picked up when they were looking for a female name and ther was a male name in the seat.
So then they ask where should you be sitting and he points to where the female is and they go "Are you Jane Doe?" and she says yes , well that makes the head count ok because we know she is on board, so move along nothing to see here. Jane Doe is on the aircraft. What if the wife was sitting in the swapped seat. If they were doing the head count and saw a female in the seat would they have queried who she was? I bet not. Then, horror of horrors, the aircraft would have departed with someone in the wrong seat!!!
Or they just could have seen him do it.
So not seeing him do it results in the aircraft departing and flying to it's destination safely, with no screaming match or tasering prior to departure, but seeing him do it results in a screaming match and a tasering? You have to ask if making the fuss is worth it. Does it really matter what seat you sit in as long as you are actually on the aircraft? It's not like they do an ID check on everyone to ensure the seating matches the manifest each and every time before departure.
If they had asked the cabin crew if they could swap and been given permission, especially in the hustle and bustle of boarding, is that ever noted anywhere? Is the change radioed or ACARS back to base so that the all important paperwork is kept up to date. My a*se it ever would be.
As for the vital "paperwork", there is no need for anyone on board to even prove they are who they claim to be anyway. There is no requirement to show ID buying the ticket, checking in, getting on board, or after seating to confirm that the right people are in the right seat (apparently a vital safety consideration!). So what does it really matter who sits where? If the head count (that's if they even do one) matches the expected number they're closing the door and going. They wouldn't have a clue who is actually on board or who is sitting where. It's all just assumptions.