A couple embarking on their honeymoon failed to book seats together on the plane ride. After asking Reddit users if they were in the wrong for refusing to move, commenters started leaving their thoughts overwhelmingly siding with the poster. How did you react? WebAnswer (1 of 4): You are under no obligation to switch seats if asked. He was crying, I want to sit next to you, Mom! so before she even asked, I volunteered to switch. If I was asked to switch, I would do it if it was an equal seat, ie, aisle, not right by the bathroom. So, I politely refused. WebAITA for refusing to switch airplane seats twice? Anyone can read what you share. Can you explain this part? We asked why and were told we were in the wrong seats. I Refused to Switch Seats on a Plane. But let me ask this: will you ever see these people again? I had booked a flight and paid for my seat on an Air Canada flight from Toronto to Frankfurt for August 31, 2022. "Turns out we were seated in front of kids that kicked the seat for the entire 8 hour flight. We were unable to verify the details of this case. 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. We would just suck it up and sit apart. The fares were $531.00 for a Basic Economy seat and $688.00 for a Main Cabin seat a price difference of $157.00. What am I doing wrong here in the PlotLegends specification? However, the bizarre requests didnt stop there. Was I Wrong? 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I find myself bristling at how pushy she is: insisting that I parent like she does or attend events Ive already told her I dont want to go to. If I'm dead-set on not moving, I'd say "Thank you for offering, but I'll keep my seat" which implies they were trying to do you a favor and you've (politely) declined, while asserting your claim to the seat in question. I would also get on the plane early and ask the passenger before they got settled in. No one in their right mind would go from a window or an aisle seat to a middle seat. "NTA (not the a**hole). No Im not switching for a middle seat. On other occasions when flying alone, I found myself in the middle seat between a married couple who hoped the seat would remain vacant. He came back and asked me to switch seats. No Im not switching for a middle seat. I asked where he was and stewardess pointed out the husband in the very back of first class. An influencer has been applauded for refusing to swap seats on a flight so a family could sit together.. Needless to say, she walked away defeated and I kept my seat. Shortly before take off three flight attendants showed up, called my name and when I identified myself I was LITERALLY pulled off my seat by my arm and given a new boarding pass. The first step in my opinion is to assume the person making the request is doing so with good intentions. 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 ALWAYS ask for your money back if you dont get the seat you PAID for. My kid could be seated five rows away. When Garg refused to switch seats, her seatmate began 'muttering profanities' about her for the duration of the flight. Watch a movie. It turned out that the gentlemen beside me now was her husband. 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. 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. 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. This usually lets me claim my preferred seat: on the aisle in the bulkhead row. Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people looking to improve their interpersonal communication skills. For help with your awkward situation, send a question to SocialQ@nytimes.com, to Philip Galanes on Facebook or @SocialQPhilip on Twitter. Why are trials on "Law & Order" in the New York Supreme Court? When I travel, I book my flights well in advance. Answer politely and succinctly, give reasons, but don't belabor them. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/03/style/airplane-seat-etiquette-social-qs.html. say instead "Thank you for. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Commenters said they supported his decision, adding that it would be good for the child to learn they couldn't have everything their way. Bulkhead seats usually have ample legroom than the other seats of the same fare class. When Ive seen elderly couples board late and be likely to be separated, Ive offered without being asked. Yes, its a tough situation with all the traveling Dynamics but I think youre within your rights to want to keep the seat that you have unless theres not an upgrade or a reasonable alternative or similar seat available. So I never offer a reason. Is it okay to ask someone to swap seats on a plane? I like it here. She told me I HAD to move to a middle seat near the back of the plane. He asked if the man seated in the aisle would mind switching with his wife in the window seat. Smile and be polite yet firm. 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. 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. And I, as well, really dont care how adorable your kids are. Keep in mind, though, that his sister may be very important to him. The lady in that seat was moved one row back. Because of that, you owe someone else nothing. 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. I was very upset but it was too late to complain. Her seat was an aisle seat two rows behind my husband. I indicated if I switched seats with the elderly lady she would not be sitting next to her husband. Johnny Jet does not include all card companies or all card offers available in the marketplace. To his dismay, he was the womans husband, and he never bothered to give up his seat either. In a TikTok post which has now garnered more than 900,000 views, Audrey Peters toasts the camera with a glass of fizz.. I think the flight crews should be more proactive about that when they see an uncomfortable seating arrangement, when they have crew on travelling on board. 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. Sure, others can ask why. Meanwhile, some offered an explanation as to why seats can often split groups up. Obviously if the other person is way taller than you, give her the seat ;). 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. When it comes to small children, the rules do get thrown out because you cant expect little kids to sit alone. Usually I would switch, it depends on the situation. But you may be able to short-circuit these annoying conversations. I recently had an AA flight from Atlanta to LA, and paid for a preferred seat on the aisle as I usually do. We will not stop that. Some readers will correctly object that flight attendants are too harried on today's crowded flights to do much seat-rearranging. The pilot kept asking in different ways/ I kept saying no. However, he refused and said hed paid for the extra legroom, but the woman didnt stop condemning him: ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! Tim Nickerson has learned just how aggressive the commandeering of seats can be. Precisely! This dear, young woman ended up sprawling all over the poor lady sitting next to her. It is crazy to expect people to give up an aisle seat for the middle seat. 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. Of course, I agreed. 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. Another wrote: I love you! This usually lets me claim my preferred seat: on the aisle in the bulkhead row. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered. A passenger has been praised online after refusing to swap seats twice on a 10-hour flight. 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. Credit: Audrey Peters. He shared his experience, saying: I just simply raised my hand so the child couldnt reach, so I said in a louder tone, please control your child, which made the mom grab the boy and freak out at me and her screaming at me that I shouldnt be such an [expletive] and only think about me.. After all, maybe youd paid extra for this particular seat or chose it after careful research. Plan ahead or drive. Once on board the plane, which was a packed flight, I was approached by a crew member stating they had a couple who wanted to sit together and asked if I would give up my seat for them, I refused telling her I was handicapped and I chose my seat based on the closeness of the bathroom which was still a short walk. Another said: People dont realise that airlines make changes to seats you paid and booked for, months in advance., While one added: The airline separates families all the time even though you book well in advance happened to me.. She complained about me all the way to her seat and I was stared at/ glared at. I was a little shook up but my response made my daytill she accosted me again when getting my luggage so I notified the police in the area at LaGuardia and they walked her to their office. 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 for others, no. But this spurs more questions, or silent but detectable hostility and scowling from some of these rejected seatmates. Im happy to be cordial when I see her, but she isnt taking the hint when I respond to her invitations by saying Im busy. They keep coming. But I didnt want to move! In literally hundreds of flights, I have been asked only twice to change seats, once by the flight attendant to allow a very elderly and frail woman to sit next to a member of her family, who was seated next to me. In February, a TikToker received more than 9 million views on a post in which he used the audio to document the moment he refused to let a crying child take the last spot on a Formula 1 test ride. 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. It's an unspoken rule when it comes to seat swaps | Photo: Unsplash/chrisbrignola. A traveller has ignited a furious airline etiquette debate after she refused to swap seats for a family to sit together. It leaves the door open for them to propose something different that still satisfies my requirement; if a family is trying to do seat-Tetris to sit together, maybe that information helps them. I think its a tough call. It has been a A polite decline will leave you in the seat you reserved. This is your wedding. They should have had the crew member move out of that premium seat and let either me or this guy sit there.