A traveller has ignited a furious airline etiquette debate after she refused to swap seats for a family to sit together. But the most common reasons a flight attendant will ask you to change seats is: 1- If the pilot determines that passengers need to be moved due to weight and balance of the aircraft. I dont know why they let her stay on the plane as she caused problems before we left and for several hours during the flight. 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. Meanwhile, some offered an explanation as to why seats can often split groups up. You refused. Plan ahead or drive. 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 flight for a middle seat when asked to by a group of passengers. 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. 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 flight for a middle seat when asked to by a group of passengers. ": I don't understand the suggestion of offering to call an attendant for them, as if the person's insatisfaction with their seat and interest in your seat would mean that their problems have somehow also become your problem. I live on the Big Island of Hawaii and when I travel on inter-island hopper flights, I purposely book a window seat on the pertinent side both directions of the plane to view the islands and the coastline. One other thought on switching. Very rarely would I change seats. They should have had the crew member move out of that premium seat and let either me or this guy sit there. 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. as in, "this can be their problem, not mine". "I'm sorry you were not assigned the seat you needed. There have been times when our flight was cancelled or missed a connection and there werent seats together. A few years ago the passenger next to me was overweight and had booked two seats so Im happy with the extra elbow room. And if there were none left, they could have called the airline and figured it out ahead of time. Several passengers made nasty comments. Passenger Praised (And I Praise Him Too) For Refusing To Change His Seat For Rude Family. Watch a movie. They asked if Id be willing to switch, I asked to which seat, they said the same rows other middle seat. After all its a short flight. 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 birthday. We will not stop that. 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 Others shared complaints about negative experiences they'd had on flights when parents asked them to sacrifice their own comfort for the sake of a child's. Be straight with your fianc and talk this through. The man was traveling from Athens (ATH) to either Newark (EWR) on Why say you're sorry? One guy downright refused to swap his seat with a mother who didnt stop condemning him. Some readers will correctly object that flight attendants are too harried on today's crowded flights to do much seat-rearranging. Generally, you are entitled to sit in the seat that you paid for the one that is printed on your boarding pass. 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. 60,000 bonus points. They can even offer you a reason to switch. However, the bizarre requests didnt stop there. So it is an aisle seat or business class or better. And upon refusal, theyre mostly treated differently and are often lashed at for no reason. Its an added advantage to passengers, especially if the flight is considerably long and tiring. If you disagree, downvote or write your own answer. You're probably not, as if you were. However, a pilot made a shocking revelation why switching seats before a takeoff can be very dangerous. 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. 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. These sorts of comments inevitably lead to arguments. Just let it be part of your calculation. Hundreds of commenters said they agreed with her decision and would have done the same. Last year I was taking American Airlines to London. It's been my experience that when people want a reason, it's to argue. A passenger on Virgin Australia airlines started a debate over airplane etiquette after a man said no to swapping seats so he could sit next to his wife. How to tactfully refuse to provide academic help? I made friends with a woman whom I see at my kids play dates and in the park. ", Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Capital One Venture Credit Card Review 2023, The Best Travel Credit Cards For February 2023, Chase Sapphire Preferred Review 2023 60,000 Bonus Points, Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefits and Perks 5 Reasons I Love Mine, 9 Best Credit Cards For Excellent Credit in 2023, The Best Chase Credit Cards For Rewards In February 2023. In literally hundreds of flights, I have been asked only twice to change seats, once by the flight attendant to allow a very elderly and frail woman to sit next to a member of her family, who was seated next to me. @Tim I think that may be cultural, I grew up in a culture where the sympathy meaning of sorry is far more emphasised than the personal responsibility meaning, so that may have shaped my view. I empathize with people traveling together who wish to sit together, including families, but every legacy carrier has a flexible seating chart that you can monitor from booking time literally until almost boarding time. 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 pick my seats carefully because of my joint condition. Wow, can you believe that? sighed one passenger after a parent started fussing about his refusal. You could claim that you chose your seat due to it being your favourite/lucky number. (They could have booked in advance, too.) https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/03/style/airplane-seat-etiquette-social-qs.html. they have reason to believe that a swap would be more beneficial to them than inconvenient to you), then I would take a more polite, understanding approach. Avoid continuing the argument unless you are willing to be persuaded/come to a compromise. So I never offer a reason. I said no and told him my switching would not solve the elderly ladys request to sit next to her husband. Redoing the align environment with a specific formatting, Calculating probabilities from d6 dice pool (Degenesis rules for botches and triggers). "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.". So I dont have any sympathy. Web1. While the base action is the same as other suggestions - saying no and calling the attendant if pressured - the wording is designed to give them no way to argue with you, and immediately tells them what will happen if they continue to pressure you. I paid extra for this seat', she recalled. 