Moving from allocated seats
Moving from allocated seats
When you are on an aircraft and you want to move to a different seat either before takeoff or during the flight, is there any legal requirement for a member of the cabin crew to make a note of the change anywhere so that in the event of an accident or incident, there will be a correct list of who was in which seat?
Paxing All Over The World
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 10,842
Likes: 328
From: Hertfordshire, UK.
No. they only want you in your correct seat for departure. They need to count heads and wait to see if a late pax arrives and there is a seat number conflict.
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,165
Likes: 164
From: U.K.
It's always courteous to ask crew first if you wish to move around the cabin, particularly when on the ground..... for various reasons.
The allocated seating in case of an accident theory is a myth. Remember, if an accident is particularly bad, then your row 21 may well become row 32 if you catch my drift.
Remember also that some airlines have/did have free seating and no recording of who sits where happens at those carriers.
The allocated seating in case of an accident theory is a myth. Remember, if an accident is particularly bad, then your row 21 may well become row 32 if you catch my drift.
Remember also that some airlines have/did have free seating and no recording of who sits where happens at those carriers.
Joined: Dec 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 3,761
Likes: 424
From: GA, USA
Ask the crew.
Yesterday on my flight the cabin crew actually came by and offered pax the option to move to empty rows as the airplane was really only half full.
You just couldn't move to 'upgrade' rows like extra legroom as that wouldn't be fair towards the pax that already paid for it.
Yesterday on my flight the cabin crew actually came by and offered pax the option to move to empty rows as the airplane was really only half full.
You just couldn't move to 'upgrade' rows like extra legroom as that wouldn't be fair towards the pax that already paid for it.
Joined: Jan 2008
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 38
Likes: 62
From: The Smaller Antipode
Take off and landing requires a weight and balance calculation based on the occupied seats shown on the seating plan. Remember that crash in Wales (?) where an aircraft - Avro Tudor ? - more or less full of football supporters were told that the aircraft was about to land, so they all got up and walked to the back to be first off - the aircraft crashed due the inability to overcome the tail heavy moment as a result.
Often cabin crew will invite pax. to move to empty seats if they wish, but then they have to return to the originally allocated seats for landing. No problem.
OK, I don't know how Southwest, who have free seating, sort out the weight and balance calculation ? Maybe Bill Gates has created an App. I know we were messing about with a nose wheel sensor, which we compared with the loadsheet, many years ago, but have no idea if this is an industry standard now?
As co-pilot I once told ATC upon start up the number of SOB - Souls On Board, as was required. The Captain corrected me, adding one more. I questioned this, having copied the correct number from the loadsheet after he had signed it. Always add one more, he said, then they go on looking, and .... it might be you !
Often cabin crew will invite pax. to move to empty seats if they wish, but then they have to return to the originally allocated seats for landing. No problem.
OK, I don't know how Southwest, who have free seating, sort out the weight and balance calculation ? Maybe Bill Gates has created an App. I know we were messing about with a nose wheel sensor, which we compared with the loadsheet, many years ago, but have no idea if this is an industry standard now?
.......so they get all the bodies...
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 2,372
Likes: 1
From: Asia
Not into a higher cabin class and increasingly not into more desirable seats such as front or exit row. Forward seats are sometimes sold at a premium so its worth checking when booking if moving from 7C into 3C would involve a cost.
Often the premium seats are distinctly marked as such with headrest covers or different trim and the cabin crew will make an announcement offering upgraded seats available for purchase.
A shift across the aisle into an empty row is generally okay however, sometimes seats are allocated for crew rest so it never hurts to check.
Often the premium seats are distinctly marked as such with headrest covers or different trim and the cabin crew will make an announcement offering upgraded seats available for purchase.
A shift across the aisle into an empty row is generally okay however, sometimes seats are allocated for crew rest so it never hurts to check.
