refusing to switch seats airplane refusing to switch seats airplane

This is your wedding. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone. 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). I would simply never ask. ALWAYS ask for your money back if you dont get the seat you PAID for. I asked why and was told the elderly lady wanted to sit with her husband. for long transcontinental or international flights. Terms apply. You werent wrong to politely refuse a request to move. 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. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! Often times members of said family will spend using their phones, watching their screens or sleeping. 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. But I didnt want to move! Ive been on both sides of this multiple times. He came back and asked me to switch seats. Yes, they want your seat. I certainly wasnt happy with that situation, particularly because I had paid extra for my original seat. I dislike the implication that taller travellers automatically deserve the more comfortable seats. Instead of being seated in the aisle seat right across from them, her husband was in the window seat across the aisle. Redoing the align environment with a specific formatting, Calculating probabilities from d6 dice pool (Degenesis rules for botches and triggers). Unfortunately it was an uncomfortable flight since he could barely fit in his seat. You are allowed to be as old-fashioned as you and your fianc agree to be. I am an older woman who generally travels solo. My husband and I were seated in a 2X2 first class section, all settled in. Web1. ignore the intimidation. Generally, you are entitled to sit in the seat that you paid for the one that is printed on your boarding pass. Another option is to say, "Thank you for asking! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. For me its like watching the sunset, they dont get old. 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! The caption when a family asks me to switch seats on the plane so they can sit together, followed by a raised I cannot help you, but perhaps one of the attendants can. This was a very critical situation because the runway was very short, and we would not have been able to stop, pilot Magnar Nordal explained. "Turns out we were seated in front of kids that kicked the seat for the entire 8 hour flight. Some people will be bad tempered about having their request declined, however polite, however reasonable you are, and however good your reasons for declining. Book the right seat first.' 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, The thing that really bothered me, was that a crew member was dead heading and was seated in an empty middle seat in the exit row. There were, however, a few people who sided with Mr Kloss. I am sorry but I am just as important as you are. Newsweek has reached out to u/Unlikely-Strategy596 for comment. An influencer has been applauded for refusing to swap seats on a flight so a family could sit together.. I personally hate travelings so I spent a bit more money to be closer.". I am not giving up my seat I paid $82.00 for. Audrey Peters via TikTok and Richard Sharrocks/Getty Images. I indicated if I switched seats with the elderly lady she would not be sitting next to her husband. It has been a Are you willing to pay me X dollars for me to give up a seat I paid extra for? (Added note: X dollars can be more than you paid, if you want to do so.). Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. How should I respond when people question my life choices after just meeting me? Arleen's video sparked a number of duets and stitches from users who shared their own stories about people they have seen refusing to move seats on a flight.. One user called @lizarddame shared a story on January 15 about traveling with a The second step is to listen to their reason for wanting to move (usually this will be given when someone makes such a request). Well, it sounds nice. You politely declined the offer to switch and now are staying polite. Pretty much an exact duplicate of this question on Travel SE. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek. I didnt say anything but thought after that I should have said no but didnt want to cause a scene. If the request comes from a flight attendant, consider the reasons and either say yes, of course (as I did for the old, frail lady) or no, sorry, I'd much rather not. 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. Rudy Dong/Unsplash. So far so good. If I am traveling alone, I will only exchange seats if they are offering a better seat than the one I am in. We were in our mid-70s at the time. The anonymous passenger said they had started refusing to switch seats altogether unless it was for an upgrade. But not everyone would be willing to move from their comfort zone, and one guy proved hes no exception either. A polite decline will leave you in the seat you reserved. 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. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Travellers unfair seat swap request. Not my fault youre too cheap to pay.. 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. 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. If you have a similar dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. 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. Commenters said they supported his decision, adding that it would be good for the child to learn they couldn't have everything their way. Maybe they glare at you. If I was younger and with no brace, I would consider swapping. Jay Kloss and his wife Zoe were travelling with Virgin Anyone can read what you share. Or I would switch if I was offered a better seat biz or first, or more legroom. For example I am generally happy to swap seats if it helps someone out, but also have no inhibition against asking someone for a swap if it means I can be closer to a friend of family member (sometimes booking seats together just doesn't quite work out for one reason or another). 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 He ignored her and looked at the guy at the window in the same row. Certainly not!" We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. Its one of the most common excuses of all. 