Can a flight attendant force you to switch seats?

Yes, but MAKING you switch seats instead of ASKING you to do so is possible only when flight safety is a real concern. Actually yes. If you are a disabled person sitting at an emergency exit, you're gonna switch seat. If you are too fat and sitting at an emergency window, you have to move.



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If you are proposing to trade seats because you want to be near your spouse or friends, or have a very tight layover, and you are offering a comparable seat (aisle for an aisle, window for a window), it's always worth the ask and is generally viewed as acceptable.

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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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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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These days, air travel rarely brings out the best in anyone. But hitting, threatening, or interfering with a crewmember working on an airplane violates federal law and can result in a felony conviction.

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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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When you're asked by a flight attendant or gate agent to change seats, it's usually to help families sit together, allow caregivers to sit next to patients, or accommodate an air marshal or other airline employee.

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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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You will likely get assigned a seat during check-in (though you should still skip it if the airline tries to tack on a fee) or, at the very least, at the gate. Again: You don't have to select a seat in order to get a seat. You just might get stuck with a suboptimal one if you choose to skip it.

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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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Realistically, it's a gamble and getting upgraded to business class at the airport is pretty rare. If luxury and extra legroom is really important to you, book it in advance. However, if you're perfectly willing to fly economy class, and willing to roll the dice, a last-minute upgrade can be the cheapest option.

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Unless a member of the flight crew instructs you to move, you are never required to give up your seat or exchange your seat with another passenger. Whether you agree to exchange your seat for another on the plane if asked by a fellow passenger is entirely up to you.

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According to Rawls, “the unofficial, yet proper rules to follow are to always sit in your original seat first, wait until boarding is finished, and stay within your seating class/zone. Then — and only then — you may kindly ask a fellow passenger if you may swap with them.”

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Flight attendants are trained in being able to spot potentially disruptive passengers and in security, conflict management, self-defense, and restraint. If the situation worsens, a flight attendant has to intervene and give a warning to the passenger.

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Tugging their sleeve to get their attention
(“We're not dogs!” he says). But even if you're gentle and trying to be polite, most flight attendants prefer not to be touched at all.

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No. Therefore, tipping is discouraged. So while you may see a cash tip as a nice gesture, it might be prohibited by the airline entirely and flight attendants may not appreciate it either as they — rightly — see themselves as safety professionals and not customer service workers.

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10 Things Flight Attendants Are Not Allowed To Do Onboard The Aircraft
  • 1 Complacency. A big no-no, complacency is just not allowed. ...
  • 2 Raising your voice. ...
  • 3 No sleeping. ...
  • 4 Cannot wear earplugs. ...
  • 5 Never fly when pregnant. ...
  • 6 No eating. ...
  • 7 Cannot visit cockpit any time. ...
  • 8 No tips allowed.


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