually the passenger in the window seat next to Mr Kloss offered to swap with Zoe meaning the couple did sit next to each other. Another option is to say, "Thank you for asking! Justin Kase zsixz / Alamy Stock Photo. Either give me the money or book earlier. @LyndonWhite "Asking" implies that they are making a request of me - one that I am free to either accept or refuse. 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. He asked if I would sit in the middle so he could have the aisle since he was anxious about flying. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. My total ticket, including seats, fees, and taxes, was $972.85. Was I Wrong? The reader submitting the question wrote: I am an organized person. I really enjoy the views. If the request comes from a flight attendant, consider the reasons and either say yes, of course (as I did for the old, frail lady) or no, sorry, I'd much rather not. would be "I do not wish to change" or "I reserved this seat" or (again) "This seat is just fine". Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported that, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. I like it here. What should I do? as in, "this can be their problem, not mine". The traveler stated that they despise aisle seats due to always being bumped by trolleys and other people. Your comments are much appreciated! 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. It has been a WebAnswer (1 of 4): You are under no obligation to switch seats if asked. I paid extra for this seat', she recalled. Your frustration mid-flight wouldve hardly started until you hear a screaming kid near your seat. 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 seats. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! I book my travel well in advance and select my seat at the same time. In this case, my response to "why?" Johnny Jet does not include all card companies or all card offers available in the marketplace. WebYes a flight attendant can make you switch seats with or without reason. The complimentary wine and warm nuts of business class are a balm to many wounds. Im tall as well but sitting next to screaming children isnt worth it.. Just get an aisle and suck it up if exits and other opportunities dont exist. Except, of course, your actual reason for calling an attendant is because they are being insistent and you would need help to make them stop @a3nm "for you". I cant believe 2 adults HAVE to sit together on a plane flight. Very rarely would I change seats. Justin Kase zsixz / Alamy Stock Photo. My first officer was flying, and he experienced problems when he rotated the aircraft: It was very heavy. We were in our mid-70s at the time. The caption when a family asks me to switch seats on the plane so they can sit together, followed by a raised But my fianc objected. Stock photo of passengers on a crowded airplane. You refused. Does ZnSO4 + H2 at high pressure reverses to Zn + H2SO4? After asking Reddit users if they were in the wrong for refusing to move, commenters started leaving their thoughts overwhelmingly siding with the poster. In the video, which has received 1 million views, the influencer appears to be sitting on a plane as she raises a glass in the air while an on-screen caption reads, "When a family asks me to switch seats on a plane so they can sit together. Many passengers are downright with their refusal | Photo: Pexels/athena, SEAT SWAPS BEFORE TAKEOFF CAN BE RISKY, CLAIMS PILOT. I have no children, hence no grandchildren. Bulkhead seats usually have ample legroom than the other seats of the Some people will of course become argumentative, but I am of the opinion they would have become so regardless of what you said. 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. This is a powerful position to take. A stewardess with an elderly lady came to us and asked to check our boarding passes. An influencer has been applauded for refusing to swap seats on a flight so a family could sit together.. On planes, the best seat is in the eye of the beholder. Well, it sounds nice. The Redditor lost his cool when the mother couldnt control her child from grabbing his phone. 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. According to The New York Times, Laura Heywood, 42, was flying to London when she was asked to swap her middle seat with her husband so a man with the window One other thought on switching. A New York woman who was on a flight recently said she was asked by a young family sitting across the aisle from her if she would swap her aisle seat meaning, Make it clear that you are not up for argument. However, not everyone was on Audreys side with her seat refusal. "NTA (not the a**hole). After deciding to remain in her seat, she reflected: I dont want to look like an a-hole, but I dont think Im an a-hole in this situation. Stewardess and elderly lady went to front of plane, knocked on pilots door and got what I assume was the assistant pilot. No Im not switching for a middle seat. Whats your take on switching seats on a plane? Our wedding is approaching. 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. How can I refuse tactfully, without causing this bitterness? If I was asked to switch, I would do it if it was an equal seat, ie, aisle, not right by the bathroom. I would also get on the plane early and ask the passenger before they got settled in. But thank you for asking!" document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 60,000 points bonus, 3x points on dining, $50 annual hotel credit. In a similar incident in 2020, Wolfson faced the same dilemma during her flight to London. Ive changed with families but it was always to another aisle and it kept me from sitting next to some small children! Jay Kloss and his wife Zoe were travelling with Virgin Id be like well, See ya in arrivals, one mum said. They can even offer you a reason to switch. In these days of having to PAY EXTRA a lot of the time to get a specified seat I agree with everyone who politely says no, weighs ALL of the circumstances and what (everyone has to offer) if I do agree.. And if I dont get a seat I had to PAY EXTRA for, I always request the airline REFUND MY SEAT MONEY! If this verbal deception doesn't sit comfortably with your personal moral code then you could infer