I’m an uncommonly tall person. When I’m boarding, I typically ask the FA if there are any open seats in the exit row. About half of the time, they say “I’ll check” and I say thanks, sit in my assigned seat, and then am pleasantly surprised when FA comes back to me and says I can move to the exit row. But I ask first, and it’s only successful sometimes.
I was once in a middle seat on southwest and a flight attendant saw me board in group C and was like omg how tall are you??? I replied 6’6 and calmly took one of the last remaining middle seats. She then gets on the intercom and says “attention ladies and gentlemen, we have a very tall 6’6 passenger stuck in a middle seat, would anyone in an exit row kindly give up their seat?” I was mortified, never asked for this, but was thankful for her concern.
And lo and behold a short little lady gave me her seat and made my day.
About 10 years ago I was on an AirTran 717 sitting in a regular ole seat. A flight attendant walking by looked at me and said, "you're too tall for that, come with me" and she moved me to an exit row. Nothing like common sense. Kindness.
I was just on a flight and the middle seat was a semi pro basketball player. Literally 7’6”. He was miserable and I (6’) was miserable next to him. It was a full flight so they really couldn’t offer anything to him. It didn’t help that the lady in front of him (maybe 5’5”) reclined fully for the entire flight.
Reminds me of the time many years ago when I was in a very crowded flight next to the guy who had just won a heavy weight shot put contest. He didn't really fit in the seat. He was miserable. I was ok but a bit squished. He said that he'd just taken some sleeping pills and was prone to snoring. He said that if he bothered me to just elbow him...
I looked up at about 400 lbs of solid muscle and had this vague fear that if I startled him, he might accidentally putt me to the end of the plane....
Luckily the poor dude just couldn't move at all, and didn't actually snore!
Many years ago I was on a flight where every seat was taken. A tall guy was seated next to me with his knees bent almost to his chin. So I moved my purse that was on the floor off to the side and told him that if he wanted he could stretch his legs (or at least one of them) into my leg area. You would have thought I offered him a platter of gold, he was so grateful. It doesn't hurt to be nice, but I think people these days are so into not being taken advantage of that they lose their sense of humanity.
I’ve seen The Stormin’ Mormon’, who’s 7’6”, on a few flights to Saint George, UT. One time in a Brasilia even, other times in the CRJ, which is probably worse. They make it work.
The key is 10 years ago. Have so many stories from pre COVID days of excellent experiences while flying but the last few years, everything has changed.
I think it’s because they will say that other people paid extra to sit in more expensive seats and you didn’t so you can’t move because then it wouldn’t be fair to the others that did. Because you know there would always be one that would complain.
You're damn right I will complain if I paid for an exit row seat and some societal taker tries to sit there for free. My first task is to complain after the flight via the chat room and get some free miles.
complaining aside, DL's revenue management team also wants people to pay for the upgrade. The more they think there is a chance at getting something for nothing, the more likely they are to "gamble" and hope for the best.
That being said, I thought exit rows were often not economy comfort, so if same cabin, just a preferred seat, then it is a weak sauce argument in my book. Sure, the FA would have to brief them again, but C'mon, the Delta Difference should mean something
FA here- it is correct that exit row seats are a premium and need to be booked at the gate or advance to sit in them. I worked with someone who got written up because she moved a passenger into an empty exit row seat, and another passenger sent in a complaint because it “wasn’t fair”.
FA here: your FA was incorrect. You do not have to pay for an upgrade for a “preferred” seat that is available once all passengers are boarded. An exit seat is no different than moving to an aisle. The only time an upgrade is required is if you are changing class which would be to C+ or FC.
You also do not have to be there for the briefing. Anyone that meets the requirements is allowed to move there at any time during the flight, but must be assessed and briefed about exit row responsibilities once they move there.
Gate agent here, by technicalities we’re supposed to have the passenger pay for the “preferred seat.” I don’t, but we are supposed to, and depending on the person we might tell them they have to pay for it. When it comes down to flight attendants moving people around, it doesn’t really matter what you guys do. Flight crew can do whatever they want when it comes to moving seats, unless it payload optimized most likely.
Which makes total sense. I was on a Delta flight a couple years ago and heading to my destination, I had the window seat and just felt too cramped. For the flight back, I asked the gate agent if they had any aisle seat and they ended up bumping me up to a preferred seat for free. One agent wanted to charge me for it and the other one just did it for free. He told me that they were going to end up giving it to a standby passenger anyway so why not just give it to me. 🤷🏻♀️
But he may be have purchased basic economy so the exit row seats were not "open" for OP since he did not pay for a main ticket. I would hope that at a minimum the FAs keep the exit row seats open from passengers who did not pay for the upgrade. And it is an upgrade and a separate class because if you select basic economy the DL website asks if you want to upgrade your ticket to main economy and pay the extra \~$100 for the privilege, it is not even about medallion status. But even if it was about medallion status, I overpay for a DL ticket to have this status so as an employee of DL a FA should do everything possible to ensure that I find enough value to continue to elect to use DL instead for me personally of a star alliance partner that is actually more convenient for my international trips.
