Musical Airline Seats

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A midday game of musical seats, courtesy of United Airlines. So there we were, in line at Denver airport, waiting to board the plane, when an announcement came over the PA system. "Will Louise Helps please come to the desk?" So I trotted off to the desk. Nothing too serious. They had a very frail old lady on the flight and her son would like to sit next to her. Would I mind sitting in not-my-assigned seat? I asked if Richard could move with me but this was not possible.
I agreed of course, and then remembered that Richard and I had bought a bagel and a salad to share on the flight.This was going to be a little awkward if we were sitting in separate rows on opposite sides of the aircaft. Technically, he had a window seat and I had a middle seat, so we decided that I would ask whoever had the window seat next to me whether they would mind swapping for my husband’s window seat a row or two away. Then I would get to sit at the window. Richard and I have a deal. I always get the window seat if we have one and he always gets the aisle seat if we have one and the other gets the dreaded middle position if there is one.

Anyway, the frail old lady snaffled the window seat, instead of her assigned aisle seat, hoping that the legitimate occupier (Richard) wouldn’t mind. This made all sorts of sense as she could sit tight for the entire journey, but my hope of sitting by the window evaporated. In due course, an elderly man came along and started to flop into the seat next to me. By this time Richard was deep in conversation with the son of the frail old lady, but I selfishly decided that I had a prior claim. I suggested to my seat companion that he might like to trade with that handsome fellow across the aisle and a row ahead, and he agreed pretty cheerfully. Problem solved. Only the elderly man, as we realized a few minutes later, had not actually been assigned to the seat next to me. We discovered this when the young fellow to whom the seat belonged (in the sense that property “belongs” to the person who rents it for a time) arrived and, not unreasonably, wanted his seat.

Richard and I decided together that the empty seat just across the aisle, which also happened to be the only unoccupied seat on the entire plane, would do just fine for the young man and fortunately he was willing to be convinced of this. So in the end, after a delightful game of musical seats, Richard and I managed to hold hands on the flight and eat our shared bagel in peace.

Comments

  1. MitchJanuary 14, 2018 9:52 PM

    I was stressed out by the time you were in your final seats, and SO happy that you were able to sit together. I have enjoyed the other earlier posts and wish you well!

    ReplyDelete
  2. ShanaFebruary 12, 2018 4:47 AM

    I agree with Mitch -- airline seating stresses me out when you have to work it out. I'm glad you got to sit by each other.

    ReplyDelete

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