", Another wrote: "A mom asked me to give her two ish year old daughter my water bottle that I had ALREADY opened.". Terms apply. 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". The passenger stood his ground and politely asked the woman to see if someone in her row volunteered to switch places with her kid. A reader seeks reassurance after declining to move for parents flying with children. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Of course, I said yes. I made friends with a woman whom I see at my kids play dates and in the park. Whats your take on switching seats on a plane? 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. Can I call the flight attendant? "Normally I'd be ok with that but switching spots would mean moving back 20 rows down which leaves me at an inconvenience and I would not get my money's worth," they wrote: "I rejected and said that I would like to keep my seat.". Her husband was seated some rows behind. I think its a tough call. Peters did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Imagine being called heartless and cussed for not switching your seats with a mother who wants to sit with her kid in a long-haul flight. 75,000 bonus miles, at least 2x miles on everything. 60,000 bonus points. I am not your sweet old gray haired grandmother, and I dont care how cute your kids are, Im not moving. I suggest that stewards look elsewhere for volunteers if fellow passengers try to shame me from the sidelines. rev2023.3.3.43278. On TikTok, Peters typically posts fashion and lifestyle content, filming herself putting together an outfit for the day or showing viewers some of her recent purchases from designer brands. A handful of people who commented on the post said they were parents themselves. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The fares were $531.00 for a Basic Economy seat and $688.00 for a Main Cabin seat a price difference of $157.00. Just let it be part of your calculation., RELATED: Worst Seatmate Ever: Frequent Flyers Reveal Their Worst Experiences. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Personally, Im a softy for switching where children are involved, and less so for adults (if I have a great seat). Stewardess and elderly lady went to front of plane, knocked on pilots door and got what I assume was the assistant pilot. Credit: Audrey Peters. FYI the old boyfriend was so embarrassed by her he stayed in his seat and looked sheepish the whole tripHold your ground! Works for us. They asked. The complimentary wine and warm nuts of business class are a balm to many wounds. Do not engage with a pushy passenger. 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. If I was younger and with no brace, I would consider swapping. Think you might be having a bad day with a delayed flight or uncomfortable seat? WebIn the caption under a video posted Tuesday, Audrey Peters, a 25-year-old influencer from Miami with 653,000 TikTok followers, said she refused to give up her assigned seat on a Its safe to say that most people wont be, Photo credit: via @ohhappydani on Instagram This has been a challenging year, month and week for the United States of America. Some folks like the window seat. With Southwest I always pay extra to be sure to get an aisle seat near the front of the airplane. Its unclear whether the 25-year-old booked an aisle or a window seat - but she made it abundantly clear she wasnt going to give up her spot to be wedged between two passengers. I didnt say anything but thought after that I should have said no but didnt want to cause a scene. In Deltas first class to NYC I encountered a young woman who, because she met an old boyfriend according to her in the line waiting to get into the plane, wanted to sit next to him, also in first class. Shortly before take off three flight attendants showed up, called my name and when I identified myself I was LITERALLY pulled off my seat by my arm and given a new boarding pass. Did the parents book a trip at the last minute for an emergency or did they book far in advance and didnt spend the time to get seats together? I hope you are able to have this situation resolved.". as in, "this can be their problem, not mine". If its the same type of seat, Ive willingly switched. I personally hate travelings so I spent a bit more money to be closer.". I would also get on the plane early and ask the passenger before they got settled in. Thats a hard no. The internet has backed a Redditor who refused to give up their plane seat so a family could sit together. My mum literally ditched us when her seat got upgraded to first class.. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Well, it sounds nice. I just avoid the bulkhead. My first officer was flying, and he experienced problems when he rotated the aircraft: It was very heavy. For the world, for that matter. Still, you have an equal vote here. On "Are You Obligated to Switch Seats on a Plane? 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. ), Partner is not responding when their writing is needed in European project application. Thanks for reading! At the time, I was learning Portuguese from cds and decided to spend the rest of the flight with my ear buds and she had to listen to me speak in Portuguese responding to the Portuguese lessons and I made sure she could hear every word all the way across the United States. For more Lifestyle related news and videos check out Lifestyle >>. 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 for long transcontinental or international flights. There were, however, a few people who sided with Mr Kloss. What should I do? But does the person who first requested a seat swap approve? They asked if Id be willing to switch, I asked to which seat, they said the same rows other middle seat. But I didnt want to move! This will clearly explain the other person that you are not refusing to switch seat because you don't like her, but because you have some real issue with other seats. But I didnt want to move! But being male and flying alone, it seems that the likelihood of being picked by a flight attendant to give up ones seat so a family may sit next to each other on a 30-minute flight is VERY high. I am not moving. I recently moved from Denver to Saint Paul, Minn. Unless they make a convincing appeal for why they really need my seat, I say something like "sorry, but I specifically reserved {an aisle seat, a window seat, a seat in the front of the plane, etc}". Maybe they glare at you. What seemed like a peaceful flight turned into a nightmare when a mother approached the guy and asked him to trade his seat so that she could sit with her kid. Sorry, but crew getting premium seats should be the exception. You may be going on vacation with your band, but that one person maybe going to a dreaded funeral or a new job theyre already stressed about without you adding to their stress level because you need your emotional support humans next to you. 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. Answer politely and succinctly, give reasons, but don't belabor them. These sorts of comments inevitably lead to arguments. OR your ESA (emotional support animal). Viewers readily assured Garg she was hardly in the wrong here, as people expressed their own frustrations with fellow airplane passengers who not only ask people 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. Assume the best about those making the request. Some readers will correctly object that flight attendants are too harried on today's crowded flights to do much seat-rearranging. 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. 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. I travel to 20+ countries a year sharing my firsthand knowledge of reward travel, travel credit card deals, travel tips and more. The worst part was that her boyfriend, who could have doubled for The Rock, was waiting for her at the gate when we arrived. He ignored her and looked at the guy at the window in the same row. This usually lets me claim my preferred seat: on the aisle in the bulkhead row. Dont forget to do the same if youre found in this situation! I select mine well in advance esp. In a TikTok post which has now garnered more than 900,000 But after some firm words, she gave in and sat down, with the husband apologizing. Also, our wedding is taking place across the country, and including this man in wedding events over several days doesnt sit right with me. How about arriving at your seat and finding someone already sitting there, all settled in, who then asks if I mind him taking my seat so he could sit next to his wife? Certainly not!" "You don't ask someone to downgrade for your convenience," said one top comment with 46,000 likes. The pilot and flight crew needed to know where I was in the event of an emergency. Generally, you are entitled to sit in the seat that you paid for the one that is printed on your boarding pass. Plus, 3x points on gas and $100 annual hotel savings. Was I wrong to hold my ground?, The New York Times expert replied with: Generally, you are entitled to sit in the seat that you paid for the one that is printed on your boarding pass. The other time, a woman in her twenties, some 30 years younger than I, travelling alone, asked me to change my aisle seat for her center seat "because it will be easier for me to work on my computer." Justin Kase zsixz / Alamy Stock Photo. Even on Southwest, this has happened when I had early boarding because I paid extra or checked in literally at 24 hours before and the C boarding category folks get pushy demanding that I move 15 rows to the back of the plane kind of thing. The asker may try to argue, or come up with an alternative solution. If its not me its another male flying alone being asked to move and I find myself chuckling under my breath that that guy got it and I didnt get picked. ", With more than 9,000 upvotes and thousands of comments, the passenger explained: "I traveled home today from Greece. Then came the looks. When I was an armed federal officer on the flight (plain clothes), I could not switch seats. 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. My total ticket, including seats, fees, and taxes, was $972.85. 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.