Has someone asked to swap seats with you?

[mollyanna58]

I haven't flown much in the past few years, but I keep seeing stories about entitled people demanding someone switch seats with them (frequently offering a less desirable seat).

Have you changed seats or would you if asked?


www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/witty-rebuttals-17-clever-comebacks-for-when-someone-requests-your-airplane-seat/ss-AA1dRY7h?ocid=entnewsntp&cvid=39d7399dcb1e417783250985f636079a&ei=33#interstitial=3

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

Nope. If I paid extra for a more comfortable seat, my ass is staying where I paid for.

[Pink Cashmere]

I haven’t flown in several years, but no I would not swap seats. Well, I probably would if the person had a good reason for asking, but I don’t fly enough to even know what that good reason could be lol.

[jerseygirl]

If someone does just say no . Or ask where the person’s seat is, maybe it’s better!

If you don’t want to move and person is complaining just ask flight attendant to help

[TheOtherMe]

I don't swap seats unless it's to a better seat than I have.  That has only happened one time.  

If it was someone elderly or a child who was going to end up sitting alone, I would consider it but it would have to be a seat in the same fare range that I paid for.

[laterbloomer]

I've switched so family could sit together, but I got a seat of equal comfort.

[Sharon]

I offered to swap seats once so a family could sit together, best decision ever.  Mom was in the window seat, little boy was in the middle, and I was in the aisle.  Grandma was in the other aisle seat directly across from me.  I switched with Grandma and that stopped them from talking over me and the little boy was extra wiggly. 

[Tennesseer]

Never asked.  But if asked it would depend upon the reason why asked, the seat I would t was me if I agreed and the length /time in air of the flight.  

It's one thing to be uncomfortable for an hour long flight.  Quite a another thing to be uncomfortable for an 8-12 hour flight.

[cktc]

Never been asked and also wondered if this is really a big issue. I book the last row by the restroom when travelling solo with kids because that is pretty much the only way for us to guarantee that we can sit together. No one wants my seats.

Personally I feel this is an airline created problem with separating seat reservations from ticket price and allowing orphan middle seats.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Earlier this year, another passenger tried to tell us that DD (adultish) and I didn't get the seats we'd reserve because an attendant had told them they could have it to sit with their pre-teen. I hadn't gone too far in the thought process when another attendant said, "she can't sit there". The pre-teen was trying to sit in the emergency exit row. Anyhoo, we had our seats back.


When DH flies, he needs whatever seat it is he's paid for. He has massive mental gymnastics to go through when we fly. If someone tried to tell him to move seats, he'd assume it was a death plan. If he could somehow get past that with no worries, then it would still depend on if they were trying to separate us. If we'd paid to ensure we had seats next to each other, separating us would not be something he could handle.  

[djAdvocate]

Jul 14, 2023 15:28:53 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Never asked.  But if asked it would depend upon the reason why asked, the seat I would t was me if I agreed and the length /time in air of the flight.  

It's one thing to be uncomfortable for an hour long flight.  Quite a another thing to be uncomfortable for an 8-12 hour flight.

you could say 8+, Tenn.
the flight home from Turkiye is 13:50

[Tennesseer]

Jul 14, 2023 16:49:35 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Jul 14, 2023 15:28:53 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Never asked.  But if asked it would depend upon the reason why asked, the seat I would t was me if I agreed and the length /time in air of the flight.  

It's one thing to be uncomfortable for an hour long flight.  Quite a another thing to be uncomfortable for an 8-12 hour flight.

you could say 8+, Tenn.
the flight home from Turkiye is 13:50

I once flew non-stop New York to Tokyo in the mid '70s (connect there to flight to Hong Kong). It was at least 12+ hours and then another 4+ hour flight. Those long flights hurt even in the most comfortable seats.

[chiver78]

I got asked once, by a FA, this was easily 10y ago. I was in an aisle seat, reading a book, and the middle was open. the FA started off by asking if I intended to read the whole flight, and would I mind switching to a seat where the tv was broken? offered free drinks, huge thanks, all of that. I did intend to read that whole flight, so I moved. he moved a pair of early-20s ladies into my seat and the open middle. I ended up in an aisle seat, where the window was a mother with her squirmy toddler that would have been a lap child had I not agreed to a swap. instead, he got to stretch out in the middle seat under my zip-up hoodie, and all was right in the world. 

fast forward a few days, I had flown BOS-TPA on Wed/Mon around a weekend music cruise. imagine my surprise on Monday afternoon, to find my aisle seat is across from the same woman and toddler, with a random older couple in the middle/aisle. that older couple were grandparents, and they were phenomenal in keeping the toddler soothed. the flight was PACKED, and one of them basically just stood in the aisle while the other kept the kid entertained while he stood in the open seat. it would have only been more perfect if we'd had the same FA crew. lol....how random?! 

