Discrimination against solo travellers?

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ferntree

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Twice in recent weeks, having booked well in advance and selected seat 1C, I have got to the airport, to discover I had been bumped off to seat 2D. The most recent was yesterday.

This might sound to some like the ultimate example of a trivial first world problem, but to me it is important for one reason in particular. I tend to be claustrophobic, which is the main, if not only, reason that I choose to travel J class in the first place. Being near the door of the plane and not having any passengers in front of me makes it sugnificantly easier for me to deal with this. Of only trivial importance is the fact that 2D and 2F usually end up with whatver it is on the lunch menu that no-one else wants.

I raised this matter with the cabin manager, who was very sympathetic and agreed that this was not acceptable. It appeared that the decision had been taken by the "seating agent." Obviously it was too late to reverse the decision at that stage.

I do understand that there can be valid reasons for moving someone from a pre assigned seat, though I had assumed that this would be based on need rather than mere preference. For example, there could be a disabled person travelling with a carer, where they clearly need to sit together, or a passenger with a broken leg who needs the extra legroom.

I don't consider that a married couple who didn't bother to make a selection at the time of booking and then announce at check in that they would like to sit together is a valid reason. At the very least, I should have been asked. Otherwise, what on earth is the point of advance seat selection in the first place? This has never happened to me on any other airline. I would also like to think that Virgin could show more respect to their platinum caustomers.

I'm wondering if anybody else has had this happen to them.
 
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Nope, this has never happened to me on Virgin.

I was once paged in the Qantas lounge to ask if I would move from my pre-selected seat 1A to 1D, so that a couple could sit together. I didn't really mind so agreed to the change, but appreciated being asked.
 
I don't consider that a married couple who didn't bother to make a selection at the time of booking and then announce at check in that they would like to sit together is a valid reason.
That is a very common sight on Jetstar. Often families and parties are split apart, largely as they didn’t bother selecting a seat like the 95% did.

Really pisses me off when Parent 1 or 2 wait until the whole plane is seated, then get up and start asking other passengers if can can move so they can all sit together. They can be quite bossy too....hey you move here...you move there...you switch with me...and so on.

Always a very blunt NO should they ever dare to ask me.

One reason why I tend to avoid loco’s/economy/Jetstar 😂
 
I've never had it happen to me before boarding but once onboard I've been asked to switch quite a lot and I do agree that Virgin (and other airlines) could do much better.

This happened as recently as last week. I had booked VA business in 2F and boarded only to find an old couple who'd claimed my seat because they wanted to sit together. The cabin crew made a whole host of excuses claiming the seats had been double booked (yeh right) and all sorts of other random excuses but it was clear from everyone's boarding pass seat numbers they just wanted to sit together.

I was instead offered 2A which I happily accepted, for me it turned out to be a positive because this old couple were quite rude to everyone so it would have been a pain to sit next to them. What annoyed me is that at 24 hours prior to departure 2D was empty indicating that the couple had most likely done a bid upgrade (their boarding passes had no velocity numbers attached and didn't have a business class fare bucket). I appreciate that their upgrades would have come through late but I think it's rather unreasonable of both the couple (who parked them selves and clearly weren't moving) and also the crew who lied to my face about double booked seats.

At the end of the day as I long as I had a window I couldn't care where I sit but it's the lies (particularly from VA staff) that are really annoying. That being said if I had selected a seat for a specific reason (eg flying into an airport and wanted a view on a specific side) or more importantly I'd paid for a seat then I'm sorry but I'm not moving.

I've had many cases on Jetstar where I've been asked to move to make way for a family or couple (sometimes from the passengers and others from the staff), I'm sorry but all times I've said no because that would have given me a less desirable seat (one time I got offered a switch from row 5 aisle to 25 middle) or in a few cases they seemed happy to separate me from people who I was travelling with. This annoys me as well because on JQ you pay for seat selection and in these cases it's evident that these people haven't paid so I don't understand why they think (either passengers or staff) that it's acceptable to move people.

Finally it totally annoys me when 2 travellers in economy book either A and C or D and F hoping that the middle stays empty. Obviously on many busier flights the middle fills up and then they expect you to switch, if they've already parked them self together and it's a short flight sometimes I'll state that I really want the middle but if they haven't automatically claimed the middle and ask nicely then I'll happily agree. This is something Air New Zealand has nailed, for 2 travellers on the same booking it's now impossible to select seats and leave the middle seat free, the system simply won't allow it.
 
