And I, as well, really dont care how adorable your kids are. 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. Plus, 3x points on gas and $100 annual hotel savings. I will never take a window seat in an exchange unless its in first class. 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. Williams with the infant and her two older children, three-year-old Theodore and two-year-old Gigi, were seated together in a row. Not my fault youre too cheap to pay.. Would you change seats to accommodate a disabled person? They'd still all be together," said one commenter. You have to sit next to someone? Just before takeoff the flight attendant told me I had to switch seats. Why are trials on "Law & Order" in the New York Supreme Court? How can I properly refuse my mother's help? Terms apply. 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. 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 Finally, the elderly lady said she would just sit elsewhere. You could claim that you chose your seat due to it being your favourite/lucky number. as well as other partner offers and accept our. This is a powerful position to take. He was crying, I want to sit next to you, Mom! so before she even asked, I volunteered to switch. We handed over our boarding passes, which she kept (!). 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." 2. I think its a tough call. When I travel, I book my flights well in advance. On "Are You Obligated to Switch Seats on a Plane? If you truly do not wish to, you can simply look at the person, smile, and say, Im sorry, but I specifically chose And if there were none left, they could have called the airline and figured it out ahead of time. Its not your job to placate anyone though I recognize that women often feel pressured to. When Garg refused to switch seats, her seatmate began 'muttering profanities' about her for the duration of the flight. Smile and be polite yet firm. Flying with young children is challenging; doing so while sitting in separate rows, or under unexpected circumstances (a distant family member falling ill, for instance), is far more difficult. The same happened to the lady beside me. I was in the window seat, my husband in the aisle seat. How can I politely refuse to help classmates with their work? 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. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone. My moving would allow them to sit together. His sister occasionally brings a male friend to family events, and they engage in public displays of affection that are awkward for everyone. If it Southwest, I always preboard and will not give up my aisle seat. "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.". But you reserved THAT seat, in advance, and may have paid more for it. You've attributed them with a positive quality and to do otherwise means they explicitly prove they do not possess that quality people will (primarily sub)consciously attempt to live up to it. My future husband has four siblings, one of whom is single. I Refused to Switch Seats on a Plane. But I digress. I totally understand both sides but as someone who is extremely organized and who spends hours planning trips and setting seat alerts so that my family and I get the seats were most comfortable in, it bothers me when I hear stories like this. How to refuse someone asking for additional help "while you're at it"? A passenger has been praised online after refusing to swap seats twice on a 10-hour flight. All others should just settle in and endure. It really edges on entitlement in my book for families coming onboard and somehow feeling theyve earn the right to seat privileges, disturbing other passengers and peer pressuring them into giving up their seat. Tim Nickerson has learned just how aggressive the commandeering of seats can be. Typically, people are even willing to pressurize co-passengers for swapping out their aisle seat for a window or vice versa. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people looking to improve their interpersonal communication skills. ALWAYS ask for your money back if you dont get the seat you PAID for. 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. Though some people can vaguely guess their request for a seat exchange would be turned down, they keep trying. However, she refused to swap seats, and the two ultra-Orthodox men switched places with female passengers. So I dont have any sympathy. This is what the family of the elderly lady (see below) probably did. It only takes a minute to sign up. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 60,000 points bonus, 3x points on dining, $50 annual hotel credit. If they persist, maintaining that they are graciously offering to trade but you must decline as you're fine where you are. Make it clear that you are not up for argument. A reader seeks reassurance after declining to move for parents flying with children. 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 Respond appropriately depending on their situation. Any number of passengers could have done so to accommodate those families. Re: Seat Switch Refusal-Part 2 (or 3) I do not think anyone expects ( except the person doing the asking) someone to change an aisle sit for a middle seat! Attempting to interfere with the duties of a flight crew member. @LyndonWhite "Asking" implies that they are making a request of me - one that I am free to either accept or refuse. TikToks about whether adults should make sacrifices for children they encounter often spark debate, especially in the context of flight etiquette and whether it's fair to be asked to swap seats on planes so families can sit together. While some said they had previously felt disappointment when other passengers turned down their requests to move seats, others said that as parents, they felt it's solely their responsibility to ensure they booked seats together with their children. Terms apply. Four passengers seated themselves forward from their assigned seats before takeoff. It is crazy to expect people to give up an aisle seat for the middle seat. Your frustration mid-flight wouldve hardly started until you hear a screaming kid near your seat. 