Would you move seats to allow families sit together on flights?

cuttingtimber22

I saw this about Vogue Williams -

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/vogue-williams-flight-seats-spencer-matthews-b2150116.html?amp

Basically she rants about someone who would not give up a booked seat to accommodate her.

Personally I would not move - typically I pick a seat that suits me, frequently I pay for it, and I would definitely not give up an aisle seat for a middle or window.

It is a sense of entitlement that someone else should inconvenience themselves to suit her.

Should people bend over backwards for others or suit ourselves?

I usually travel with my family and we always make a point of reserving our seats in advance. If we couldn't do that, and we had to sit apart, I would ask people if they'd be willing to swap seats. But I would not be offended if they refused.

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058260330/accommodating-families-sitting-together-on-flights

That didn't happen. Certainly in that fashion anyway. It's just cheap publicity.

cuttingtimber22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119520714#Comment_119520714

I don’t know if it has or has not happened. But I know that I have been asked to move seats on many flights - not just for couples. My favourite was the person who was afraid of flying in the middle seat.

cuttingtimber22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119520699#Comment_119520699

To be honest what really annoys is the people who turn up who did not book seats in advance at all and then want people to do multiple moves to accommodate. I would probably swap aisle with aisle if broadly equivalent. But not a chance if it was going to inconvenience too much. I did make an exception when one person was on crutches (accident while away).

She's some clown,mouthing off online at someone else and she 100% in the wrong

That bloke is long overdue an apology from her

corner of hells

Vogue to be Irelands replacement for our national icon , Twink.

PalLimerick

Depends, if I thought they were okay on first instance.

Get Real

I moved once from an aisle seat to the middle to accommodate a young lady who "doesn't travel well" and might need the toilet to puke into. I obliged.

Realised after her friend had an aisle seat (and didn't swap with her) not once did she get up to use the bathroom on that 3 hour flight.

I'd be slow to do it again tbh. But if a family with young kids, probably would tbh. Can't blame anyone who wouldn't though.

Pissy Missy

If they were nice about it, maybe, but if they came across rude and entitled, then probably not. I'm such a people pleaser so would probably end up giving it up regardless 🙄

whelan2

If I've paid for my seat, no way am I moving

Strumms

No, I wouldn’t…

i book and choose seats to suit my own comforts and requirements…and pay money to do so.

if others haven’t the cop on or inclination to do the same I’m not going to be inconvenienced and start manoeuvring myself and bag around the busy cabin and start searching for a free seat whilst others try and board…She booked the wrong seat apparently, how the fûck does one book the wrong seat on a flight ? She booked the right seats for her family so how she ended up….hmmm.. there is a seat map ffs.

Iodine1

No. Her sense of entitlement is sickening. Just expects everyone to faun around her.

Seth Brundle

As long as she doesn't talk, she's welcome to sit on my lap!

Kurooi

Rich people so used to having their way, an objection leads to a childish tantrum.

How dare this pleb not bend over and obey.

Andrewf20

I'd move usually unless with family myself. Mistakes happen.

ArnoldJRimmer

I live in the States, and travel back to Ireland 1-2 times a year. Its an overnight flight so I usually book a window seat to give me a better chance of getting some sleep. I got on the plane one Christmas (having booked 7 months before), and there was a toddler in my seat beside his Dad. His wife, with another baby, were on an aisle seat opposite.

After making a fuss of moving the child and apologising when it was clear I wanted to sit down in my paid seat (toys, food, the whole lot everywhere), the guy started some fairly weak efforts at trying to manipulate me to move. But hey, it was Christmas, so I offered to move to his wife's aisle seat so the four of them could sit together in the 2 seats.

Not possible from a safety perspective according to the very p!ssed off air hostess, so she said she'd try and find an alternative down the plane. Came back and said that she had three seats together at the back of the plane. The guys eyes lit up until she gestured to me to come down and take 3 seats to myself, leaving them sitting apart where they were. She was muttering something about the 'cheek of some people,' while apologising to me for having to put up with their nonsense

cuttingtimber22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119522039#Comment_119522039

If someone was moving to get away from their family I might have sympathy.

anewme

Was flying to San Francisco and had an extra legroom seat behind a bulkhead type seat.

Airhostess asked me would I move to let a couple sit together. One was beside me. The other was in the section ahead. She said the seats were the same. I said no problem.

When I got up to move, I realised the seat I was moving to was at the back of a section beside a toilet. So I came back and said to the person, sorry, I dont want to sit for hours beside the toilet.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119522509#Comment_119522509

That precise reason and others similar that it’s always “ no, sorry I booked and chose the seat, it’s mine, sorry “..

it seems in life now people are constantly having to set aside their own needs, wellbeing and comfort to enable the very same in others, just because the ‘others’ are in a relationship and or have kids…..

personally I wouldn’t be impressed by the flight attendant asking even…

gmisk

It would depend on the circumstances and if they asked nicely. I always like an aisle on a flight so I can nip to the loo.

