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

freshpopcorn · 26-08-2022 12:39AM

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 · 26-08-2022 01:44AM

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!

26-08-2022 02:05AM

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 · 26-08-2022 02:27AM

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

Noo · 26-08-2022 02:33AM

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 · 26-08-2022 05:57AM

No.

lawred2 · 26-08-2022 06:03AM

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

Pawwed Rig · 26-08-2022 06:12AM

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 · 26-08-2022 06:35AM

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.

26-08-2022 07:43AM

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 · 26-08-2022 07:48AM

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 · 26-08-2022 07:54AM

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 · 26-08-2022 07:59AM

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 · 26-08-2022 08:10AM

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 · 26-08-2022 08:17AM

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 · 26-08-2022 08:38AM

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 · 26-08-2022 08:44AM

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 · 26-08-2022 08:48AM

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. · 26-08-2022 09:10AM

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 · 26-08-2022 09:14AM

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. 😁

titan18 · 26-08-2022 09:29AM

I wouldn't move. I usually book a seat towards the front of the cabin so I can be one of the first off, so definitely not moving backwards (and not moving to a middle seat due to comfort).

DvB · 26-08-2022 09:30AM

Generally we travel as a family of 4, usually on a standard flight with 3 seats either side of the aisle we book 3 seats on one side & the aisle seat on the opposite side, so essentially have the 4 of us in a row. Have never been asked to move other than by cabin crew to sit in the emergency exit seats when no one had booked them on a far from full flight as they needed to have someone sat there for regulations, happy days.

We did once however board a plane having pre-booked & paid for the arrangement as outlined above only to be confronted by a mother & daughter sat in the aisle & middle seats on the side where we had the aisle seat booked, I politly advised the mother that she was sat in my seat, she however refused to look me in the face & muttered something about not liking the window seat & to sit in there instead, i politely refused and explained I had booked the seat to be across from the rest of my family, she however said she didn't want to move and she wanted an aisle seat, thankfully at that point one of the cabin crew saw what was developing & asked if everything was okay, I explained the situation and she promptly took control of the situation and advised the 2 ladies that they would need to move across into their assigned seats which they did, with a far amount of huffing & puffing. One they had moved across the cabin crew member looked at me smiled & roller her eyes as if to say she'd been through that a few times. I had to listen to them moan & bitch about me for about half an hour but I didn't care TBH. It was the fact they just took the seat & expected people to accommodate them that irked me, the attitude when I spoke to them just reinforced that & it was never going to work out as expected for them then.

shesty · 26-08-2022 09:40AM

Vogue behaved fairly badly I think, she did herself no favours.

But in general, parents travelling with very small kids, yeah I would move seats to accommodate them.

ELM327 · 26-08-2022 09:58AM

Not my problem. Book early and pay for seat allocation.

Feisar · 26-08-2022 10:46AM

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

While I generally have no problem moving it always seems that they want you to move to the "shittier" seat.

yaknowski · 26-08-2022 03:56PM

On hols this month, on the way out and back I had booked 7 seats (18 DEF, 19DEF, 20D) for my wife and children. Then we got there and the Ryanair hostess said only adults can fly in 18 due to it being an emergency exit. She asked some people if they'd move which they did.

In this case, the people were getting extra legroom so were happy to move. We didn't get to sit together, but that didn't bother me.

Personally, I'd have no problem switching unless I'd paid extra for the seat.

Skyfloater · 26-08-2022 05:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119525936#Comment_119525936

Same thing happened with our group, you'd think the Ryanair software would flag that during booking.

bnt · 26-08-2022 05:49PM

I did that on a flight to the USA about ten years ago. I was at the window seat, and the flight attendant asked everyone around except me if they would move, no joy - so I volunteered. For my trouble I was brought a glass of champagne from First Class, and was mysteriously upgraded on the return flight.

yaknowski · 26-08-2022 06:02PM

Exactly, should be easy to code a check:

if row == 18 && passenger_age < min_age:

Computer says no

endacl · 26-08-2022 06:13PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119526414#Comment_119526414

Had a slightly similar. Mine was a late flight from Sydney to Singapore. There was a Chinese family with three small kids who needed me to move to allow each child to be beside a parent. Obviously I was going to move, but the Qantas cabin crew handled it really well. I’m 6’4” and had an aisle seat with legroom. The flight was packed so options are limited. Because my response was ‘if course, no problem’, I was assured of a seat with equal comfort. The only available was way up the front in the fancy section.

The downside of course, is that I now know what I’m missing out in flying coach long-haul. Sure, ‘twas nice while it lasted….

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

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