Originally Posted by
Squawk 6042
Pardon a quick digression on a digression before I get back on point.
No one would expect to be able to fully function in society without the ability to read and write. However, increasingly, the same could be said of the smartphone, you cannot expect to fully participate if you do not have one. Not saying I agree it should be so, far from it, but it is what it is.
I too was a hold out, only nudged into having a smartphone two years ago due to COVID documentation only available by that route whilst on the move. Furthermore, a new job relied on participating in various WhatsApp groups – used that as a lever to get my first smartphone out of the company and an allowance that more than covered the running costs.
Now, checking-in. I always try and check-in online, in the possibly/probably mistaken belief that it gets me ‘on the plane’. If I can, I will print my boarding pass, although often when travelling I will not have access to a printer, so will still present myself, even though I will also put it on my smartphone.
Often on long haul flights, I am one of the very few who only has a carry-on bag, so by using on-line check-in, the first contact I would have would be at the gate when boarding. This would sometimes result in my name being paged at the gate, as up until then I had not been ‘seen’. More recently, presumably to avoid such a scenario, some of the destinations I travel to are such that online check-in is not possible anyway, so as to make someone present at the desk to check visas etc.
I too will go out of my way to get a window seat - think of how much someone might pay for an aerial tour of the Amazon, the Himalaya, the Sahara - and that is included in the price!! However, it is surprising even on day time flights (non-sun side of course!!) how many blinds remain fully down, to the point of appearing the odd person out. As a single traveller, I have sometimes also been pressured to move, despite having selected and in some cases paid extra for a specific seat, so that two people, who had made no such advance provision, can 'sit together'. Does this happen to others? How do you manage the situation? I think, in particular, having paid extra for a specific seat, the airline should make it voluntary, but we know that they can be a law unto themselves.
Squak 6042
When flying on an A380 in Business, I will take a window seat, and my wife will do the same, and don’t try and put us in the middle. It is the same for both of us when on business. If on a business trip, you will usually see enough of your colleagues after your flight, the only exception being unless there is a pressing meeting shortly after arrival for us. So window seats for both of us even when travelling short haul say for 3 hrs, but on something like 777 for longer we will sit together, and argue who gets the window seat 😉
So to quickly answer your question no, not for moving.
Cheers
Mr Mac