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. You politely declined the offer to switch and now are staying polite. 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. Separated 3 travelers to different areas: myself, wife, n teenage niece. How Hard Is It to Get the American Express Platinum Card? After all its a short flight. It has been a The next time she tries to pressure you, assert yourself: Ive already said I dont want to go. You could also change the way you respond to her invitations, from Im busy which suggests you would go if you werent busy to No, thanks. That way, your message will be clear. When I watched. Is it possible to create a concave light? Well the young woman thru a fit, called me a bitch, etc. If you want to avoid having to cave to peer pressure or looking like the bad guy by not switching seats to accommodate families, then book a seat in the exit row since kids under 15 cant sit there. 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". However, Mr Kloss was still Its happened far too many times for it to be a coincidence. 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. This dear, young woman ended up sprawling all over the poor lady sitting next to her. What is the purpose of this D-shaped ring at the base of the tongue on my hiking boots? 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. One of the male passengers climbed over the seats to avoid any physical contact with her. We will not stop that. Pretty much an exact duplicate of this question on Travel SE. I suspect that the answer is "no". Another commented: 'Bro I'm sick of people asking to switch seats. I am keeping the seat I paid for.'". Peters did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On flights, seatmates (strangers near my seat) have asked me to swap my aisle seat (reserved in advance, sometimes paid for), usually to my disadvantage as their seat has some snag (dirtier, narrower, too close to lavatory). We were unable to verify the details of this case. These sorts of comments inevitably lead to arguments. Generally, you are entitled to sit in the seat that you paid for the one that is printed on your boarding pass. "[He] said that 'she hates traveling, but giving her the seat would've made things easier in the end,'" explained the poster. Its best to put others before yourself, despite what some others may think. Euler: A baby on his lap, a cat on his back thats how he wrote his immortal works (origin? Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. If you are someone trying to get a fellow passenger to switch seats, then make sure you have something to bargain with and if you dont, cash helps. Can you explain this part? Ive been on both sides of this multiple times. 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. Terms apply. Dont forget to do the same if youre found in this situation! 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. 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! Travellers response to easy request from Aussie airline passenger sparks raging debate, Passengers very weird act during three-hour flight leaves traveller shocked, Aussie traveller furious after passenger refuses to switch seats with him, Never felt uglier: Why experts fear new TikTok filter could spark mental health crisis, How a girls weekend saved Aussie lawyers life after strange feeling leads to shock diagnosis, Viewers done with living in Australia after battle with Huntsman spider caught on camera, Just 11 minutes of daily exercise could have a positive impact on your health, study shows, Mum makes horrifying discovery about super nice babysitter after hiding GoPro in house, This week in news: 27 February to 3 March, Behind the scenes at our Ute of the Year mega test, Podcast: Cayenne Turbo GT, Jolion S reviews. Nap. For instance, a person named Onne Vegter explained on Quora hed refused to swap seats with a woman because she wasnt willing to give up on her emergency exit seat. Was I Wrong? 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. 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. Advertiser Disclosure: The card offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Johnny Jet receives compensation. I was also asked by a mother to switch seats. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Travellers unfair seat swap request. Credit: Audrey Peters. Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? I asked why and was told the elderly lady wanted to sit with her husband. With a packed flight you get what you get. ", With more than 9,000 upvotes and thousands of comments, the passenger explained: "I traveled home today from Greece. I just avoid the bulkhead. This body language should be enough to re-establish your privacy. A polite decline will leave you in the seat you reserved. I would say "Sorry, but I specifically booked this seat because { characteristics which made you pick that seat}". I said, 'respectfully ma'am, your travel issues are not my problem. A few years ago the passenger next to me was overweight and had booked two seats so Im happy with the extra elbow room. For me, it probably wouldnt be worth the emotional energy (and possible fallout at future play dates) to stage a formal breakup with a casual acquaintance. ", She also lip-synched to a popular TikTok audio clip that says, "Girl, fuck them kids, and fuck you, too.". It's the same as leading with "thank you for your patience" tends to make people more patient, or telling a child you've just met about how well-behaved you've heard they are. But cant control cancellations and sh**** rebooking. Yes, I was single back then and when she