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. 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 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. Answer politely and succinctly, give reasons, but don't belabor them. Its not your job to placate anyone though I recognize that women often feel pressured to. 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. Your frustration mid-flight wouldve hardly started until you hear a screaming kid near your seat. I happily switched when they offered to move me to first class! Book your flights earlier babes. Audrey Peters has ignited a furious airline etiquette debate after she refused to swap seats for a 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. Peters did not immediately respond to a request for comment. If they wanted that seat, they could have done the same thing. The first step in my opinion is to assume the person making the request is doing so with good intentions. Terms apply. Youre seated next to a kid or spouse of someone whos sitting several rows away, and theyd wonder if youre ready to switch so they can spend the flight together. But thank you for asking!" "[He] said that 'she hates traveling, but giving her the seat would've made things easier in the end,'" explained the poster. I book my travel well in advance and select my seat at the same time. 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. When it comes to small children, the rules do get thrown out because you cant expect little kids to sit alone. 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.). In this case, my response to "why?" He asked if the man seated in the aisle would mind switching with his wife in the window seat. I was placed across the aisle. You werent wrong to politely refuse a request to move. Unless otherwise requested by a crew member, you arent required to switch places with anyone else. For more Lifestyle related news and videos check out Lifestyle >>. I had booked a flight and paid for my seat on an Air Canada flight from Toronto to Frankfurt for August 31, 2022. I had settled into my aisle seat. Twice. Book your flights earlier babes.. 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. 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. I recently moved from Denver to Saint Paul, Minn. My future husband has four siblings, one of whom is single. 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 I always feel that prefacing a statement with 'sorry' might give the other person a feeling that they have a slight upper hand. 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. 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. His sister occasionally brings a male friend to family events, and they engage in public displays of affection that are awkward for everyone. But cmon, I have kids but have always paid extra to be together. 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. In 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. (Maybe its all three!) A man asked if he was in the wrong to ask a fellow airline passenger to switch seats with him so he could sit by his wife. 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. Replacing broken pins/legs on a DIP IC package, How to handle a hobby that makes income in US. 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. Since it's somewhat unclear, I want to clarify the tone I aim to set: The intention is to show them I am assuming they have good intentions, not to be patronizing or sarcastic. Friedman later said another reason she did not want to move seats was that she had a disability, which led more commenters to take her side in the debate on flight etiquette that her video created. 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. Shall I press the call button so they can help you?". 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. "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.". However, a pilot made a shocking revelation why switching seats before a takeoff can be very dangerous. The traveler stated that they despise aisle seats due to always being bumped by trolleys and other people. Sorry. The lady in that seat was moved one row back. Paying extra didnt count for Jack!!! An influencer who said she refused to move seats on a plane so a family could sit together is being met with a wave of support from viewers who said they thought she's completely in the right. I paid extra for this seat', she recalled. I have long legs, and those seats tend to provide more legroom not that I have to justify myself. "but this was a time not to be tactful." lve resigned myself to expect it for its predictability, and I do feel a little miffed when Im picked again because of my advanced planning, but I just move. I have no children, hence no grandchildren. I will never take a window seat in an exchange unless its in first class. (Lets put aside rules about emergency exit rows and other special circumstances.) 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. Because I am handicapped, I paid the difference and chose the Main Cabin rate to be a little more comfortable. (They could have booked in advance, too.) 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. Disagreeing with an answer is not a reason to comment. Separated 3 travelers to different areas: myself, wife, n teenage niece. Terms apply. Videos about seat switching continue to stir controversy and debate on TikTok. Sign up for notifications from Insider! (I consider this a harmless lie. The internet has backed a Redditor who refused to give up their plane seat so a family could sit together. Plus, 3x points on gas and $100 annual hotel savings. Man refuses to swap plane seats for a mother and her baby because he paid extra to sit there 2 Passenger with no experience lands private plane after pilot incapacitated Palm Beach International Airport/Live ATC Recordings I said no and told him my switching would not solve the elderly ladys request to sit next to her husband. Book the right seat first.' Am I being old-fashioned? Whats your take on switching seats on a plane? This was decades ago and I cant remember why I wasnt in an exit row but a mother sat next to me in the middle and her little boy sat across the aisle in the other middle seat. Personally, Im a softy for switching where children are involved, and less so for adults (if I have a great seat). So I never offer a reason. Have you been in a similar situation where someone requested you to switch places on a flight? Another overweight passenger had booked two seats BUT when he got on the plane, only middle seats were left. 