[imawino]

If someone was ever offering up a seat better than the one I had, I would.  But I have been asked on multiple occasions and I assure you that has never been the case.  So thanks but no thanks.

[Tiny]

I did a seat swap on a plane years ago. Seating was "first come first serve", I was flying alone. By me moving to a different single seat - a couple and their tween got to sit more or less together. We were on the plane for 3 hours. The seat I got was comparable to the one I gave up. I didn't really care where I sat (I didn't need to be the first person off the plane for example.) I had my own headphones/music and a book. I was good.


Today, if I was traveling alone, I would consider a seat swap (if I didn't pay for some sort of "perk" to get the seat/area I was sitting in) BUT I might say no - depending on where the new seat was and the length of the flight and the people in the new seat's area. I might not want to sit in the "we're all drunk! waaaa hooo!" section.

FYI:  That was the worst flight every - being near a traveling group of people who were all high/tipsy when they got on the plane and got progressively worse (loud/belligerent/constantly getting up and down and moving around and LOUD) as the flight progressed.  

[flamingo]

I was asked to switch recently. I had paid for an aisle exit row. I’m 6 foot tall, with really long legs, so I do everything I can to get a seat with extra legroom. Anyway the girl in the middle seat next to me asked if I’d switch with her boyfriend. I had my headphones in and didn’t hear the first time she asked. When I did finally hear, she had an attitude. I said, uh, where is your boyfriend? He was 5 rows back in a middle seat! No way! I was very polite, and said oh, no thank you. She literally said to me “you don’t have to be a Karen about it”. 

They ended up buying the Wi-Fi so they could text the whole 4 hour flight. It was so weird. But while I’d consider switching for a same or better seat, no way am I switching to a much worse seat so a grown adult can sit next to her significant other. 

[ners]

I was only asked once and I switched.  A husband & wife booked window and aisle seats with hopes of no one booking the middle sear.  My original flight was cancelled and I ended up in the middle seat.  This was a no brainer.  I had the window seat.  

[tractor]

As a frequent flier, I too get fairly selective when selecting a seat. I have never been asked to move, but one time on a four hour flight, I found someone else sitting in my seat when I boarded. The young couple decided it would be OK to sit together and I would just have to find someplace else. I made the young man move, and sat next to a sighing, pouting teenage girl the whole flight (put my earbuds in so I didn't care).

When my wife goes with me and our seats are apart, people often ask if we want to sit together and her response is often "him? I see him all the time, I'd rather sit next to someone else for a change"

[Deleted]

I have switched when an FA asked for volunteers so a family could sit together.  And I will happily take the middle over the window because I don't want to see outside the plane ever.  

[ripvanwinkle]

I've switched once so a family could sit together. But I was told by a FA that the reason for assigned seats is that in case of, god forbid, a accident the airline would know who was in the seat if no other ID on the body was available.

[thyme4change]

I switched once so a family could sit together- it was like 30 years ago. Space between rows was bigger then, so air travel was marginally less uncomfortable. I was in an aisle seat and knew I would likely end up in a middle seat - but felt like I was being kind. They ended up moving me to first class. SCORE!!

I have been asked several times to move from a window seat to a middle seat so two adults could sit together. Both times I refused.

[swamp]

Only if you are moving my happy ass to first class will I switch. 

[seriousthistime]

Aug 8, 2023 10:03:17 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

I switched once so a family could sit together- it was like 30 years ago. Space between rows was bigger then, so air travel was marginally less uncomfortable. I was in an aisle seat and knew I would likely end up in a middle seat - but felt like I was being kind. They ended up moving me to first class. SCORE!!

I have been asked several times to move from a window seat to a middle seat so two adults could sit together. Both times I refused.

If the seats are comparable, I'll switch.  I generally don't select a seat that requires me to pay extra, but I do like aisle, then window, and prefer not to be in a middle seat.  If I have an uncomfortably close connecting flight, my preference is a standard aisle seat as close to the front of the plane as possible.


Once XH and I were flying together and had bulkhead seats. He had the aisle, I had the middle seat next to him but there was plenty of extra room so I was good.  Another couple boarded the plane and their seats were the aisle seat across from XH, and he window seat next to me.  I tried to switch seats so they could sit together, and XH flat out refused.  They had not asked to switch seats but if it were me, I would have appreciated that someone offered to switch. So instead of me taking the seat across the aisle from XH and letting the other couple sort out who would sit where in the two seats next to XH, the couple proceeded to talk to each other almost non-stop, across me, XH, and the aisle.  That was annoying. 

If it's a family with small kids, I would switch to a middle seat if it meant they could all be together. Not for families with older kids though, and probably not if I have paid for my preferred seat.