[millionsofmiles]

Years ago I went on holidays (FRA-MIA) with my wife and daughter, we had 2 F and 1 C-ticket on LH, F was full with only 8 seats at that time. Sine I travelled usually in F, I moved to C in order for my daughter and wife sitting together. The CSD seemed to love the idea, I was pampered with a continuous stream of goodies: magazines. champagne, the caviar !!! that my wife and daughter didn’t like and so on.
Very lovely gesture by the crew!

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

“Of course we weren’t told if you planned on swapping with a lady-friend or indeed whether your name is Angus McTavish and your friend’s name is Prandeep Ghela.”

Are you suggesting that British Airways operate some form of racial discrimination?

If so, that is a very serious libel.

I suggest you edit your post, immediately, for the sake of Business Traveller.

[VintageKrug]

Oh, please.

You have clearly misunderstood – and not for the first time – the point being made. If a passenger with red hair, blue eyes and fair skin has a BP/sits in a seat allocated to someone with an obviously more exotic/mismatched name, especially in F where there is close and regular contact between passengers and cabin crew, then of course it’s going to raise eyebrows.

But I suspect most BT readers had already connected the dots, and didn’t need that explaining in such detail.

Couldn’t be less racist, there has been no libel, BA wasn’t mentioned in that post, and I won’t be editing anything, least of all on your suggestion.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Vintage Krug

I am sending an email to Business Traveller, so that they can assess any liability they perceive from your post.

Nothing personal, I acept your word and don’t believe that your post was in anyway intended to be racist or suggest BA are racist, but others who scan fora may take a different view and the publisher can be liable, too.

I would still urge you to edit the post, out of consideration for BT.

Mr X and Mrs Y makes your point and is risk free.

[NickDTo81]

LOL.

The irony is that I have an indian name and my friend’s name is Mike.

[VintageKrug]

So, it’s actually quite a pertinent scenario.

If it’s quite obvious that your names wouldn’t necessarily be easily switched, it might in that scenario be wiser to risk the whim of the CSD, and inform him/her prior to switching seats.

[NickDTo81]

I’m curious though, do the flight attendants actually remember names and association to seats?

This is long haul so I’m sure the first class section is bigger than the typical USA domestic business class, I can see it happening here just by the FA having a good memory….but unsure if they actually keep names in mind or do a comparison?

[VintageKrug]

Part of the service aspect of being in F is (usually) to be addressed using your name.

With only tens of seats at most, and each cabin crew member having one row of seats to look after (maybe 5-10 customers), it’s almost inconceivable a mismatch like that wouldn’t be picked up.

If I pop into the galley to request my bed be made up, I would expect the cabin crew member to recall which seat I was in, and they often have the manifest up in the galley area (with things like food orders/preferred dining time/drink preferences noted) to which they can refer as well.

[MartynSinclair]

Not wishing to be pedantic, but please bear in mind that that if the “seat switch” occurs in US airspace, you could be fined / arrested / prosecuted on the basis that it is a federal offence for a passenger and their seat number not match (i.e. using someone elses boarding card). I realise the flight originate from YYZ.

This is a country where a former soldier has been held in prison for ticking a wrong box on a passport application form.

I am sure that nothing will happen and all will be well, but in US airpspace, the rules are taken far more seriously than anywhere else.

[LPPSKrisflyer]

I’ve swapped seats between F & C with colleagues and family often enough on BA, LH, SQ, EK and TG among others. I’ve never had a problem but have always discussed it with the crew and they’ve always been most accomodating. As with anything, honesty is the best policy and as you’re not trying to gain anything or benefit in any way, don’t behave as though you have something to hide. Where I’ve traded down to C I’ve always benefited in some way from the crew with magazines, amenities and so on – even on SQ!

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Vintage Krug

“You have clearly misunderstood – and not for the first time – the point being made. If a passenger with red hair, blue eyes and fair skin has a BP/sits in a seat allocated to someone with an obviously more exotic/mismatched name, especially in F where there is close and regular contact between passengers and cabin crew, then of course it’s going to raise eyebrows.”

I had not misunderstood.

‘Raised eyebrows’ and even worse saying something is direct discrimination, i.e. treating someone less favourably because of their actual or perceived race, i.e. challenging someone with European features and an Asian name.

e.g. Yousuf Islam.

It works the other way, too, try Russel Arnold, the former Sri Lankan cricketer.

‘Excuse me sir, you seem to be the wrong race for your name, can you explain that?’

Now both the above are famous and this scenario is highly unlikely with these two people, but I sure my point is clear.

It is a shame, as your point was sound, you chose a lousy example to illustrate it, IMHO.

[NickDTo81]

I was a bit surprised to hear that it is a federal offence to swap seats in US airspace.

Is there any proof on this?

Started a thread and got some interesting responses for those who are still curious like me.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-safety-security/1239717-federal-offence-switch-seats.html#post16776945

[RichHI1]

My advice would be to politely ask the check in agent if they can swap the boarding passes (that way your bags are attached to the right seat – this is one of the reasons why this practice breaks certain laws and company policies as airlines do not carry bags if the passenger is not on plane.
If you check in together I can see no reason why your request would be refused. If they say no you have lost nothing and you can ask in the lounge and again with the gate agent later.
In the negative scenario you should make your own judgement, you will not be surprised my advice is comply with the relevant legislation and airline policy.
I agree involving the cabin crew is probably putting them in a difficult position and would not recommend it.

[MartynSinclair]

NickDTo81 – may I clarify my earlier post:

It is a requirement that passengers sit in their allocated seats as per their boarding pass before the doors are shut and engines started.

In the USA it is highly likely that if you switched seats prior to doors closing, without asking the cabin crew or gate checker first and it came to light, you would “probably” be dragged off the aircraft and questioned by the authorities. This is a country that can apparently stop someone from flying just becasue there is a question mark whether a women is wearing pants (nickers).

Most airlines, once you have boarded just do head counts to check the numbers tally.

Hence, my advice about swopping seats/boarding passes, I am sure that there will be no problem anywhere else in the world, except for the USA.

If you want me to find chapter and verse in the FAA rule book, I will endevour to do so.

EDIT – I have seen your post on FT, I think you need to amend the question. Sorry if my earlier post was not clear, I should have added the before doors shut part.

[NickDTo81]

I can search for it myself if you tell me where to look.

I have personally switched seats to empty ones prior to doors closing (sometimes in the hope that it shuts so that you know nobody will come and claim the seat you’re in). Done this several times. In some cases the FAs have even given me a smile, indicating it’s fine as long as it’s an empty seat.

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