non-specific discomfort with the request by gripping the seat arms and giving a shake of the head with an ashen look on your face. No, thank you. This is rude, one said. 2. The same happened to the lady beside me. For more engaging lifestyle content, visit 7Life on Facebook. The passenger stood his ground and politely asked the woman to see if someone in her row volunteered to switch places with her kid. Beware: the exchange is not always worth it. No Im not switching for a middle seat. Of course, I said yes. My mum literally ditched us when her seat got upgraded to first class.. Another commented: 'Bro I'm sick of people asking to switch seats. Drop a comment below! I do not know what exactly was going on, but I do not think it appropriate to ask a passenger to give up his/her seat and really not appropriate to get a pilot to ask. If you decide to turn down the request to switch seats, doing it politely and in a friendly tone may help soften the blow even though you dont owe an explanation for why youre not okay with swapping. I said, 'respectfully ma'am, your travel issues are not my problem. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone. After reading these posts, maybe next time I wont move:). Or I would switch if I was offered a better seat biz or first, or more legroom. Yes, they want your seat. Shall I press the call button so they can help you?". Its one of the most common excuses of all. Four passengers seated themselves forward from their assigned seats before takeoff. 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. Twice. I definitely wouldnt do it to sit in seat I dont want window or middle. It may seem impolite to downright refuse a parents request to sit next to their child, but others would consider it rude to even ask in the first place. It leaves the door open for them to propose something different that still satisfies my requirement; if a family is trying to do seat-Tetris to sit together, maybe that information helps them. "Sorry, but I just didn't like moving from my chosen seat once I am settled". They should have had the crew member move out of that premium seat and let either me or this guy sit there. But not everyone would be willing to move from their comfort zone, and one guy proved hes no exception either. There were, however, a few people who sided with Mr Kloss. However, she refused to swap seats, and the two ultra-Orthodox men switched places with female passengers. We were unable to verify the details of this case. No one in their right mind would go from a window or an aisle seat to a middle seat. Was I wrong to hold my ground? Any number of passengers could have done so to accommodate those families. If that doesn't deserve a slapdown, what does? You have to sit next to someone? Of course, that never happens. Re: Seat Switch Refusal-Part 2 (or 3) u got to hold your ground, rise above the nastiness and get into your zen zone. Audrey Peters via TikTok and Richard Sharrocks/Getty Images. I had a situation a few years ago when the plane was full except for the middle seat next to me and the seat directly behind it and we were all waiting for the doors to close. A flight passenger has sparked a big debate after a man refused to swap seats with him so he could sit next to his wife on her You are allowed to be as old-fashioned as you and your fianc agree to be. The crew member was relentless and insisted I give up my seat and I stood my ground. Im a bit taller and try to plan out my travel so that I do have an aisle seat also as I have a bad knee. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Obviously, there are a lot of variables involved. Meanwhile, some offered an explanation as to why seats can often split groups up. I was very upset but it was too late to complain. In that case, who cares if they are scowling at you or glaring? Of course, I agreed. When I travel, I book my flights well in advance. Also, it doesnt matter if you paid extra or chose the most appealing freebie seat, the seat allotment printed on your boarding pass belongs only to you. I had to lean into the aisle the entire flight. Its an added advantage to passengers, especially if the flight is considerably long and tiring. 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. I cannot help you, but perhaps one of the attendants can. I trust that most fellow-flyers will then be sympathetic enough to withdraw from the confrontation. But the one thing thats really upsetting is the sense of entitlement by the folks who have literally demanded or told me that I needed to move to accommodate them with me as a single traveler. I wouldnt be doing my job, though, if I didnt encourage you to empathize with the parents. Now, with respect to the scowling and hostility: stay polite. If they say something minor like "I like an aisle seat", you can dismiss their question fairly lightly: "I like an aisle seat too, unfortunately, that's why I booked this one", they are unlikely to be much offended, because they know the request was cheeky. The anonymous passenger said they had started refusing to switch seats altogether unless it was for an upgrade. Just let it be part of your calculation. Then came the looks. But after some firm words, she gave in and sat down, with the husband apologizing. I am an organized person. It is crazy to expect people to give up an aisle seat for the middle seat. As more people travel for work and leisure, discussions about airplane etiquette and passenger comfort have gained traction online once again. Book your flights earlier babes.. I will never take a window seat in an exchange unless its in first class. An influencer has been applauded for refusing to swap seats on a flight so a family could sit together.. A polite decline will leave you in the seat you reserved. However, he refused and said hed paid for the extra legroom, but the woman didnt stop condemning him: ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! However, you dont have to swap seats if you dont want to. The audio, which originates from a scene in the 2023 thriller movie "The Reading," has been going viral on TikTok in recent weeks and has been used in more than 70,000 videos. Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people looking to improve their interpersonal communication skills.