Asking someone on a plane to trade seats so my wife and I can sit together -- is it OK? What's the etiquette? (airport, flights)
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I ask people to switch seats with me all the darn time. I've only been told no once. I don't care what the other passengers think. I prefer to sit with my husband as we have a toddler. The stupid airlines should automatically seat us together.
You have a right to sit together and most times other people dont mind.
Sorry, but you don’t have the right to sit together unless you paid for it. The airlines are selling seats on a plane. Their model is if you want to be guaranteed to be sat together, you choose the seats you want and pay for them (if required). Otherwise, the airlines will assign seats to those who haven’t chose once the ones who have chose and paid are taken care of first.
It’s not like you just dropped a baby while on vacation all of a sudden. You know your situation going in, so relying on the kindness of strangers is presumptuous. You need to account for your “must sit together” requirement in your travel budget and plan accordingly.
sorry, but you don’t have the right to sit together unless you paid for it. The airlines are selling seats on a plane. Their model is if you want to be guaranteed to be sat together, you choose the seats you want and pay for them (if required). Otherwise, the airlines will assign seats to those who haven’t chose once the ones who have chose and paid are taken care of first.
It’s not like you just dropped a baby while on vacation all of a sudden. You know your situation going in, so relying on the kindness of strangers is presumptuous. You need to account for your “must sit together” requirement in your travel budget and plan accordingly.
I was asked recently so a husband and wife could sit together in business class. I was already in my seat. They both had aisle seats across from each other in my row. I said no because I wanted a window seat. I hate the aisle.
That's where you're wrong . I only ask to prefer to sit with my husband so we can be with our child. Child. How's that hard for you to understand?
Plan ahead like I always do, otherwise you might have to spend some time separated from your family. Not to sound like an ass here, but that’s not my problem. Frankly, if it meant that much to you, you’d plan early enough to accommodate the child you decided to have.
The entitlement exhibited in your post is the exact reason I’d tell you no.
You ask the stewardess not the passenger- you asked —
There is a thin line between asking a fellow passenger to give up his paid assigned seat and bullying him to do so -been there done that
On a flight from Europe my wife and I had booked months apart so we ended up opposite sides of the plan and a few rows behind. We both had window seats. I asked the guy next to me if he would swap seats with my wife but he said no as he doesn't like window seats. He certainly did not seem the least bit offended and answered as politely as I asked. After bordering wss completed the seat next to my wife was still empty so I swapped it with the missing passenger.
If you ask politely and explain the other passenger has no reason to be offended, or compelled.
In a couple of days we'll be returning home via a two-leg journey with United Airlines. We wanted to upgrade to first class, but the website only let me do it for the first flight. For the second flight I see that there are first class seats available, but they are all single seats. Assuming that UAL will let me choose two of those seats (more on that below), would it be presumptuous of me to ask the person next to me to trade seats with my wife? I mention that it's first class because, unlike coach class, we can safely assume that all the seats in the cabin are good seats; it's not like I would be asking someone to move from a good seat to a particularly bad or uncomfortable seat.
I'm not sure UAL will let me do this in any case, because when I tried to choose two of the separate seats the website erred out.
It's only presumptuous if you EXPECT them to say yes. I was asked, very nicely, and I obliged. Happy couple and my drinks were comped for the rest of the flight by the staff.
In a couple of days we'll be returning home via a two-leg journey with United Airlines. We wanted to upgrade to first class, but the website only let me do it for the first flight. For the second flight I see that there are first class seats available, but they are all single seats. Assuming that UAL will let me choose two of those seats (more on that below), would it be presumptuous of me to ask the person next to me to trade seats with my wife? I mention that it's first class because, unlike coach class, we can safely assume that all the seats in the cabin are good seats; it's not like I would be asking someone to move from a good seat to a particularly bad or uncomfortable seat.
I think it's reasonable as long as the person closest to the back asks the person in the next seat to trade-up closer to the front. I don't see why that wouldn't work.
I have changed seats before so a family could sit with their child. It was great because the stewardess noticed it and gave me all kinds of free food.
Whoever said to buy the person a drink or two has the right idea.
One day, I and a couple of other passengers were asked to move towards the back of the plane to balance the load. I asked to remain where I was because I feel safer towards the front of the plane.
Person towards the front should have no problem swapping seats with someone sitting farther back in first class or otherwise.
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