Move to the worst seat on the plane so we can sit together!

[CuriousParty]

Some people need a specific seat. Once, through airline foolishness (changing the plane after we bought tickets? I don't remember.) DH and I were flying with our older two and were seated:child in window seat! me in middle <poor soul not related to any of us> <actual aisle> <DH in aisle seat> <other child>. I offered the poor soul the window seat and she looked like I had offered to stab her.  Poor lady was terrified of the window.  I had nothing else to offer, as the other aisle seat meant sitting next to one of our children, who were both under 4 at the time.  I felt terrible as DH and I were constantly passing things back and forth (he had the snack carryon, and in the entertainment) and she said it didn't bother her but I still felt badly.

[Library Dragon]

The window is my claustrophobic, nightmare seat (that hard wall and being blocked from the aisle). I often fly with a friend who has to be by the window and the aisle is horrible so it works well. Feel free to pass items if we sit next to each ther  .

[Midnight Kitty]

I once had the pleasure of sitting next to a 9 or 10 y.o. boy traveling alone.  I wish I could have sent a note home with his parents thanking them for the great job they did teaching their son manners and consideration.  He chatted pleasantly, but not much.  He spilled a little clear soda on me when there was some turbulence, but not as much as my DH usually spills on me.  At least the boy apologized, I accepted, and let him use the paper napkins I always carry with me to clean up.  Plus - he was small so he didn't overflow his seat and expect (somewhat slender) me to surrender the armrest and half my seat.

I will not tolerate small children kicking the back of my seat.  I ask them nicely to stop once.  If they continue, I ask the adult with them to please control their child.  If the adult says, "It's not a problem," (gr-r-r) the next time the kid kicks me, I recline my seat to the max.  This usually puts my head in their space.  I say, "We are sharing this seat: You use this side, I use the other side. Let's be considerate of each other."  I say it politely, but my tone implies that I will keep my seat reclined to the max if the child continues to kick me.

[Hmmmmm]

I once had the pleasure of sitting next to a 9 or 10 y.o. boy traveling alone.  I wish I could have sent a note home with his parents thanking them for the great job they did teaching their son manners and consideration.  He chatted pleasantly, but not much.  He spilled a little clear soda on me when there was some turbulence, but not as much as my DH usually spills on me.  At least the boy apologized, I accepted, and let him use the paper napkins I always carry with me to clean up.  Plus - he was small so he didn't overflow his seat and expect (somewhat slender) me to surrender the armrest and half my seat.

I will not tolerate small children kicking the back of my seat.  I ask them nicely to stop once.  If they continue, I ask the adult with them to please control their child.  If the adult says, "It's not a problem," (gr-r-r) the next time the kid kicks me, I recline my seat to the max.  This usually puts my head in their space.  I say, "We are sharing this seat: You use this side, I use the other side. Let's be considerate of each other."  I say it politely, but my tone implies that I will keep my seat reclined to the max if the child continues to kick me.

Reminds me once flying with my two kids on one of the small jets with one seat on the left and two seats on the right. DD was around 8 and sitting in front of DS and I when a taller than average man boards and takes the seat next to DD.  She told him it was ok if he wanted to stretch his legs out in front of her seat. She curled her legs up into her seat, plopped her pillow against the window and proceeded to sleep most of the 2 hour flight. The man jokingly asked me if he could have her as a seat companion on his return flight.

[SiotehCat]

My DS13 was recently flying back from his vacation. He was on his own and had his flights cancelled, then delayed, then delayed again. When he finally got on the plane to come home, he found out that he and another man were given the same seat.

He thought they were going  to bump his flight again, but the flight attendant asked him if he wanted to sit up front. He agreed and the flight attendant took him to a seat at the front with no other seats around him. A row with only one seat. 

DS was so happy to finally be "alone" after sitting in a crowded airport for 13 hours.

[Amoreade]

I've never had anyone try to oust me from my seat but I have gotten quite a few looks from tall gentlemen as I try to buy a seat as close to the front of the plane as possible (it's less scary when there's turbulence) and end up with lots of leg room because of it. I always feel a tad guilty but I figure a bit of guilt is better than abject terror.

