Seat squatting in Exit Row Seats on International Flights

[Fruitcake]

That shouldn't occur.

The CASA "Directions" enabling VA and QF to use 1:37 FA ratio on 737-800s say there must be two pax per row in total. If A/B or A/C were occupied I believe they would comply, even with DEF empty. I've see ABC/DEF blocks empty on flights occasionally - although not for long because I usually moved myself there as soon as the seatbelt sign went off.

Interestingly QF's 1:37 waiver says if you have less than 50 pax total, and only two of them are able-bodied, they need to be seated in 13A/B:
CASA 158/13 - Direction - number of cabin attendants in Boeing 737-800 series aircraft, Qantas Airways Limited

 

[JohnK]

Following that logic, you'd have no problem with some squatter from Y jumping into a spare F or J seat next to you. Somehow, I don't think so.

That is not what I said.

Free for all once doors are closed. Feel free to move about in your cabin.

Would you be upset if someone asked for and was allocated exit row at check-in/lounge etc without paying for it? You wouldn't know and you wouldn't care. What does it matter if someone moved to an exit row in flight and did not take up any of your space?

I would be most disappointed if I was in exit row or bulkhead and someone came and sat next to me in a vacant middle seat but that is about it.

 

[Slime]

I flew Air Asia once and paid for an exit row (very small extra cost) and was by myself but a little old lady moved into one of the spare seats after a few hours. I wondered about it for a moment but she looked so old and frail I just hoped she was more comfortable there. I think if there is an obvious need for someone to have a bit more space and comfort it is OK to forget who paid what for what seat and who is gold provided it is monitored by the FAs.
I think if I were to ever fly Air Asia again I would just get a yellow seat so that the arm rests are not fixed and I could stretch a bit more if the next seat is vacant. I would also bring a coat as no blankets and for some reason the air con was set to freezing on that flight for the whole 8 hours to Sydney.

 

[hdfb]

Three years ago on SIN-MEL leg of LHR-MEL on the A380 (those were the days) I was in a standard seat with two parents on either side each carrying a crying baby on an overnight flight. I asked the CSM if I could be moved into an exit row seat, saying that I actually wanted to purchase one before I boarded the flight but the QF website said it was sold out, but I could see there were two free exit row seats. My request was denied on the basis that pax in those seats paid for it. I was moved to another seat away from the noise.

 

[timster]

Three years ago on SIN-MEL leg of LHR-MEL on the A380 (those were the days) I was in a standard seat with two parents on either side each carrying a crying baby on an overnight flight. I asked the CSM if I could be moved into an exit row seat, saying that I actually wanted to purchase one before I boarded the flight but the QF website said it was sold out, but I could see there were two free exit row seats. My request was denied on the basis that pax in those seats paid for it. I was moved to another seat away from the noise.

I am not sure that the CSM has that information on who paid and who didn't. I had a conversation with one a year or two after QFi started charging. I asked him whether people were generally now paying for them. My impression was that in the early days of charging not many did (because I was still snagging them for free at checkin), but it has now become much more common, if not the norm (ie they're generally all gone by checkin). While CSM agreed, he didn't seem to have any hard information to back that up.

So if a CSM is denying you an exit row based on his assumption, especially after QFi put you in a shocking seat to begin with, I reckon that's a bit rich.