Seat Squatters

I admit I did not read the article. I do not click on random links. One of the risks of working in cyber security is you discovered that you need to be very paranoid

But they’re accusing other people of seat squatting while they’re doing exactly the same thing? . They’re taking a middle seat that’s not their seat hoping that somebody who may be assigned that seat will go sit someplace else so they could have an extra seat next to them. What jerks. It would serve them right when the FA had to deal with this jerk they told them since they wanted that middle seat so much they could just stay there and the person was supposed to be in the middle seat could have their window.

Oh, and a seat map is how they decide they can do this and be rude. The seat map is not reliable because it doesn’t account for people on things like basic economy getting a seat at the airport and generally those seat maps are locked at that point. If the seat map shows it’s empty does not mean that you are entitled to squat in the middle seat and be rude.

And all you do if someone is in your seat is hit the flight attendant call or go find a flight attendant. I do not even engage with these people anymore

My all-time favorite was Mr. entitled on a Delta flight from Europe to Atlanta. Mr. entitled had my exit row aisle seat. I pushed the button the flight attendant button. Mr. entitled proceeded to tell the flight attendant how important he was to Delta, how many miles he has, his status, how much money he spends everything he can think of so he should be allowed to keep my seat. She takes his boarding pass, and my boarding pass and she goes off. I just go someplace and stay there. She comes back and she hands me my boarding pass. I’ve been upgraded to business class. He got to keep that seat he was so desperate to have. If half of what he said was true he probably deserved the upgrade over me, but you know he made sure he got the worse of the 2 seats by being a jerk. so if you find a seat squat, just smile, hit the button and let the flight attendant deal with it.

I’ve actually seen one person be told their two options were take the seat they were assigned or escorted off the plane. When he wouldn’t move, someone escorted him off the plane he was never flying that airline again, but I somehow that they cared.

It's not a thing, it is just the latest thing amplified by social media and used to generate ragebait for clicks. There has always been those who have sat down where they should not, it's just so many are now looking for their 15 minutes of viral fame and something to be offended about.

I’ve certainly sat in the wrong seat by accident before and I imagine others have as well. No reason to assume malicious intent. When I realized my mistake I apologized and quickly moved to the right one. I think this is the case most of the time, just honest mistakes.

If there are assigned seats, then there are seat squatters. I've seen it happen at sporting events, concerts, shows, trains, flights, etc. Most of the time, it is no big deal. Just show your ticket/boarding pass to the squatter, and the situation will resolve itself. Oftentimes, people honestly just sit in the wrong seat.

As for Carol's story, that is a doozy! Some people are quite entitled. I have a friend who is a pilot for one of the major US airlines. Recently, a passenger had to be removed from one of his domestic flights. The passenger had a basic economy ticket, and he was not pleased that his seat was on the very back row. He proceeded to yell, curse, and hit the backs of seats. All this got him was a one-way ticket off the plane and a lifetime ban.

I am all for scoping out vacant seats. Most apps allow you to see the seat map prior to boarding, so you can get an idea about how full the flight will be. However, I never move seats until the doors have officially closed, so I don't run the risk of sitting in someone else's assigned seat. For instance, my husband and I had two seats off to the side on a 2023 flight to Paris. The two seats behind us stayed empty, so I grabbed them as soon as the closed door announcement was made. It made sleeping so much easier on that long-haul!

I was once on a flight from LHR to ATL where the entire coach cabin was basically empty.

The Flight attendants told us to "feel free to spread out" However, there was one couple who sat in their seats and made LOUD comments about "people who don't stay in their assigned seats" They even went and complained to another flight attendant. Never did figure out what their issue was and apparently the flight attendants didn't either.

Not encountered what the article is talking about, but then if someone is sitting in a vacant middle seat (per the seating chart) rather than their assigned window seat, who would know?

More irksome is the couple that books basic economy to save a few Dollars, of course they wind up in separate middle seats, but then claim two seats together, and give some sob story to the rightful occupant (Oh, we must sit together, she has anxiety issues...).

If you want to sit together, or must have that aisle seat, pay to book it.

I have always thought that you should ask the flight attendant before switching to open seats.

Oh, I can beat the couple who booked the basic economy seats and can’t sit together. I once got on a flight and I was in business class and the woman next to me said my husband and I are on our honeymoon and he’s in coach would you trade seats with him? The answer was no. So then while I was asleep or they thought I was asleep the husband came up to visit his wife. Listening to them talk I realize that they had heard this trick worked and so they had only bought a business class seat for one of them on both the flight too and from Europe, assuming either the airline or other passengers would feel sorry for them because it was their honeymoon and they would get a free upgrade. You have got to be kidding me.

"You have got to be kidding me."

No. The article seems to be talking about behavior that's always been there but the bigger point is the claim that now it is getting (much) worse. Other people here aren't seeing it so it's anecdotal.

Personally, I do think it's getting worse. How much, how fast? Don't know.

I don't think it's anything that's increasingly getting worse. It's just the media outrage dejur by lazy journalists trawling Reddit or Tik Tok for ideas. Has anyone noticed that months ago all the outrage was "gate lice", new European carry-on luggage rules, gnashing of teeth over ETA /ETIAS? What will the next outrage be? When the media has farmed all the clicks they can from seat squatters and what will be the next outrage harvested from Reddit? Why is it always in a cycle at the same time?

If it's getting worse or not getting worse it'll soon be apparent.

At least for most people.

As someone who has flown weekly for years until the last few years, no it’s not getting worse. It’s just getting more attention. People trying to scam their way into better seats has been going on for decades. I mean it’s a common practice on Southwest you get on, your buddy gets on and then you pile all your gear in the middle seat so that it will look full until the flight attendant makes you take it off cause we’re gonna fill up every seat. And it’s quite common people book an aside and a window seat assuming the middle seat will be empty for them. Or whoever’s in the middle will be happy to move and then act like toddlers if whoever’s in the middle doesn’t necessarily move. Some people just won’t move. ( I would move anytime out of the middle )

People have been self upgrading for decades. I’ve had to throw people out of my seats more than once because they just liked it better. And they always tell me that could I not just take their seat which is always a worse seat

Now that a couple of months ago, I was flying up to Boston to visit a friend and I realized the person next to me and her sister had been separated and her sister had the window to seat across the aisle and I said would you like your sister like to trade me so she could sit next to you which of course the young lady was happy to do. I’ve moved quite often if the situation is right. But no, I’m not going to go from my first class seat to the middle seat in the back I’m not going to go from aisle sear to the middle seat in the back because we bought basic economy and didn’t realize the airline wouldn’t put us put it together. I’ve also moved over the years on airlines like Southwest for families who got delayed and needed to be seated together.