asked if she could hold my hand if there was turbulence, I couldnt reply fast enough with a resounding yes! But, you gotta be careful what you wish for. It doesn't work on everyone, but it's been surprisingly effective for me. The pilot kept asking in different ways/ I kept saying no. Be straight with your fianc and talk this through. Whats your take on switching seats on a plane? Sorry but NO..parents with children should plan better and if seating apart is an issue BOOK ANOTHER FLIGHT.your children are not my problem..Sorry but not sorry. NOW, if the airlines want to offer an upgrade OR an incentive to accommodate someone who is whining to the flight attendants, I MAY consider such an offer, but more than likely not. (Lets put aside rules about emergency exit rows and other And generally a worse seat is not a gift I want. We booked aisle 6 as my husband is handicap and I was having knee problems, we checked in had our boarding passes for row 6 then while waiting they called my husband up and moved u to the very last row where we were crammed w a baby and mom on the outside The people who sat in our seats were friendly w gate attendant it was a dissgrace, I cannot believe they did this and after hours on the phone Jet Blue was terrible to deal with I am still looking as the flight was expensive for us to be treated like that and to be crammed while my family was in row 7 we were split up my family was there to help me w my husband. Use this approach only if you're willing to move to a different aisle/window/front/whatever seat if they find you one. She complained about me all the way to her seat and I was stared at/ glared at. While another reply said: "People need to learn to take the first no graciously. I think that you having specifically chosen that seat is a strong argument, which many will simply accept. I politely said no, that I was comfortable where I was, but she became disrespectful and wouldnt let up even after the plane had taken off and the pilot had turned off the seatbelt sign. Unless otherwise requested by a crew member, you arent required to switch places with anyone else. Re: Seat Switch Refusal-Part 2 (or 3) u got to hold your ground, rise above the nastiness and get into your zen zone. No Im not switching for a middle seat. A holidaying couple has been commended for refusing to bow to pressure from another passenger who asked them to switch seats so her young daughter, who is TikTok user Surya Garg shared a story about being asked to switch seats on a plane. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. I select mine well in advance esp. I asked where he was and stewardess pointed out the husband in the very back of first class. travel.stackexchange.com/questions/48775/, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. Melanie Wolfson paid for an aisle seat but was shocked to find two men in the window and middle seats. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Justin Kase zsixz / Alamy Stock Photo. It's been my experience that when people want a reason, it's to argue. Another option is to say, "Thank you for asking! Needless to say, she walked away defeated and I kept my seat. If they pressure you, or ask why you can't help them, simply move forward with the only thing you can help them with: "Again, I can't help you, but I'm pressing the call button and someone will be here shortly who may be able to help you. (Edit in response to @M.Mat) And you can conclude the whole interaction by offering to help: "I understand your need to find a different seat; I'm sorry I can't help you with this. Don't give them any opening which would allow them to argue with you that their "need" might be greater than yours. So, I politely refused. If you don't, you could actually make it the truth by applying a personal policy to book seats with a number which is suitably relevant to you, thereby maintaining a clear conscience.). So Ill reemphasize not to get made at the person who refuses. My husband and I sit aisles with me in front of him as I dont recline my seat but one notch. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered. Many passengers are downright with their refusal | Photo: Pexels/athena, SEAT SWAPS BEFORE TAKEOFF CAN BE RISKY, CLAIMS PILOT. RELATED: How to Get the Exit Row For Free. Requests to change seats should be made to the flight attendant not to the passenger. 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. ), Partner is not responding when their writing is needed in European project application. Talk to the flight attendant if you don't like your seat. Don't suggest you have a preference or specific need. The internet has backed a Redditor who refused to give up their plane seat so a family could sit together. Unless you have special access to some kind of reservation system, they had the same chance you did of getting that seat. I am not moving. My moving would allow them to sit together. Can I call the flight attendant? "Sorry, but I just didn't like moving from my chosen seat once I am settled". 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. 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}". 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. To his dismay, he was the womans husband, and he never bothered to give up his seat either. But you may be able to short-circuit these annoying conversations. Was I Wrong? The reader submitting the question wrote: I am an organized person. One positive story and one crazy one. Its hard for most passengers to say no to someone who wants to sit beside their loved one. Instead simply express your unwillingness to move e.g. For more engaging lifestyle content, visit 7Life on Facebook. UPDATED: Heres some good insight from a reader, which will make you think twice about giving anyone attitude for saying no. The caption when a family asks me to switch seats on the plane so they can sit together, followed by a raised