Sharing Space
I have a seat preference on planes...aisle. Especially when the alternative is the middle seat. I have long legs by most standards and ever since I flew while pregnant, I have discovered the benefits of being able to stretch my legs out somewhat better in an aisle seat.
When I boarded for my 3.5 hour plane ride from LA to MSP, a lady was sitting in my seat. She said she needed to sit there, otherwise she'd be back and forth with her two kids and it would cause such a commotion, etc. She said she tried to switch and she felt the airlines had effed up by not letting her. She also said something about NWA offering to buy whoever switches with her a drink just to close the deal with me, which of course was a lie.
In a fit of maternal solidarity and a quest for a peaceful flight, I agreed. And, it was fine. When I sat down, however, I noticed her kids were actually older preteens and eventually had their Ipods and Nintendo DS going while they sat quietly for the remainder of the flight. She had shuffled around seats with her kids and I later noticed she was curled up by the window, taking a nap while I was scrunched into her middle seat in the row behind my aisle seat. Chumped.
She thanked me profusely because she had to travel all the way from California to Winnepeg, Manitoba (same distance as I was traveling, basically) with her kids. She was so...entitled.
Would you give up your seat to a parent who claimed she needed to be near her kids, but didn't bother to book her reservation to reflect that, or allegedly had the reservation screwed up by the airlines?
When I boarded for my 3.5 hour plane ride from LA to MSP, a lady was sitting in my seat. She said she needed to sit there, otherwise she'd be back and forth with her two kids and it would cause such a commotion, etc. She said she tried to switch and she felt the airlines had effed up by not letting her. She also said something about NWA offering to buy whoever switches with her a drink just to close the deal with me, which of course was a lie.
In a fit of maternal solidarity and a quest for a peaceful flight, I agreed. And, it was fine. When I sat down, however, I noticed her kids were actually older preteens and eventually had their Ipods and Nintendo DS going while they sat quietly for the remainder of the flight. She had shuffled around seats with her kids and I later noticed she was curled up by the window, taking a nap while I was scrunched into her middle seat in the row behind my aisle seat. Chumped.
She thanked me profusely because she had to travel all the way from California to Winnepeg, Manitoba (same distance as I was traveling, basically) with her kids. She was so...entitled.
Would you give up your seat to a parent who claimed she needed to be near her kids, but didn't bother to book her reservation to reflect that, or allegedly had the reservation screwed up by the airlines?