Who actually has rights to spare seats on a plane???

[Mal]

I noticed an interesting situation on a flight, and curious what people think. I don't know all the details, but here is my best estimation of what happened.

Passenger X was allocated seat D on a twin aisle plane. This is the first seat in the block of 4 seats in the middle of economy of the plane.

Seats E, F and G were not occupied. I don't know if the ground staff blocked them for X.

Passenger X got onboard, and sat in seat E, then put some belongings on seat D and G to imply that the row was taken. I could see that they were getting ready to snooze by lying across the four seats.

Before take-off, another passenger, Passenger Y was moved to seat G due to being next to a lapchild (I think) and the FA's wanting to give more space to the child/mother in their original row. There was some comment from the FA about Platinum, so I assume that Passenger X was a Plat Qantas FF.

Passenger X stretched out over the three spare seats (D,E,F) and slept most of the journey. Passenger Y was quite annoyed at Passenger X's behaviour, but staff couldn't do anything about it. There was lots of muttering about "Passenger X only paid for one seat", death stares and similar nasty comments. Pax Y never confronted Pax X.

In this situation, do you think that Passenger X was in the wrong?

PS - I wasn't Passenger X, nor Y, just a curious bystander!
PPS - Oh and Pax Y, I don't think it was appropriate for you to take photos of Pax X while he was sleeping for whatever purpose you have in mind for the photos (complaint to Qantas? Show to friends?)

 

[Hvr]

So mutterings about Pax X only paying for one seat, did any other pax pay for more than one seat?

With regards to pax Y, did they get told by the FA not to stretch out over any other seat? If not it sound like pax X moved first and got the sleeping seats.

Very similiar to the arm rest debate.

 

[Travel Guru]

I don't necessarily think its a clear cut case of right and wrong.

I do think that pax X was severaly lacking in manners and common courtesy towards pax Y by doing what he did, and was extremely presumptative by jumping on board and attempting to block off a whole row.

Just because someone has platinum status doesn't give him the right to unoccupied seats, and certainly doesn't excuse him from having manners.

I sympathise with pax Y as I would have been rather pissed off myself, as you'd think 2 seats each would have been the decent thing to do.

I guess some people's heads become stuck up their cough's when they hit platinum and suddenly think "their **** don't stink"


Interesting post MAL, im sure others may differ in their views, but in my opinion pax X needs to take a look at themselves.

TG

 

[v8Statesman]

Now that is a curious one. Couldn't the FA's have moved Y to another row? (How full was the rest of the plane?)

 

[simongr]

Also if pax X paid for one seat so did pax y so why would pax y have any entitlement to the seats that pax X "stole". Everytime I fly I realise how lucky I am to be in J.

 

[Mal]

Now that is a curious one. Couldn't the FA's have moved Y to another row? (How full was the rest of the plane?)

Not too full, but didn't see any similarly spare 3 spare seat rows in my vision. Most other central areas were D/G pax, or various combinations of partners with the D/G pax.

Also, like I indicated in the original post, I don't know everything about the situation, and didn't chat with either pax to get their views. I may be slightly incorrect in certain parts of my story as I don't know everything and was was absorbed in my own world when bits of it happened

 

[Petch]

I was in a similar position to passenger X, last week on a JQ A320.

I had taken a risk and booked/paid for several JetSaver tickets, well in advance, at a good rate - but on the day, ended up travelling alone. The important thing to remember is, when I had booked the flight, I pre-allocated seating, so we would all be seated together.

Of course when it comes to check-in, no one was allocated these seats, as the others could have arrived just prior to the 30minute check-in close off, and no one else could check in after that any way.

So, on a fairly full flight, I ended up with 2 empty seats beside me. A situation I took advantage of. After all, I had paid for those seats, so as far as I was concerned they were mine, and not some lucky draw for the punters.

The general point: When you see "empty seats" never assume that they have not already been allocated to someone... Empty seats doesn't mean "free for all", if you have paid for 1 seat, then that is what you should expect to get!

 

[Travel Guru]

Everytime I fly I realise how lucky I am to be in J.

Im hearing you there Simon....thankyou God!

TG

 

[JohnK]

In this situation, do you think that Passenger X was in the wrong?

I have no doubt assuming they only paid for one seat. Common courtesy and manners would have ensured that they both had 2 seats each. One other solution would have been for passenger Y to sit in the F seat and leave seat G vacant.

I have been in this situation on a number of occassions and luckily the other passenger involved would only use the 2 seats on their side of the row. The most recent was last year on a BNE-SIN flight and I had a tantrum child in my row. I could sense this was going to be a problem flight and searched a few rows back and found a lady sitting in D seat alone. I asked if I could sit in the G seat and we shared 1 spare seat each for the entire flight.

 

[straitman]

I noticed an interesting situation on a flight, and curious what people think. I don't know all the details, but here is my best estimation of what happened.

Passenger X was allocated seat D on a twin aisle plane. This is the first seat in the block of 4 seats in the middle of economy of the plane.

Seats E, F and G were not occupied. I don't know if the ground staff blocked them for X.

Passenger X got onboard, and sat in seat E, then put some belongings on seat D and G to imply that the row was taken. I could see that they were getting ready to snooze by lying across the four seats.

