[HedgeFundFlyer]

It’s taking something you haven’t paid for: theft.

If I see someone shoplifting, I report it to store security. I would act according to the same principle on a plane.

[superchris]

It reminds me of a few years back on a train from Glasgow to London. Virgin trans at the time (and probably still do) allow you to sit in First at weekends for the payment of £10.

One lady joined somewhere up north and plonked herself in first. When the inspector came calling to take the £10 she refused point blank stating she ‘wants to sit here’. The conductor was fairly powerless to act other than calling security to have her removed at the next station (which she was going to anyway), so proceeded to refund the whole of the carriage their £10 as he said ‘i cant sit here and charge you if I cat charge her’.

She refused a torrent of abuse from other passengers but sat there and took it for 30 minutes or so until it was time for her to get off.

Utterly bizarre behaviour but top marks for VT for managing it.

[nibbler]

@CharlesP Self upgraders wouldn’t bother me enough to make a fuss about it … If the airline wants to police it let them. Till then have enough things to worry/mull/work on before dealing with the stress of a potentially irritable passenger on the plane near me.

That side if they sat next to me (for those airlines still not in the 1:2:1) depriving me of the space that would bother me 😉

[ZKSmith]

On a Virgin Atlantic flight a few years ago a passenger from either economy or premium economy came and occupied the ottoman / buddy seat of another passenger who was flying Upper class. He only stayed an hour or so, and whilst the flight attendants were happy to serve him, he could only have food and drink on the economy menu. Didn’t bother me at all. But if a passenger is occupying a full seat and trying to receive the full service of a more premium cabin, then I have an issue with that.

[CathayLoyalist2]

My landlord when I lived in HKG was a CX Captain, delightful guy, and told me of an incident where a guy in Business wanted his wife upgraded from Economy at no cost of course. The crew refused but he created such a stink the Captain came down – they did in those days!. Resplendent in jacket and the scrambled egg hat he approached the miscreant and asked what the problem was. The passenger said given the empty seats he wanted his wife upgraded to which the Captain said “Absolutely no problem give me a minute”. A minute duly passed and the Captain returned with an old fashioned credit card machine and a handwritten invoice for HKS 25,000. The passenger retorted with a “Go F… yourself’ to which the Captain replied “That will be another HKS 3,000′ No PC in those days. The crew heard not another word from the passenger concerned. To the point I would have no hesitation getting a sneaker removed, no question

[ImissConcorde]

Am I right in assuming that the posters for whom this would not be a problem would be happy for “customers” of their product/service to avail themselves of such without charge?

[stevescoots]

its not a problem to me as long as it does not affect me. good luck to them I say, life is too short. I am all for a bit of blagging. Thats my view as a consumer. If I owned the airline then I would not be pleased about it

[TheRealBabushka]

I wonder if the people who don’t care are also the people who don’t mind if:

i) Their local train station gets vandalised, but they are left unscathed?

ii) Their local supermarket gets invaded by hooligans, who trash the place about but they themselves are left unmolested?

Is the argument of “so long as it doesn’t effect me” selfish and displays a lack of civic pride or merely a projection of tolerance?

Or has the idea of what tolerance is been hijacked by the socially-corrupt feeling of indifference?

[stevescoots]

As one of those that at most raises an eybrow that is like comparing apples with pears. None of us that were bothered by it said it would be fine to trash or vandalize the cabin as long as it didnt affect me.

So I was upgraded from business to F, i didnt pay any more, my ticket was less than the paying customers in F. should other passengers be annoyed by it? the only difference is it’s not theft as it was authorized, how is that different than if someone blags their way in and the crew do not eject them

[first_class_please]

Story here of a similar case…

http://loyaltylobby.com/2015/12/09/united-airlines-chinese-professor-arrested-after-trying-to-self-upgrade-on-board-new-york-bound-flight/

[PeterCoultas]

On a recent flight back from the US I boarded last knowing the flight was nowhere near ful. Was hoping to bag a triple where I could lie down. Took the first triple I found, only to discover on disembarking that the seats were premium economy. Actually on several american airlines (and not only these) the distinction is so minimal as to be almost non-existent.

[LuganoPirate]

Yes I do mind. Though I doubt I’d say anything. However, on both LH and LX the FA’s have a pretty fierce “No Trespassing” policy so if someone wanders in by “accident” they’re quickly told to leave.

On the 380 of LH there’s a big door contraption which is closed after takeoff. Reminds me a bit of the scene in Titanic where the steerage passengers were kept firmly in their place as the ship was sinking! I can understand it but don’t really like it. I’m there because I’m fortunate to be able to afford to sit there, not because I’m superior (which I’m not) to my fellow man.

As to the Ottoman, if someone comes in for a quick chat, that’s allowed and is often offered a drink. But after 10 minutes if they’re not gone they tend to suggest it’s maybe time to return to their own seat. I don’t have a problem with this as long as they are not noisy or disruptive.

[esselle]

LP
+1

I think the crew should deal with this sort of thing very firmly, and in my experience most times they do. I was once on a DL flight though when a pax snuck up whilst we were taxiing out, and when challenged by the crew he refused to move. We ended up going back to the terminal where, after about 40 minutes of faff, he was carried off the plane by four police officers.

[MartynSinclair]

Having an empty seat next to me in ying yang BA is quite nice.. so if a passenger snuck in and sat opposite me…. I would certainly comment…. unless of course…..:))))

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

I’ve been upgraded at the Gate on a Lufthansa flight to Japan a few years back – and it had the crew in a minor tizz demanding to see everyone in Business class’ boarding pass. (There were 18 and they thought should be only 17). I explained what had happened but they still checked and there were no problems – they still wanted to make sure everyone was there who should be – but had an answer as to the last minute change in numbers.

Ultimately If cabin crew are doing there jobs properly this should never be a problem as (sadly) in this day and age the security of a plane could be at threat with someone putting themselves in a cabin where they hadn’t booked a seat.

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