Can a flight attendant force you to change seats?

Flight attendants have the authority to move people around and the flight attendant can ask someone, she says, emphasizing that seat trades should always be equal. But Whitmore says there are two scenarios where it is “never” OK to ask for a switch.



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§ 125.328 Prohibition on crew interference. No person may assault, threaten, intimidate, or interfere with a crewmember in the performance of the crewmember's duties aboard an aircraft being operated under this part.

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Tammy Nelson was flying on Delta Airlines from Cincinnati, Ohio, to San Jose, California, when she was asked to swap seats with a woman who wanted to sit next to her two children.

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If the seat trade is not equal, however, most experts and frequent flyers agree the only appropriate requests are if a family is separated from young children, or if a passenger needs care during flight from their traveling companion.

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There are a few things passengers should never say to flight attendants in order to make their job easier. Examples include calling an attendant stewardess, and asking an attendant to watch your children. Flight attendants have a taxing job, but it can become even worse when passengers say the wrong things.

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7 Cannot visit cockpit any time Cabin crew are not allowed to visit the cockpit any time they choose. There is a rule of 'sterile cockpit' where the cabin crew cannot contact the flight crew during certain times unless of an emergency situation.

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“A cardinal rule of seat swaps is that you should never take someone else's seat before they board,” the blog states. As for how requests to swap seats should be handled by travellers, both Gottsman and The Points Guy say that passengers should feel comfortable declining if they don't want to give up their seat.

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Sometimes, when an airline asks for volunteers to give up their seats and fly on a different flight, there are not enough volunteers. When this occurs, the airline will select passengers to give up their seats. This is called “involuntary denied boarding” or “bumping.”

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Some airlines might require you to acknowledge and accept the change. On others, you may automatically be confirmed on the new flight. Get a refund. In other instances, the change may be significant enough that you no longer want to take the flight at all, and no alternative itinerary works with your schedule.

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Can airlines force you to buy a seat? Even if an airline's website makes it appear that you have to pay extra for a seat, you are never required to choose a specific seat and can always opt to decline seat selection in lieu of a FREE seat assignment during check-in.

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As long as you ask though, you should be okay - there are no rules or laws against swapping seats. The best place to sit is actually the back of the plane, according to one flight attendant.

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Flight attendants on long-haul flights are provided with spaces to rest. Here's a photo of the crew rest area on a Boeing 787. Crew rest areas exist on all airplanes, but what these rest areas look like depends on the airline, aircraft and the length of the flight.

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Flight attendants on long-haul flights are provided with spaces to rest.

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Keep Your Voice Down: The easiest way to get a poor response is to shout at an airline employee. They will instantly put their guard up, and many of them will refuse you any further help or service. Tone Down Your Language: The minute you start with any obscenities your cause is lost.

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Here are the 10 Ways You Can Get On Your Flight Attendants' Good Side:
  1. Return their greeting. Why on Earth would you NOT want to say “hi!” ...
  2. Help your fellow passengers. Flight attendants notice passengers who help out others. ( ...
  3. Look good. ...
  4. Make `em laugh. ...
  5. Give them a card. ...
  6. Serve in the military. ...
  7. Make their job easier.


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The vast majority of the time, passengers don't have any problems boarding their flights. But occasionally, airlines may “bump” passengers and have them give up their seats. Bumping, also known as “denied boarding,” happens when there are more passengers scheduled to fly on an airplane than available seats.

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