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Haven't been discriminated against whilst flying solo in VA J... then again it's been a while, and back then the J cabin was often sparsely filled unlike QF.

Totally agree a pax shouldn't be discriminated against if travelling solo. Why should my desire to sit in a seat I carefully chose be trumped by a couple's desire to sit together, especially if it's their own darned fault they didn't plan ahead / assumed they'd be seated together.

There have been previous threads about similar topics, which I always find fascinating, and FAs lying often comes up. Wonder if it's because they have to deal with difficult pax feeling entitled to certain seats so many times a day, they simply want to keep the peace and fall back into lying or saying "operational reasons" just to try to get pax to sit down and shut up asap so the flight can get away on time.

(PS I avoid being a DYKWIA P1 or WP... flying on some airlines where I'm not even a member but can still somehow choose seats ahead of time, I still believe others shouldn't come along and try to kick me out.)
 
I cannot recall I have been bumped out of my seat with either VA or QF. Like others have mentioned I have been paged in the lounge and asked if I would swap seats most of the time I will. I have offered to swap seats on the aircraft when it was apparent that the person in 1A was the travelling companion with the person in 1D. I have always assumed that on most occasions that PAX in these situations are last minute upgrades and the ability to sit together has not been available.
 
I do understand that there can be valid reasons for moving someone from a pre assigned seat, though I had assumed that this would be based on need rather than mere preference. For example, there could be a disabled person travelling with a carer, where they clearly need to sit together, or a passenger with a broken leg who needs the extra legroom.
Anyone in those situations should not be in a exit row seat at all....
 
Have been asked many times on Qantas but never without my consent. Often in business class by the cabin manager on boarding.

I've had a quite a few OPUPs flying solo. Might be the easy solution if they're looking for some spare seats, especially if you're seated near the bulkhead / bassinettes.
 
Haven’t been bumped by VA for many years as a WP and do the bulk of my J flights as a solo. I do prefer the front row and there has been occasions when I’ve booked and the seats are taken but on check in I’ve requested to be moved and the staff have willingly obliged. Have got the occasional stare from passengers who were probably bumped from the seat 🤣
 
… on check in I’ve requested to be moved and the staff have willingly obliged. Have got the occasional stare from passengers who were probably bumped from the seat 🤣
Perhaps a glare, masquerading as a stare. They guess that you are someone important.
 
Haven’t been bumped by VA for many years as a WP and do the bulk of my J flights as a solo. I do prefer the front row and there has been occasions when I’ve booked and the seats are taken but on check in I’ve requested to be moved and the staff have willingly obliged. Have got the occasional stare from passengers who were probably bumped from the seat 🤣

I would definitely not have admitted to doing that on this forum.

Karma's a b*tch.
 
I would definitely not have admitted to doing that on this forum.

Karma's a b*tch.
I’ve been bumped from J to Y a few times on QF domestic over the years and from CX HKG-CDG once before so I guess karma is evening itself out 🤣
 
I’ve been bumped from J to Y a few times on QF domestic over the years and from CX HKG-CDG once before so I guess karma is evening itself out 🤣
That may have been in the old days when you were not that important. 🤭
 
I got moved from row 3 to 14 once as they did not have enough in the exit rows.

OK, fair enough, but why on earth would you move a Platinum in 3C instead of literally anyone else who had a standard seat and would welcome the extra legroom?
 
I got moved from row 3 to 14 once as they did not have enough in the exit rows.

OK, fair enough, but why on earth would you move a Platinum in 3C instead of literally anyone else who had a standard seat and would welcome the extra legroom?
Not if you tell them about your vision or hearing impairment. But yes, there would surely be someone else who would have benefited.
 
Maybe comes down to the definition of " discrimination"
 
Maybe comes down to the definition of " discrimination"
You're right. I think the only logical thing here is to go complete opposite and ban anyone who isn't travelling solo :p.
 
I’ve only ever been upgraded on QF travelling solo - never moved by them otherwise.

VA1 (pre collapse / Bain days) tried to move me once flying solo in the lounge. I was in economy and had my preferred seat selected. I was paged and asked if I would move for some ‘juggling of families’…

I said sure - if it’s to row 1 or 2! They laughed until they realised I was serious. I then told them to ask someone else :)
 
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