"Will anyone please swap so this family can sit together?"

[thehound]

Well, I clearly didn't expect any one to swap my Y seat with a J seat as I had already swapped my seat with leg room for a normal Y seat to accommodate this families separation.

I was only going off your original comment:

I felt like walking up to them and saying she could've had my seat for her J seat. Seemed like it would've been a fair swap...

I commend you for doing what most would agree is the right thing and swapping to allow the father to sit with his kids.

 

[TerryW]

I would like to add my experience about swapping seats.Last year two of us travelled Bne to Cns with Virgin.At check-in our seats were reallocate so we were no longer together,a bit annoyed but no big deal.After we leveled out the people ask my companion if he would change seats so the nanny could sit with some of their family.He said we have been split up as well but moved as asked.When it came time to pay for the extra food my companion said to the cabin attendant i am paying for two and the other traveller is a couple of rows back.A short time later the Cabin Manager came down to confirm what we had done for the other passengers and asked if we would like to move up to row 3 as there were spare seats up front.I guess Karma comes into play.First off the plane was added bonus.

 

[Guvner]

15 years and over.

Seat Selection Conditions | Qantas

I flew VA BNE MEL last week in an exit row and the two pax in the row with me were in their late 80's. I know this because they took delight in telling me.

from the VA conditions: Extra Leg Room Conditions | Virgin Australia

I'm backing there's 2 or 3 criteria that could not be met.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

So I sit down for my flight today on QF769 MEL to PER in my pre-selected seat 24D only to notice the last passengers in our cabin were 2 kids and their dad.

The kids are seated next to me and the dad sat 2 rows behind aisle side.

He asks me before take off if we can swap in which I ofcourse complied (I really wanted to be selfish to maintain legroom/no one reclining on to me but I don't like sitting next to kids...).

I was really annoyed though when I noticed a female pax from J come into the Y cabin and take one of the kids seats, turns out its the guys wife. I felt like walking up to them and saying she could've had my seat for her J seat.

Seemed like it would've been a fair swap for me since they were more than happy to let one of their kids sit in J unattended by a parent... Anyways...

Has all the hallmarks of people on staff travel - pax last on after being onloaded at the last minute with one of the parents snagging the last seat in J and the other parent and kids getting whatever seats were left over in Y.

If they were on staff tickets they should certainly not be asking commercial passengers to move.

Also kids under 18 in J class on staff travel must be accompanied by an adult so if they were under 18 the mother shouldn't have swapped with the child.

I don't think you're being unreasonable at all.

If that situation happens again maybe ask one of the F/A's to assist so they can note the seat change on the manifest particularly if you had a special meal ordered.

 

[BAM1748]

Has all the hallmarks of people on staff travel - pax last on after being onloaded at the last minute with one of the parents snagging the last seat in J and the other parent and kids getting whatever seats were left over in Y.

If they were on staff tickets they should certainly not be asking commercial passengers to move.

Also kids under 18 in J class on staff travel must be accompanied by an adult so if they were under 18 the mother shouldn't have swapped with the child.

I don't think you're being unreasonable at all.

If that situation happens again maybe ask one of the F/A's to assist so they can note the seat change on the manifest particularly if you had a special meal ordered.

I don't think airline staff travel, breaks all the rules, perhaps just one parent on business (not airline staff) taking the family.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I don't think airline staff travel, breaks all the rules, perhaps just one parent on business (not airline staff) taking the family.

If so, I'm surprised that they didn't pre-allocate seats together ahead of time or enquire with staff in the J Lounge if they were commercial pax.

 

[BAM1748]

If so, I'm surprised that they didn't pre-allocate seats together ahead of time or enquire with staff in the J Lounge if they were commercial pax.

Because they might not be like AFFers who make a point of such things.

 

[24601]

I would like to add my experience about swapping seats.Last year two of us travelled Bne to Cns with Virgin.At check-in our seats were reallocate so we were no longer together,a bit annoyed but no big deal.After we leveled out the people ask my companion if he would change seats so the nanny could sit with some of their family.He said we have been split up as well but moved as asked.When it came time to pay for the extra food my companion said to the cabin attendant i am paying for two and the other traveller is a couple of rows back.A short time later the Cabin Manager came down to confirm what we had done for the other passengers and asked if we would like to move up to row 3 as there were spare seats up front.I guess Karma comes into play.First off the plane was added bonus.

Ah karma...it got me too, but the other way. CGD-KUL on MH flying J on an A380. I was settled into my (carefully selected in advance) seat when a FA asked me if I wouldn't mind swapping with a young man a few rows ahead so he could sit with his girlfriend who was next to me. I was in a less-than-good mood already, maybe thanks to the obnoxious check in staff at CDG. PLus, I'd done the right thing and prepared, not my fault. And why was I being asked and not the person next to him. Etc, etc.

Like a jackass, I resolutely refused. In the end a man from a few rows forward moved back to take the woman's seat next to me. Here's where karma got me: Turns out he was travelling with his family, and had voluntarily and cheerfully separated from them. Of course, his family spent the rest of the flight coming back to talk to him, using the space in front of my seat as their own personal aisle. And it was a big family!

I should have moved, it would have made no difference to me. Lesson learned.

 

[mannej]

Ah karma...it got me too, but the other way. CGD-KUL on MH flying J on an A380. I was settled into my (carefully selected in advance) seat when a FA asked me if I wouldn't mind swapping with a young man a few rows ahead so he could sit with his girlfriend who was next to me. I was in a less-than-good mood already, maybe thanks to the obnoxious check in staff at CDG. PLus, I'd done the right thing and prepared, not my fault. And why was I being asked and not the person next to him. Etc, etc.

Like a jackass, I resolutely refused. In the end a man from a few rows forward moved back to take the woman's seat next to me. Here's where karma got me: Turns out he was travelling with his family, and had voluntarily and cheerfully separated from them. Of course, his family spent the rest of the flight coming back to talk to him, using the space in front of my seat as their own personal aisle. And it was a big family!

I should have moved, it would have made no difference to me. Lesson learned.

My other half and I were on a MH flight for our honeymoon. As much as we tried the MH site would not allocate us seats so we ended up separated for the flight. Quite annoying at the time but 3 hours peace wasn't the worst thing in the world!