[Elfmama]

I've never had anyone try to oust me from my seat but I have gotten quite a few looks from tall gentlemen as I try to buy a seat as close to the front of the plane as possible (it's less scary when there's turbulence) and end up with lots of leg room because of it. I always feel a tad guilty but I figure a bit of guilt is better than abject terror.

You have just as much right to buy a seat where you will be comfortable as anyone else.  You aren't trying to pressure some tall person to trade for your seat in the back, and having a tantrum in the aisle when they refuse, are you?  Then you're fine.

[kherbert05]

Some people need a specific seat. Once, through airline foolishness (changing the plane after we bought tickets? I don't remember.) DH and I were flying with our older two and were seated:child in window seat! me in middle <poor soul not related to any of us> <actual aisle> <DH in aisle seat> <other child>. I offered the poor soul the window seat and she looked like I had offered to stab her.  Poor lady was terrified of the window.  I had nothing else to offer, as the other aisle seat meant sitting next to one of our children, who were both under 4 at the time.  I felt terrible as DH and I were constantly passing things back and forth (he had the snack carryon, and in the entertainment) and she said it didn't bother her but I still felt badly.

I'm with the lady. As a kid I was always put in the window or middle seat with family beside me because of the peanut thing. (this is addition to my hazmat "suit"*) I hated being cramped in there. I still do the hazmat suit but try to get an aisle. I wouldn't mind handing things back and forth.


* Long pants, closed toed shoes, short sleeved shirt with over sized light weight windbreaker style jacket. I can comfortably pull the sleeves down over my hands to open doors hold handrails ect.

[Morty'sCleaningLady]

Saw this in action yesterday.  I was on a flight home from Washington DC with a nice aisle seat.  The gentleman across the aisle from me was a solidly built businessman in his 30s.  He spilled over in to the aisle.  I wouldn't call him fat; he was wide and tall, like a football running back or a tight end.  Whenever the seatbelt sign was off, he'd raise the exterior aisle side armrest to give himself more space (staying seat belted). 

So, while still loading the plane, a husband and wife come down the aisle together, after he and I are seated.  The wife is assigned to the middle seat between the businessman/ running back and another businessman.  Her husband is in the middle seat directly behind her.  I was floored when the wife asked the businessman/ running back to take her husband's middle seat.  He smiled and said, "I'm afraid I can't.  I just won't fit.'  She didn't ask again, fortunately.  I guess her husband got the same answer from the seats on either side of him, because she stayed put.

Who asks a sort-of giant in an aisle seat to take a middle seat?  I was in far more shock than he was.

[VorFemme]

I got put in a bulkhead seat in coach(? not sure what it was called at the time - 1998 - I do remember that I was coming back from Baby Brother's wedding) when I sprained my ankle on the way to the airport....

Some doofus big wig who got to the first class area just before take off tried to hand me his carry on to take back to the only open overheard storage at the very back of the plane.  The stewardess was one who had either rearranged the seating for me or gotten me the ice...she told him to take it back and hurry as he was delaying take off. 

My jacket was wrapped around one ankle to hold an ice pack in place...he managed to trip over it when it was in front of me, not in the aisle.

It was before Etiquette Hell, so dropping my jaw & staring at him had NOTHING to do with any advice read on this site or earlier versions and everything to do with being rendered literally speechless with amazement at his entitlement...I did scream in pain when he tripped over my foot.  I think he got the message that I was injured by then - but he didn't seem to be embarrassed about being a jerk - just upset that everyone was staring at him because I'd screamed instead of because we "recognized" who he was.  I heard that he might have been a big horse owner with a Kentucky Derby winner...I didn't know him from any other overly entitled jerk on a plane.

[oz diva]

I will not tolerate small children kicking the back of my seat.  I ask them nicely to stop once.  If they continue, I ask the adult with them to please control their child.  If the adult says, "It's not a problem," (gr-r-r) the next time the kid kicks me, I recline my seat to the max.  This usually puts my head in their space.  I say, "We are sharing this seat: You use this side, I use the other side. Let's be considerate of each other."  I say it politely, but my tone implies that I will keep my seat reclined to the max if the child continues to kick me.

My kids were once the seat kickers. I had mistakenly given them jelly snakes as a treat so they were in the middle of a sugar rush (never again). I was traveling alone with them and they were about 3 & 4. They were gleefully kicking the seat in front. The passenger was understandably upset and I was apologetic, but the kids didn't care. They were just having fun. I felt lousy, still do years later.  Eventually they got bored with that game and gave up, but it was nothing to do with my good parenting.