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 Reddit user u/Unlikely-Strategy596 shared a story Saturday, asking: "AITA (Am I the a**hole) for not giving up my plane seat so a family could be all together? They asked. ", Another wrote: "A mom asked me to give her two ish year old daughter my water bottle that I had ALREADY opened.". Worst Seatmate Ever: Frequent Flyers Reveal Their Worst Experiences, The 7 Dirtiest Things on an Airplane, According to a Flight Attendant. Just let it be part of your calculation., RELATED: Worst Seatmate Ever: Frequent Flyers Reveal Their Worst Experiences. "but this was a time not to be tactful." 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He ignored her and looked at the guy at the window in the same row. Its one of the most common excuses of all. This is a powerful position to take. It turned out that the gentlemen beside me now was her husband. But they will make time to deal with an urgent request involving the very old, the disabled, and young children. 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. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Well the young woman thru a fit, called me a bitch, etc. You werent wrong to politely refuse a request to move. Is it suspicious or odd to stand by the gate of a GA airport watching the planes? She complained about me all the way to her seat and I was stared at/ glared at. Twice. | Photo: Amomama, I PAID FOR THAT EXTRA LEGROOM & IM NOT MOVING. Obviously, there are a lot of variables involved. They'd still all be together," said one commenter. Sadly, it will not be the last compromise you two have to reach. My code is GPL licensed, can I issue a license to have my code be distributed in a specific MIT licensed project? Requests to change seats should be made to the flight attendant not to the passenger. But when this passenger refused to move, the family was not pleased: "The woman said that I was being an a**hole and should just give up my seat so she could sit with her husband and kids. This dear, young woman ended up sprawling all over the poor lady sitting next to her. Either give me the money or book earlier. I am an organized person. For more engaging lifestyle content, visit 7Life on Facebook. Audrey Peters has ignited a furious airline etiquette debate after she refused to swap seats for a family to sit together. Her husband was seated some rows behind. How can I tactfully refuse to tell my loving brother my home address? "We switched recently to help out a family," one commenter wrote. If I was younger and with no brace, I would consider swapping. Maybe they glare at you. A cabin crew member explained her thoughts on this, saying: Most airlines make people pay upwards of 50 extra bucks to sit in those seats and charge them when they book the ticket. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. I am not giving up my seat I paid $82.00 for. (They could have booked in advance, too.) Of course, that never happens. I usually answer 'Sorry, but I prefer mine, thanks'. 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. My husband and I were seated in a 2X2 first class section, all settled in. I personally hate travelings so I spent a bit more money to be closer.". Airlines oversell their scheduled flights to a certain extent in order to compensate for no-shows.. I, too, book my flights way in advance and always get to the airport early. I have no children, hence no grandchildren. I was asked to switch seats with the elderly lady. Unfortunately it was an uncomfortable flight since he could barely fit in his seat. It was funny at first. I wouldnt be doing my job, though, if I didnt encourage you to empathize with the parents. I fly often and I usually choose the aisle because it's the only seat where my legs have a chance to fit, because I'm going to put them in the aisle. Another said: People dont realise that airlines make changes to seats you paid and booked for, months in advance., While one added: The airline separates families all the time even though you book well in advance happened to me.. No Im not switching for a middle seat. Is it okay to ask someone to swap seats on a plane? Make it clear that you are not up for argument. 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. Now, its getting annoying. Paying extra didnt count for Jack!!! Grow up. On other occasions when flying alone, I found myself in the middle seat between a married couple who hoped the seat would remain vacant. Some people will be bad tempered about having their request declined, however polite, however reasonable you are, and however good your reasons for declining. 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. It is crazy to expect people to give up an aisle seat for the middle seat. An influencer has been applauded for refusing to swap seats on a flight so a family could sit together.. Videos about seat switching continue to stir controversy and debate on TikTok. "You don't ask someone to downgrade for your convenience," said one top comment with 46,000 likes. 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. Twice. I trust that most fellow-flyers will then be sympathetic enough to withdraw from the confrontation. Replacing broken pins/legs on a DIP IC package, How to handle a hobby that makes income in US. Any number of passengers could have done so to accommodate those families. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. 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! Was boarding my flight when a teenage girl was siting in my aisle seat to sit next to her friend in the middle seat. But thank you for asking!" 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 Book the right seat first.' I like it here. She threw a fit when I refused to give up the window seat next to my husband so she could lean against the wall and sleep. 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. Would I move to the bulkhead aisle with a screaming baby next to me. travel.stackexchange.com/questions/48775/, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. She stated I could call customer service and they would handle it. 