Don't Want To Pay Extra? Flight Attendant Shares How She Tackles Seat-Swapping Issue

Many people now pay extra for seats of their choice.

The issue of swapping seats on a flight may seem like a simple affair. However, in recent years, it has become a topic of contention with people showing more and more reluctance over swapping seats. Passengers who ask others to move so that they can sit with their friends and family are considered entitled, while those who refuse to move seats are labelled as rude and unaccommodating. Now people have started paying extra to get the seat of their choice, be it the aisle seat, the seat with the lucky number or simply a seat with extra leg space.

As per a former flight attendant, there is a 99.9 per cent chance that someone will swap an aisle or window seat with the same kind of seat. However, there is only a 10 to 15 per cent chance that someone will give up their aisle or window seat for a middle seat. Mitra Amirzadeh, an Orlando-based flight attendant spoke to The Wall Street Journal about seat swapping. She said that she sees passengers negotiating seat changes amongst themselves in eight out of ten flights. Most cases involve couples who want to sit together.

Amirzadeh said that she has now reached a point where she does not pay heed to seat-swapping cases. She said that it is unfair to make people change seats especially if they have paid extra. People travelling together should pay the seat selection charges if they want to sit together instead of inconveniencing other passengers. Amirzadeh said, “The next time you feel yourself getting angry or getting frustrated that you’re not getting the seat you want. You need to remind yourself that you didn’t pay to pick your seat. Otherwise, you’d be in it.’’

The seasoned flight attendant added that she only intervenes or entertains the seat-swapping requests when a child is involved. She told the Wall Street Journal that she uses her years of experience to “read the room” as she looks for people who are more likely to change their seat so that the child can travel with their parent or guardian.

When someone refuses to swap the seat and there is no other option, Amirzadeh takes things up a notch and tells the person that they will have to indirectly take the babysitting responsibility if they insist on sitting next to a toddler. She said, “I have said before, ‘OK, so you’re going to watch the toddler? You’ll want their snacks and their colouring books then because they’re going to need that.’’’