[Erich L-ster]

My kids were once the seat kickers. I had mistakenly given them jelly snakes as a treat so they were in the middle of a sugar rush (never again). I was traveling alone with them and they were about 3 & 4. They were gleefully kicking the seat in front. The passenger was understandably upset and I was apologetic, but the kids didn't care. They were just having fun. I felt lousy, still do years later.  Eventually they got bored with that game and gave up, but it was nothing to do with my good parenting.

You let them kick the seats until they got bored and gave up on their own?

[YummyMummy66]

I will not tolerate small children kicking the back of my seat.  I ask them nicely to stop once.  If they continue, I ask the adult with them to please control their child.  If the adult says, "It's not a problem," (gr-r-r) the next time the kid kicks me, I recline my seat to the max.  This usually puts my head in their space.  I say, "We are sharing this seat: You use this side, I use the other side. Let's be considerate of each other."  I say it politely, but my tone implies that I will keep my seat reclined to the max if the child continues to kick me.

My kids were once the seat kickers. I had mistakenly given them jelly snakes as a treat so they were in the middle of a sugar rush (never again). I was traveling alone with them and they were about 3 & 4. They were gleefully kicking the seat in front. The passenger was understandably upset and I was apologetic, but the kids didn't care. They were just having fun. I felt lousy, still do years later.  Eventually they got bored with that game and gave up, but it was nothing to do with my good parenting.

I am going to assume this is a joke. Well, actually hoping that this is a joke.   Your kids kicking the seat in front of them, being allowed to keep continuing to do so, just because they were having fun?  Um,yeah, this is a perfect example of "not" so good parenting.

[kudeebee]

I will not tolerate small children kicking the back of my seat.  I ask them nicely to stop once.  If they continue, I ask the adult with them to please control their child.  If the adult says, "It's not a problem," (gr-r-r) the next time the kid kicks me, I recline my seat to the max.  This usually puts my head in their space.  I say, "We are sharing this seat: You use this side, I use the other side. Let's be considerate of each other."  I say it politely, but my tone implies that I will keep my seat reclined to the max if the child continues to kick me.

My kids were once the seat kickers. I had mistakenly given them jelly snakes as a treat so they were in the middle of a sugar rush (never again). I was traveling alone with them and they were about 3 & 4. They were gleefully kicking the seat in front. The passenger was understandably upset and I was apologetic, but the kids didn't care. They were just having fun. I felt lousy, still do years later.  Eventually they got bored with that game and gave up, but it was nothing to do with my good parenting.

I am going to assume this is a joke. Well, actually hoping that this is a joke.   Your kids kicking the seat in front of them, being allowed to keep continuing to do so, just because they were having fun?  Um,yeah, this is a perfect example of "not" so good parenting.

An easy to solution to this is to remove the child's shoes.  Not as fun to kick when it hurts the kids' toes! 

[Zizi-K]

I will not tolerate small children kicking the back of my seat.  I ask them nicely to stop once.  If they continue, I ask the adult with them to please control their child.  If the adult says, "It's not a problem," (gr-r-r) the next time the kid kicks me, I recline my seat to the max.  This usually puts my head in their space.  I say, "We are sharing this seat: You use this side, I use the other side. Let's be considerate of each other."  I say it politely, but my tone implies that I will keep my seat reclined to the max if the child continues to kick me.

My kids were once the seat kickers. I had mistakenly given them jelly snakes as a treat so they were in the middle of a sugar rush (never again). I was traveling alone with them and they were about 3 & 4. They were gleefully kicking the seat in front. The passenger was understandably upset and I was apologetic, but the kids didn't care. They were just having fun. I felt lousy, still do years later.  Eventually they got bored with that game and gave up, but it was nothing to do with my good parenting.

I am going to assume this is a joke. Well, actually hoping that this is a joke.   Your kids kicking the seat in front of them, being allowed to keep continuing to do so, just because they were having fun?  Um,yeah, this is a perfect example of "not" so good parenting.

An easy to solution to this is to remove the child's shoes.  Not as fun to kick when it hurts the kids' toes!

That is a really excellent idea! I will keep that one in my pocket for the future.