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. Passenger Praised (And I Praise Him Too) For Refusing To Change His Seat For Rude Family. The same happened to the lady beside me. While another reply said: "People need to learn to take the first no graciously. The asker may try to argue, or come up with an alternative solution. If that doesn't deserve a slapdown, what does? On planes, the best seat is in the eye of the beholder. I am keeping the seat I paid for.'". Because of this, not many passengers would be willing to swap seats even if the request is being made from parents who badly want to sit with their kids. 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. 75,000 bonus miles, at least 2x miles on everything. So, I politely refused. A few years ago the passenger next to me was overweight and had booked two seats so Im happy with the extra elbow room. After asking Reddit users if they were in the wrong for refusing to move, commenters started leaving their thoughts overwhelmingly siding with the poster. It's been my experience that when people want a reason, it's to argue. rev2023.3.3.43278. What should I do? Either give me the money or book earlier. She would be sitting next to my husband. 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 Some people realize the seat isnt for them after booking in advance and mostly walk to someone in the aisle seat requesting an exchange. This is rude, one said. 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. They can even offer you a reason to switch. That doesn't mean you need to agree to a bad trade, but don't add to the aggravation by being harsh with them. Watch a movie. These sorts of comments inevitably lead to arguments. Seating arrangements in planes are first-come, first-served, and in some cases, youd get some added perks like extra legroom. That should be the end of it.". On other occasions when flying alone, I found myself in the middle seat between a married couple who hoped the seat would remain vacant. The audio, which originates from a scene in the 2023 thriller movie "The Reading," has been going viral on TikTok in recent weeks and has been used in more than 70,000 videos. But let me ask this: will you ever see these people again? It is not my fault the couple decided to wait for the last possible minute so they would be assigned free seats. Because of that, you owe someone else nothing. A traveller has ignited a furious airline etiquette debate after she refused to swap seats for a family to sit together. Especially if a longer flight. say instead "Thank you for. A man who was unable to book two airline seats next to each other, so he could sit next to his wife became frustrated after a fellow passenger refused to swap 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. Her video has been viewed more than 840,000 times - with a majority of people applauding her for refusing to switch seats. @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. When I travel, I book my flights well in advance. Book your flights earlier babes. Audrey Peters has ignited a furious airline etiquette debate after she refused to swap seats for a family to sit together. Any number of passengers could have done so to accommodate those families. A man asked if he was in the wrong to ask a fellow airline passenger to switch seats with him so he could sit by his wife. I cant believe 2 adults HAVE to sit together on a plane flight. I traveled from Boston to Key West with three kids between 6 and 10, and we were not seated together. Wow, can you believe that? sighed one passenger after a parent started fussing about his refusal. This approach communicates that I have a specific preference (that I arranged for). I am an organized person. She shut up, was taken into the kitchen area and probably got a warning. What is the purpose of this D-shaped ring at the base of the tongue on my hiking boots? We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. One other thought on switching. The New York Times recently featured a story titled: I Refused to Switch Seats on a Plane. Her seat was an aisle seat two rows behind my husband. 60,000 bonus points. However, she refused to swap seats, and the two ultra-Orthodox men switched places with female passengers. Unfortunately, I had to endure the smells for the rest of the trip. If it was really about sitting together, why didn't they ask the people 20 rows back if they'd like the better seats upfront? An airline can refuse to transport a passenger for the reasons listed in its contract of carriage, a legal agreement between the passenger and airline, so long as the refusal is not discriminatory, such as: Being intoxicated or under the influence of illegal drugs. After reading these posts, maybe next time I wont move:). There have been times when our flight was cancelled or missed a connection and there werent seats together. Now I couldnt disclose that at the time of the request and had to decline. And if there were none left, they could have called the airline and figured it out ahead of time. Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. (Lets put aside rules about emergency exit rows and other special circumstances.) Disagree, its just compassion for others. 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. Again, as I figure, a family who had not been willing to pay for three seats together. In October, a woman named Maresa Friedman defended herself for not moving seats in a TikTok that went viral, eliciting a response from another creator who urged her to "do better" and have "compassion" for families. I pick my seats carefully because of my joint condition. Just say no, call the attendant if pressured, and ignore them. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site.