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,042
Likes: 0
From: Siargao Island
Once on a Carpatair S2000 pre-departure the aircraft was out of trim, either the cabin crew had info that I was an ID00 passenger or they recognised me from being in their offices previously, and I was asked if I would mind moving seat, I gave the cabin crew a cheeky smile whilst I pointed at a business class seat, no problem at all 
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 275
Likes: 1
From: United Kingdom
Some long haul aircraft do not have bunk rest for flight and cabin crew. So what appears to be an empty seat may well be an allocated crew rest seat. If you move there after takeoff you may be embarrassed to find a crew member asking you to move out of it at some stage during the flight.
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 3,423
Likes: 1
From: world
In my case, I was asked to move from my allocated window seat on one side to an aisle seat on the other side for crew rest purposes! The manner in which this was done (an American carrier) was not very friendly. After further discussion with the Cabin Manager we came to an agreement.
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: europe
Ryanair have a policy of deliberately splitting up passengers who book flights together, unless one is prepared to pay a fee for specific seats. My family have travelled several times with this unfortunate carrier in the last few weeks.
What tends to happen is that there is some 'seat swapping', and not just a row or adjacent seat, but passengers moving from one part of the plane to another. Groups booked together want to sit together.
On arrival, this causes delay as these displaced passengers are likely separated from their cabin baggage, and trying to go against the flow of leaving passengers.
It struck me, observing the melee, that in an evacuation procedure, it would only take a tiny minority of these many displaced passengers to go for their hand baggage to seriously compromise the chances of getting out. There is good probability that some passengers will always ignore the instructions and try and take hand baggage in an evacuation. Perhaps Ryanair's policy here is actually starting to compromise safety?
What tends to happen is that there is some 'seat swapping', and not just a row or adjacent seat, but passengers moving from one part of the plane to another. Groups booked together want to sit together.
On arrival, this causes delay as these displaced passengers are likely separated from their cabin baggage, and trying to go against the flow of leaving passengers.
It struck me, observing the melee, that in an evacuation procedure, it would only take a tiny minority of these many displaced passengers to go for their hand baggage to seriously compromise the chances of getting out. There is good probability that some passengers will always ignore the instructions and try and take hand baggage in an evacuation. Perhaps Ryanair's policy here is actually starting to compromise safety?
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 0
From: Confoederatio Helvetica
RobertZZ,
There is some anecdotal evidence that some passengers seen exiting with hand luggage actually were not taking their own handbags, but baggage that had fallen from the bins and was blocking the way to the exit.
Not everything is what it seems.
There is some anecdotal evidence that some passengers seen exiting with hand luggage actually were not taking their own handbags, but baggage that had fallen from the bins and was blocking the way to the exit.
Not everything is what it seems.
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 3,423
Likes: 1
From: world
Did they beat the cr@p out of you?
LOL. No, it wasn't that airline The conversation took place before take-off. When speaking to the Cabin Manager, I offered a compromise which was that I retain my seat (I had no one next to me) until they needed it, and went back to it after they finished their rest period. It was accepted together with an apology for her colleague's original unfriendly approach. All parties were satisfied.
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: Guernsey
Slightly off topic.
Two of us recently flew on 5 internal flights in the US booked by a travel agent from the UK (different airlines. In all cases when I checked in we were allocated seats together but always in the back or back 3 rows. I usually checked in within minutes of online checkin opening.
Is it usual to be allocated such rubbish seats or was I missing something?
Two of us recently flew on 5 internal flights in the US booked by a travel agent from the UK (different airlines. In all cases when I checked in we were allocated seats together but always in the back or back 3 rows. I usually checked in within minutes of online checkin opening.
Is it usual to be allocated such rubbish seats or was I missing something?
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 3,423
Likes: 1
From: world
It is not unusual in the USA that those pax who can pre select their seats often select the nearest available seat from the forward door for a rapid exit. The seats therefore fill up mainly from front to rear. Consequently, by the time you check in (not having pre selected seats) what's left will tend to be further aft. Applies with some carriers in Europe too.
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 3,423
Likes: 1
From: world
I was talking about scheduled operations. Loading of charter flights is different. I remember in the days of smoking, LTU for instance, loaded their Tristars from the front for non-smokers and the back for smokers. The zones were thus wherever the two met (if they met). Never particularly good for non-smokers who ended up near the split.