I did get upgraded to business class on a flight randomly due to a woman giving out so much about not sitting together with her other half (she was truly horrible to the woman at the desk. The woman at the desk then called me and my other half over and asked if we had two seats together (we did), would we mind giving them to this lady and her other half....and she would move us to business class....the woman's face...lol.

It was a flight from Ethiopia to Cape town so not a small hop either. Would recommend Ethiopian airlines business class anyway!

I was on a flight from Montreal to London. A couple 2 rows from moved to allow a family to sit together. Well for 8 hours they were the loudest and rudest group on the flight. Not even the headphones could cancel them out. So no I wouldn't move seats, better to keep some of the herd separated.

anewme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119522569#Comment_119522569

That is what annoyed me. Telling me the seats were the same quality when they clearly were not. I don't think they were impressed seeing me reappear with all my bits and bobs but no way was I sitting there.

I said to the person beside me, maybe the person beside your partner will swop with you and sit in your seat here. Nothing further said.

shesty

Interesting.

I used to travel standby as a child with my family in the 90s and 00s.

Airhostesses frequently asked people to swap seats so one of my parents might be with one or two of us kids.As I got bigger, the focus for my parents was that they would be able to sit with the smaller siblings, and myself and one other sibling could sit on our own in whatever other seats might be available.

Nobody ever objected or passed comment.Often the airhostess would offer them a small complimentary something as a thank you.

How times - and attitudes - have changed.

fritzelly

Absolutely no to offering up my seat I paid to sit in - too many take their chance and they try to get others to accommodate them because they're cheapskates

anewme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119522658#Comment_119522658

What has also changed is people having to pay extra for to sit together. Before seats were categorised and graded, people might be less bothered being asked to move. You dont get any complimentary somethings now either. That might be driving the change in attitude. People who have paid extra for something or chosen something for a reason are not going to move for people who havent done so.

It would depend on how I was feeling, the seats and the attitude of those wanting to swap.

Why can't people book seats so they can sit together 🤔

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119522705#Comment_119522705

In some cases they were probably just too late booking, in others they don't want to pay extra and think they'll guilt trip someone into moving, that's their problem though.

AllForIt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119522699#Comment_119522699

You can buy a litter of orange juice and a large pack of dry roasted peanuts in German supermarkets for a total of 3 euros. Double the cost of a Ryanair flight, but still.

Jequ0n

No, I wouldn’t. I do not like to be inconvenienced.

Not my problem.

Gregor Samsa

I've been asked to move on occasion, and I've moved.

I haven't been asked to move on occasion, and I've offered to move off my own bat when I noticed a family split up.

I've gone to the trouble of making sure my family are all booked in seats together on pretty much all occasions.

There was one time it wasn't possible for some reason. We got on board, expecting to be somewhat dispersed, but the staff asked other people to move, as our kids were under whatever age, and it was a legal or safety requirement that they be supervised with their parent or guardian next to them. We felt a bit bad, as it wasn't our request. The people who were asked gladly obliged, and we thanked them. I'm not sure what would have happened if they didn't, I assume they would have just kept asking people until they came to someone who would oblige.

freshpopcorn

I might however I'd be less inclinded to do it if the person felt like they were entitled to the seat.

Vogue really showed herself up her with Spencer and all their money.

Nigel Fairservice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119521883#Comment_119521883

I don't particularly mind moving to accommodate families or vulnerable adults but I hate when people make up these stories about being afraid of flying. I'd be more inclined to say yes if people just said they wanted to sit together. I was on a flight earlier this year where I booked the window seat. I like the window seat because I like to be left alone on flights. I took my seat and had my headphones in waiting to take off. I could see the guy next to me was waving at me in my peripheral vision but I was ignoring him because I had an inkling he wanted to me to move. He wasn't taking the hint and he started tapping me on the shoulder. He wanted me to move so his cousin could sit next to him because he was afraid of flying. I looked over to his cousin who was scrolling through his phone and didn't look particularly perturbed about the upcoming flight.

I was on a flight once where a passenger stood up halfway through taxiing down the runway and starting shouting they had to get off the plane. We went back to the gate so they could get off. It was a small Aer Arann plane this happened on and you could see the person was extremely anxious before the flight. The guys cousin seemed quite relaxed in comparison.

Anyway, I said I wasn't interested in swapping with his cousin and fell asleep. A few minutes later the guy's cousin was standing in the aisle reaching over to me in the window and woke me to ask me to move. I couldn't believe how pushy they were. If the 2 lads had just said straight out they wanted to sit together I probably would have moved as it was a like for like swap seat wise.

A few years ago a a guy sat in my girlfriend's seat on a Ryanair flight because her seat happened to be next to his girlfriend's seat. The guy didn't even look at my girlfriend when she said she thought he was in the wrong seat and just pointed in no direction in particular and said his seat was over there and she should go sit in it. My girlfriend got the airhostess to move him because he was so pig ignorant about the whole thing. She probably would have swapped with him if he had just asked politely. Myself and the gf very rarely sit together on short European flights. We'd be nearly glad of the break from each other for a few hours, nevermind asking people to move so we can sit together!

Let me get this right.

