[PeterCoultas]

I must confess that in economy these days I often board last so I can grab one of the nice exit row seat left empty as no one will pay the extra charge.

Early installing seat grabbers are nothing compared to the experience of a fellow passenger on a flight to Senegal. He was a small white chap sitting behind me & a girl friend. Lunch was served and we were all happily eating. Unluckily there was a spare seat next to him. A very large african lurched down the aisle and sat down in the spare seat. The next moment we heard squeaks of protest and, looking round, discovered the african had grabbed his lunch and was now tucking in.
I signalled the stewardess and eventually she and several colleagues got the large gentleman to move to another seat. I don’t know if anything happened on arrival as the large gentleman charged up the aisle and was first off the flight. Worse even than having a certain film star sitting next to you.

[NTarrant]

This is a common problem on Saudia domestic flights, where someone will sit in a business class seat until challenged then will move, usually to economy.

Was on a Virgin XC train once and all the reservation displays showed seats not reserved. I took one and then a few minutes later a guy said, “you are in my seat” I said “show me your reservation”, “it’s in my wallet”, “then get it out”. Clearly he didn’t have one but stood there for a while then said “are you going to move” to which I said “yes, if you show me a valid reservation for this seat, but until then no” he then disappeared into the next carriage not to be seen again

[seasonedtraveller]

A really interesting & rather funny story if somewhat odd on the part of the ‘lady’ in question Charles P…..

A new experience for me this week.

In a crowded Northern England airline lounge (not gonna say which one) I happened to sit next to a young Muslim girl, perhaps mid Twenties, with my coffee and breakfast bacon roll.
The lady in question requested that I “eat my bacon elsewhere in the lounge”.
At first, I thought her to be joking, it caught me unawares but then, all of a sudden she was serious…
I am always polite and well mannered.

I suggested, very nicely, that perhaps it was she who should move if offended by my sandwich & at this point I will admit to being an arse and went to get a second one……when I returned, she was of course, still there & told me in no uncertain terms,………. “I was sitting here first”

I was, and still am, lost for words….

[bombayteddy]

I have a NICE story to report. A close friend and I were travelling to Goa from Mumbai on Indian Airlines (the old domestic “half” of Air India) and we were seated apart. It was his first flight and I could tell he was excited and perhaps a little scared. I requested the flight attendant (typically surly and non-cooperative on this airline) if my friend could exchange seats with a passenger seated next to me; but she predictably refused. So I waited until the plane had just started moving and requested the gentleman seated next to me at the window to change seats with my friend, since it was his first flight and we would like to be together. The man smiled sweetly and readily agreed (bless him!) and I was able to share this important “first” in my friend’s life, by his side!

[DerekVH]

Reminds me of an incident many years ago on a trip from GLA>LHR with BA, on boarding someone was in my seat and I moved to the front gallet to discuss with the flight crew when the captain came out of the cockpit to say we had been given an early clearance to go. On asking what the problem was with my seat he invited me to sit in the cockpit jump seat for the flight; I was a very happy passenger!

[Charles-P]

I was telling the story again last night at dinner with some customers and heard this in return.

Arrived on an Air France flight to the US to discover an enormous American woman sitting in his seat and eating a McDonalds, politely told her she was in his seat at which point she stood up, broke wind, swore at him and moved to her own seat leaving behind all her rubbish on the floor in front of him. One of the crew helped him clear up the mess and gave him some champagne to calm his nerves. About fifteen minutes later just after take off he heard the same woman swearing her head off at somebody shortly followed by the Purser with a determined look on his face heading down aisle.
The swearing and shouting continued for some time with eventually the First Officer joining the fun and half the aircraft hearing him shouting at her,
“Shut the hell up or I will turn the plane around and dump you back in Paris !” This quietened her down for about an hour before she was off again this time complaining about the food she had been served. A long story short, she complained and shouted for almost the entire flight and they were met at the other end by US police who escorted the now screaming woman off the plane to the cheers of all aboard.

I think I got off lightly !

[TominScotland]

A few years ago, I was on a KLM flight out of, lets say somewhere east of Cyprus so as not to identify the nationality. I boarded the 767 and went to my seat in the first row of economy which was occupied by a large lady who appeared to be asleep. I called a member of cabin crew and she attempted to wake the lady to no avail. After a good few attempts, the flight attendant shrugged and said “You will have to sit somewhere else” and led me back through to Business. Not a bad route to an upgrade!!

[Tim2soza]

Years ago I found myself sitting in 1D on a BA 737 from DUS – LHR. An elderly lady boarded with a broken leg and the crew were about to seat her in 1E, when CE was 2-3 so it was a middle seat. I immediately offered to move so that she could have extra legroom. The lady was then concerned because she had missed her flight to LGW where her son was waiting to collect her. I passed over my mobile phone, which in those days was reasonably rare, and invited her to phone her son to arrange for him to bounce round to LHR. The lady and crew were very grateful. I thought nothing of it, until we landed. I was then passed a large plastic bag stuffed full of those mini bottles of champers. I tried to decline, but the cabin crew insisted I take them. A very happy domestic CEO when I got home.

[Drsimon]

Amazing! I have to say I am amazed by the attitude of some on flights – I was on ba club to Kenya last year with a woman across the divide who did nothing but complain the entire way – the csm was constantly having to listen (along with myself) to her whinging and I felt sorry for him so went to have a word in the galley to say how well he dealt with her and how well he managed to keep his lip bit – as a way of thanks he cobbled together a load of F freebies and a couple of bottles of wine for me – amazing service from him!

[Charles-P]

I always remember the advice of my mother on these occasions.

“Never annoy the people who are responsible for bringing food to you”

[Charles-P]

I just noticed a comment on this thread from ‘seasonedtraveller’ at 23:30.

Earlier this year I was on an Emirates flight and asked for some wine with my dinner and had a man next to me ask the crew not to serve me wine as he was a Muslim and found alcohol offensive. They had clearly been briefed on this issue and replied that alcohol was the choice of the customer and they were willing to move him to another seat if he wished. The interesting point is that not once did he speak with me and indeed he ignored me for the rest of the flight.

[Poshgirl58]

I recall a Monarch flight from PFO to BHX, another passenger was sitting in my seat (pre-purchased extra legroom). From the fixed smirk on her face, it was obvious she was testing my reaction. After a polite but firm request from me, she moved to her correct seat in the row behind, telling her fellow passenger that I was a stuck up “female bovine”. Don’t you just love your fellow traveller!

[dutchyankee]

Now what’s a posh girl doing on Monarch? 🙂 That said, surprised to see Kate Moss on easyjet too.

[canucklad]

Sadly these days, it seems that it’s becoming more and more common for people to actively seek, to become offended, usually for the smallest of reasons…….

I have dubbed them…….. “ Oxymorons”

People who are happily offended !

[Charles-P]

‘canucklad’ how true.

Although in a week where I have seen a blue eyed, blonde white woman describe herself as “obviously black” I am beginning to think I should be more offended as well. On the upside my South African agent tells me that this new “self identify as black” is going to be a real boon to him as he can now reach his black empowerment quota by simply asking a few of his white staff to reclassify themselves.

[Author]

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