Last minute seat switching by Lufthansa

Thoughts?

You were given your money back in a situation where the airline acted compassionately towards a human being with a greater need than yours.

Your are fessing about a problem from last year? You don't have a contract for a specific seat, in a specific plane, etc. The contract is to get your from point A to B in a certain class of seats. Seats are changed all the time for a host of poorer reasons. You suffered no damage, maybe a touch of inconvenience but received some limited compensation. Sounds fair to me. What do or did you want? Bump to first class?

I have to say the first two replies to KC's comment are pretty rude.

I am tall. I book and pay for seats that give me legroom months before the flight I am going to take. If I had a problem like the guy that took KC's seats I would have the foresight to book an aisle seat close to the bathroom. A no brainer in my mind.

That being said I would not have been so gracious to anyone who does not have the brains to book proper seats for "their" problems. I knew enough to book what I needed, the other clown never,so let him learn a lesson.

KC, if you want an opinion, don't give in so easily next time.

It's a dilemma for sure, but if KC does not "give in" then the old folks wind up crammed in next to sleepy. I, for one would not have felt good about that, had it been me. Sometimes stuff happens where it just makes sense to go along to get along.

agree with Frank on this one.

I'm probably in the minority here (along with Les) but I'm kinda with KC on this one. I also have bladder issues and dread flying long distances but I would never make someone else give up their seat to accommodate my issue, especially one they paid extra to book. I understand the airlines wanting to accommodate the man's issues and if they want to ask other passengers if someone is willing to change their seat and offer them compensation for that, that's one thing, but to arbitrarily change someone else's seat to do it was wrong. Was their seat the only one that this man could use? Seems a little unjust to me and the compensation seems pretty measly.

But, on the other hand KC, it's over and done and time to let it go. Just know that some here do agree with you.

Rightly or wongly, seat reservations are not guaranteed, even if paid for. The airline can seat you wherever it likes, providing it is not a downgrade in class.

Did the cabin crew say that this elderly couple didn't make the request when they booked, or is it possible that they did and whoever first assigned the seating screwed up?

Maybe the couple did make the request upon booking and it could not be honored at that time due to seat availability and were informed that suitable arrangements would be made upon check-in. I have seen it done this way numerous times.

I am a compassionate person and would hate to see an older couple with those problems. First off how many planes have that arrangement anyway for someone with these issues? This is something that has to be thought out if you are going to travel under these conditions. Also why couldn't this man sit in the same isle seat that KC was given and could get up any time he needed too? And I can see the frustration of paying for seats for a trip and these seats are so expensive now. But the bigger problem is that the airline industry is a mess and if you are going to travel you can almost expect to pay an arm and a leg and not even know if you are going to get to your destination. I really wonder sometimes how long the paying public is going to keep putting up with this. I don't even think safety is considered anymore when flying. But the love of travel and necessity will probably win out. But the next time you fly just don't count on anything.

Sometimes you just have to let it go and be thankful you are healthy. It sounds as though the airline was doing their best to make a reasonable accommodation for someone with a disability. It also sounds as though you were treated quite decently by the airline as they refunded your money and kept you seated together on an aisle.

Stuff happens when you fly. I've had plenty of situations over the year where my seat has been changed. Airlines substitute equipment, families with small children need to be seated together, flights get cancelled, you end up in a seat next to a pregnant woman and a 3 year old, etc. While it may be annoying or inconvenient, you really just can't count on a specific seat.

This is a great situation for debate because there are so many aspects and possible outcomes to the situation. Glad you got home in one piece and your money refunded. Lesson: even when you pay extra, your seat can still be changed at the last minute.

Looks like the Webmaster removed the rude part of the first answer on this thread.

Actually the last comment in that post "get over it" was removed. It may have been edited out by mph him (her) self, not necessarily by the webmaster. Either way it was a rude comment and I'm glad it's gone.

EDIT In regard to the response below, in it's current everyday use the phrase "get over it" is certainly not offensive if used when talking to someone you know and particularly in person where tone of voice conveys a lot. However in a response to a civil question by a stranger on a public forum it does seem a bit harsh, if not actually rude or offensive. When I first read it my immediate response was: 'well that was a pretty mean thing to say' and obviously I was not the only one to think that or the webmaster wouldn't have deleted it.

My comment was edited by the Webmaster not by me. The comment was not offensive, abusive or vulgar. I do not see how putting the words 'it', 'get', and 'over' together can be construed as breaching community standards but there you go.

My comment may have been blunt but The OP asked for thoughts and I simply told him what I thought he should do in relation to the matter.

And Frank, who are you calling a clown!? :)

I don't see a problem with what Lufthansa did. Seats get switched all of the time. It's possible that the problem did not even exist when the other couple booked their tickets. Or, as others have mentioned, maybe they did request it at booking but couldn't get it at that time. They explained and offered some little degree of compensation. Putting you in the same seats on another flight seems unreasonable to me. What if those seats are already booked on the next flight? Most people would not want to be bumped off of a flight for such a small reason, and it would cause a ripple of problems for the airline, so I don't blame them not for offering it. Yes, it's annoying to have to change seats, but you did get your money back for the additional amount you paid (I'm guessing this was for selecting a seat, not to get a premium seat, like an exit row?). Clearly, this other couple had a physical need for this particular seating. It seems a bit petty to complain about the seat change, under the circumstances.

Quoting Les: "That being said I would not have been so gracious to anyone who does not have the brains to book proper seats for "their" problems. I knew enough to book what I needed, the other clown never,so let him learn a lesson." And you think the first two responses were rude?

The OP has asked for thoughts so here are mine.

He was refunded the cost of his chosen seats.
He was given token gifts by cabin personnel.
The seats he was given in exchange turned out to be quite OK and he was not once disturbed by the window seat passenger.
The seat change was a kindness to an infirm fellow passenger.

This all took place LAST YEAR. I have no further comment.