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. But cmon, I have kids but have always paid extra to be together. This usually lets me claim my preferred seat: on the aisle in the bulkhead row. 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. 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. Was I wrong to hold my ground? But cant control cancellations and sh**** rebooking. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. "I'm sorry, I selected this seat in advance. Like S. Kincaid, I am an older woman as well. And I'd leave it at that. How can I politely refuse to help classmates with their work? When a family asks me to switch seats on the plane so they can sit together, she said in a TikTok video - as she filmed herself sipping a glass of champagne after the seat rejection. 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. Is it possible to create a concave light? I asked why and was told the elderly lady wanted to sit with her husband. Nope, thats not a good enough excuse, Im staying hereI think Id get fewer dirty looks and side comments by simply and politely saying no, then trying to figure out whether they have a good enough reason or can incentivize me to move to a worse location. Yes, its a tough situation with all the traveling Dynamics but I think youre within your rights to want to keep the seat that you have unless theres not an upgrade or a reasonable alternative or similar seat available. Its totally up to you to decide. I acknowledge that this avoidance tactic is perhaps the bottom of the barrel with regard to interpersonal skills! Tim Nickerson has learned just how aggressive the commandeering of seats can be. An aisle seat with just one seat beside me. 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. 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, Well, wouldnt you know it for my good deed, a few minutes later, a Hawaiian Tropics model who was terrified of flying, sat in the seat next to me. I didnt think fast enough to make that request. Beginners Guide to Credit Card Points & Miles, Booking Tool for Flights, Hotels, Cruises and Cars. On the Internet Viral Reddit Trending Online The internet has backed a Redditor who refused to give up their plane seat so a family could sit together. It was my one and only time to travel in first class. But with Southwest, there are no seat assignments, I would gladly switch if the airlines priced all seats the same like they used to but am not giving up a AA PREFERRED MAIN CABIN SEAT that I either paid extra for or got thru my loyalty to AA. 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. I chose an aisle seat in both directions as close to the bathroom as I could get which cost me $81.00 each. And I, as well, really dont care how adorable your kids are. The turbulence was wicked on descent and she not only held my hand but she dug her nails into my arm. But I didnt want to move! unfortunately for her loud enough so everybody in first class could hear her. Probably because I was by myself at the window she asked the steward if I would move so she and her BF could sit together. I certainly wasnt happy with that situation, particularly because I had paid extra for my original seat. Not the first person to refuse to swap seats on a flight, a couple earlier this year was praised for refusing to swap seats with a frightened girl, and another woman was cheered after she didn't give up her seat for a "rude" mom and child. Book your flights earlier babes. Audrey Peters has ignited a furious airline etiquette debate after she refused to swap seats for a Different people have different levels of willingness to move. In most cases folks are pretty understanding. Do we really have time to ascertain and give judgement on the circumstances surrounding their seat separation? When I was an armed federal officer on the flight (plain clothes), I could not switch seats. Can I call the flight attendant? I Refused to Switch Seats on a Plane. Disagreeing with an answer is not a reason to comment. Book your flights earlier babes.. Audrey Peters via TikTok and Richard Sharrocks/Getty Images. Do not engage with a pushy passenger. I also think that anyone should realize that switching seats may be against the contract of carriage, airline rules, or country-specific regulations. I like this seat just fine." Credit: Audrey Peters. A handful of people who commented on the post said they were parents themselves. Just before takeoff the flight attendant told me I had to switch seats. 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 Was I Wrong? Can you explain this part? 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. would be "I do not wish to change" or "I reserved this seat" or (again) "This seat is just fine". An influencer has been applauded for refusing to swap seats on a flight so a family could sit together.. I asked where he was and stewardess pointed out the husband in the very back of first class. Once someone puts their bag in the overhead space, wipes down their seat and puts their stuff in the seatback pocket (not that you want to do the latter since its filled with germs), its more of a hassle for them to switch. ), then I would almost always move, except to a location one poster mentioned abovenear the bathroom. I recently moved from Denver to Saint Paul, Minn. The 25-year-old said a stranger had asked her to move to a middle seat - leaving her laughing over the unfair request. No one in their right mind would go from a window or an aisle seat to a middle seat. However, Mr Kloss was still Unless theres a very good reason I will not switch and even then only to an aisle seat. Often times members of said family will spend using their phones, watching their screens or sleeping. Was I Wrong? The reader submitting the question wrote: I am an organized person. Needless to say, she walked away defeated and I kept my seat. I wouldnt be doing my job, though, if I didnt encourage you to empathize with the parents. The asker may try to argue, or come up with an alternative solution. Shockingly, the crew never intervened in Wolfsons matter both the times until she sued them. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 60,000 points bonus, 3x points on dining, $50 annual hotel credit. Am I being old-fashioned? We handed over our boarding passes, which she kept (!). That doesn't mean you need to agree to a bad trade, but don't add to the aggravation by being harsh with them. 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.