Before take-off, another passenger, Passenger Y was moved to seat G due to being next to a lapchild (I think) and the FA's wanting to give more space to the child/mother in their original row. There was some comment from the FA about Platinum, so I assume that Passenger X was a Plat Qantas FF.

Passenger X stretched out over the three spare seats (D,E,F) and slept most of the journey. Passenger Y was quite annoyed at Passenger X's behaviour, but staff couldn't do anything about it. There was lots of muttering about "Passenger X only paid for one seat", death stares and similar nasty comments. Pax Y never confronted Pax X.

In this situation, do you think that Passenger X was in the wrong?

PS - I wasn't Passenger X, nor Y, just a curious bystander!
PPS - Oh and Pax Y, I don't think it was appropriate for you to take photos of Pax X while he was sleeping for whatever purpose you have in mind for the photos (complaint to Qantas? Show to friends?)

I had a similar situation a couple of years ago. Slightly different though, but here is my best estimation of what happened.

Passenger X was allocated seat D on a twin aisle plane. This is the first seat in the block of 4 seats in the middle of economy of the plane.

Seats E, F were not occupied. I know that the ground staff blocked them for X.

Passenger X got onboard, and sat in seat E, then put some belongings on seat F. He was getting ready to snooze by lying across the three seats.

Before take-off, another passenger, Passenger Y sat in seat G. There was some comment about Platinum, and I know that Passenger X was a Plat Qantas FF.

This is where the story is different!

Passenger Y stretched out over the three seats (E,F,G) and slept most of the journey. Passenger X was left with only seat D and was quite annoyed at Passenger Y's behaviour, but staff couldn't do anything about it. There was lots of muttering about "Passenger Y only paid for one seat", death stares and similar nasty comments. Pax X never confronted Pax Y.

In this situation, do you think that Passenger Y was in the wrong?

PS - I was Passenger X!
PPS - Mrs straitman was Passenger Y!
PPPS - No photos of Pax Y were taken while she was sleeping.

 

[serfty]

This may not sound reasonable nor fair, but general aircraft WHY etiquette could be described as "the quick or the sitting up"!

I could go through several examples of this but suffice to say; without the intervention of a Crew member if a seat is unused on take off, when the seat belt sign goes off what you can reasonably claim is generally yours for the flight.

It's not so much an issue for me these days as a WP and preallocated exit rows but as an SG I was often offered a seat in an otherwise empty row with the other adjacent seats in the row "blocked".

I found this was fine with a row of three, but it was very hard as a solo PAX to defend both ends of a row of 4.

If I do have a row of three with the other two seats blocked, I ask for the aisle to be allocated to me with the middle and window blocked - it's far easier to defend from the aisle position.

 

[kpc]

In this situation, do you think that Passenger Y was in the wrong?

Bill; If Y = SWMBO, then Y is NEVER wrong, if Y =// SWMBO, then Y is DEFINITELY wrong!

 

[kpc]

If I do have a row of three with the other two seats blocked, I ask for the aisl to be allocated to me with the middle and window blocked - it's far easier to defend from the aisle position.

As an SG

Hi Serfty, do you simply ring QF up to block the seat next to you? It might be a strategy to consider for my upcoming RTW in Y:idea:

 

[Skoogle]

Common courtesy and manners would have ensured that they both had 2 seats each.

I see it that Passenger Y got 2 seats, being G & the original seat.

 

[JohnK]

I see it that Passenger Y got 2 seats, being G & the original seat.

In my experience passenger X got to have the D & E seats and passenger Y got to have F & G seats. I think this is fair for both passengers.

 

[serfty]

Hi Serfty, do you simply ring QF up to block the seat next to you? It might be a strategy to consider for my upcoming RTW in Y:idea:

Its' a check-in thing; politely ask at the premium counters when checking in.

I suggest using an availability tool to make sure the loadings are light before asking. Also, the first two times I had this I was actually offered it at check in as an SG.

 

[Reggie]

Straitman,

I haven't laughed so hard in a while, thankyou for your story.

 

[Dave Noble]

Even if check in soft blocks a seat, it still doesn't mean that someone cannot choose to sit there. If wanting to ensure additional space, then QF will sell an additional seat

Dave

 

[International Lady]

Checkin cannot BLOCK seats unless there is a valid reason eg. oversold J cabin so a downgrade is offered, they give him/her a row of 4 along with other compensation. But if this was the case, the crew would be aware and would not have put pax Y in seat G.

Pax X just sounds like someone with absolute no manners whatsoever. Surely one extra seat should be a bonus. Pax Y did not need to start any confrontation, but could have politely asked Pax X to move along one seat so they too could have some extra room! If he was asleep at the time, I would have put the reading lights on and stayed up to read all night! Maybe the odd few drops of water splashed on his face - blame it on turbulence?!

Where is the picture going to end up I wonder?

 

[serfty]

Checkin cannot BLOCK seats unless there is a valid reason eg. oversold J cabin so a downgrade is offered, they give him/her a row of 4 along with other compensation. But if this was the case, the crew would be aware and would not have put pax Y in seat G. ...

Hmmm, in that case a valid reason can be a high status PAX on a lightly loaded flight.

Last year I stood at the old F check-in desk at MEL while the agent contacted AKL to ensure seats beside mine remained blocked on QF25 ex AKL as they were doing for me ex MEL.

Whether the crew look at the passenger documentation printouts or not is another matter.