Hubby (Spenny? Seriously?) and toddler had window and middle seat and she booked the aisle seat, but booked on the wrong side "by mistake".

So hubby asked passenger in the aisle seat to swap for the window seat?

That makes no sense because the guy would then be stuck either beside toddler or beside hubby while presumably both Vogue and hubby would have aisle seats?

The guy was absolutely right to say no to the window seat.

If he was simply asked to swap aisle seat directly for another for aisle seat, then fair enough - I probably would have done it, and my guess is he probably would have done it too. Just to get away from Spenny, Vogue and kids, if nothing else. The cheeky thing was asking him to move to the window seat.

But her sense of entitlement, and then blasting the guy both to the air hostess, and online, is far more obnoxious then him saying no in the first place.

Laphroaig52

Perversely - because he clearly isn't any better than her - I do feel a bit sorry for Spenny...

Noo

I bagged me an emergency row seat on 12 hour flight (not prebooked, just got lucky). A young lady across the aisle (also in the emergency row) asked if I wouldn't mind switching seats with her friend behind as he's pretty tall. Looked around to see normal looking lad sitting behind. I'm usually a pushover but was an adamant "nah!". You'd think if she was so concerned about her friend that she would switch with him, but no. I don't think I saw them interact again for the entire 12 hr flight.

easygoing39

No.

lawred2

If I was on my own then I would definitely move yeah

Pawwed Rig

I would swap if it was like for like. The last flight I was on a girl asked me to swap my aisle seat for a middle seat so her friend could sit beside her. That was obviously a firm No

Larbre34

You see, what you get is folk not paying for seat selection, because they are cheap, banking on being able to cajole people into letting them sit together once the plane is boarding, which also holds up the efficient boarding of the flight.

If asked, I'd move if the seat change improved my position and actually got me away from screamin kids, but generally, no, its a fook orf situation.

Yes I would!

I did ask a lady once if she would mind changing seats to allow me sit with my daughter.

Why be an ass over it? You'll probably spend the majority of

the journey with your eyes closed trying to sleep anyway!

whisky_galore

I don't normally pay for a seat, so if it means if two either side of me want to natter or hold hands that's fine. Leaves me alone to be at the window.

If I paid for a seat to be first out of the traps on landing to catch a connection, unless the move is of advantage to me, fcuk em. Why didn't you do your planning to sit together when booking? It's not like you'll never see each other again anyway.

B.A._Baracus

You would move IF it benefited or suited you. Like moving from window to aisle should that be your preference.

But that's a commentary about life, a lot of things we do, even if officially seen as being alright turns out in truth that the act benefited us.

Kimbot

They messed up their own booking so they can suffer the consequences and that might teach them going forward to double check what they are doing...... entitled fool.

munsterfan2

Offered to give up my ailse seat on a long haul from Singapore as elderly couple were a bit upset about not seating together. Ended up in middle seat between two jumbo americans who swallowed up the arm rests and both slept most of the way. Only got up once and ended up in hospital with DVT following day. Thankfully no serious issues and all work related long haul went business class after that.

spurious

If I have paid for the seat because I like to be at the window and not have weak-bladdered folk climb all over me throughout the flight, no way I am moving.

If I have been a cheapskate and taken random seating, then no problem.

Mundo7976

Shes a stupid entitled b!tch.

Coming back from lanzarote one year booked 3 together & window behind them as it's where I like to sit, mardy looking couple rolling their eyes when they saw my kids. They got moved to the front seats before take off, could feel the glee beaming from them, dont see why with ppl queing for the toilet & air staff doing their business. I was grand with that as the 4 of us now had 6 seats between us, was a very comfortable flight. After landing the couples faces changed again realising their cabin bags were halfway back down the plane & had to wait for everyone else to disembark. Gave them a lovely smile on the way past, they were not happy campers.

Careful what ye wish for!

Ray Palmer

Coming back from Texas on my own and had the middle seat and didn't think anything of it. Then I saw 2 huge people getting on the plane obviously sisters. The proceed to sit on either side of me. Their rolls of fat covered the arm rests on either side of me. I looked over at one of the air hosts and caught her eye. She saw how uncomfortable I was and nodded. She goes to the front of the plane and comes back points the front of the plane and mouths 1st class. I get up and and have to move one of the ladies grab my bag and then go into 1st class.

So that worked out for me. The ladies had booked the two seats hoping nobody would take the middle seat for their comfort. The air host said they should have booked 2 seats each due to their size but it wasn't worth the hassle and the flight was fully booked in coach. Moving me was easier

osarusan

All depends on the situation.

Decent skins that I could help out by making their journey a little easier? Probably.

Entitled pricks? Probably not.

Length of the flight would play into it too.

pleasant Co.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119523491#Comment_119523491

Not changing seats when requested does not make that person an ass, no more than it makes an ass of the person making the request ffs. It's perfectly acceptable to decline and continue to enjoy your journey, asleep or otherwise.

HildaOgdenx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119523749#Comment_119523749

Same as that really.

I have never been asked to move, yet. I didn't read the article but it seems she acted very entitled which would immediately make me want to stay put. 😁