Here is a real story from 'J' on SAA. Not an upgrade story but in a close vein to the above!
January 1988 and I was returning from a holiday in South Africa and was settling into my 'A' J-seat next to the window (see sig). The 'B' was empty and we were pushing back, so I was looking forward to a very comfortable night, by lifting the arm rest out and having the double seat.
Hear f/a voice behind me, "This is your seat, Sir." My mood sagged, I turned to greet my travelling companion ...
He was big. I mean
BIG, he was so big that when he flopped into the seat, he spread up the side and overlapped the arm rest
A moment later - the smell hit me. I have to say that the smell was just about the worst I have ever encountered. It was gross. It does not matter what the colour of his skin was, he smelt foul DESPITE being dressed in an expensive suit!
At this stage, I have to say that I had treated myself and had paid for the seat out of my own money.
We were taxying when he tried to put his seat belt on. I was expecting it not to fit around him and that they would have to bring an extension belt. However, he gave it hefty tug to try and stretch it round his belly and ... it came away in his hand, broken.
Knowing that they could not depart with an unsecured pax, I range the call bell fast as the eye can blink
In the mid section of the cabin, there were two seats adjacent that were empty and they moved him over there. I turned up the nozzle of the air jet!
Later in the flight, when he was eating, I saw that his belly was so large that the tray from the arm rest, could not be used as it was obstructed by flesh. He had his meal tray on the table of the adjacent empty seat!
The final ending was that, when I inspected his seat belt, I discovered that it was
not broken ... the catch was not properly secured and all it took was a simple 'click' and it was working again! I am sure that he was happier sitting on his own. I certainly was!