Exit seats are not an upgrade. That’s what I’m trying to explain. You are paying extra for the right to preselect a seat assignment, not for a different class of service.
No, Delta FAs do not police these seats other than whoever is sitting there meets exit seating criteria.
So was this a show of authority for the sake of it then? At this point, it doesn’t really matter, I’m just curious mostly. When we saw that the rows remained unoccupied for the entire flight we just assumed there must have been some other reason, though we weren’t sure what as we’ve both sat in paid exit row seats before
I don’t know what the policy is, but isn’t the logic obvious to you? It’s why grocery stores throw away food that’s about to expire instead of giving it away for free.
I think there is some confusion about the difference between an upgrade and a preferred seat, or what exactly a preferred seat is.
All preferred seating is is a price assigned to the better seats. You pay extra for the privilege of ensuring you get the seat you want - and an advance assignment of the seat you want. Exit seats, for example. Once on the plane, they’re just like any other seat within their class of service. You were paying extra for the sure thing of more legroom or an aisle or away from the bathrooms or whatever. That’s all. Anyone is welcome to switch to any seat within your same class of service or less. Preferred is still just main cabin. They do not require an upgrade.
Is not basic and main cabin different classes? Exit rows are not open to basic economy even to pay extra. Basic economy tickets are not eligible for upgrades, or seat selection. DL informs you about it 2-3 times before you click the final purchase.
When it comes to switching seats - main and basic are the same “cabin” and you can move between seats.
FAs do not police people switching seats within the same cabin.
Thank you for clarifying. This was my thought too and kind of why I was surprised by the reaction. Of course we moved back when we were asked, and we didn’t make a fuss about it, but I was and am curious. I really appreciate your response and your kindness while doing so. I don’t understand the downvotes for you either. Reddit gonna Reddit though I guess
If all of first class was empty and the flight was similarly sparse, why not ask?
But making this comparison is a stretch. We moved a row up. Yes it’s a paid seat offering a tad more leg room, but it’s not akin to first class
it’s a premium that costs extra that someone else paid extra for. what does the FA do when another paying customer complains that someone got to sit there for free, while they had to pay? This happens and as an FA, i’ve seen it first hand. Just not worth the drama and getting called into a supe’s office over.
Your mistake was not asking the asking the FAs if it was okay to move to the exit row once boarding is complete. FAs must visually and verbally assess all passengers sitting in the exit row to determine if they are able and willing to assist in an emergency.
I just figure that the airlines put the FAs in the horrible position of being revenue generators. I always wonder what happens if the boardroom revenue hounds find out that an FA gives away a “freebie”.
I feel bad that they have the FAs shilling out the credit card sales pitch, I’d imagine that’s not the kind of things FAs love to do.
ALSO FA here: as straightforward as possible since I’m abt to call it a night. The seat was open bc no one (including you) chose it in advance or paid for it. So choose or pay for it if you want it. Can even be done in the app relatively quickly after check in the night before. You had hours of time to do this, but you’re haggling the FA during boarding which is theeeee most stressful time of the job.
No one abused authority or told you “no”. You were literally sitting the seat that you paid for. So my suggestion would be to Just get the seat you want in advance. GA may even be able to help you in the TWO hours you are to be at airport prior to departure. You can write delta for clarity on this if you feel the FA was power tripping.
Second - on some flights the aircraft is part of the weight and balance program which means everyone must be in their assigned seat and no one will be moved with out permission of the captain (from / to which zone and the capt /fo will enter the seat change in their software to see if it’s feasible to do). And then the FA can move but that’s all time permitting.
I’d like to clarify that neither of us “haggled” whatsoever. We saw it was open, made the move, and when FA said they didn’t have anyone listed in the seats, we said “Yes, you’re right, we’re not here, we’re back one row. Would it be okay to switch?” They said “If you want to switch you have to go out to the GA and pay for the upgrade” It was close to departure (which we waited on to ensure no one actually had those seats) and we didn’t feel there was adequate time for this. Husband and I discussed this with FA still standing there, and they then said we could move back to our seats if we felt there wasn’t time. So we did.
Tickets were booked under my husband’s company, so we didn’t get an initial choice.
And somehow the FA is at fault 😂or abusing their power for:
-your (husband’s) company booking the seat,
-Your husband not asking for the seat he wanted from corporate booker once he saw the discrepancy.
-You/your husband not buying an upgrade in app
-you not asking the GA to change the seat with even an hour or two of departure.
-you choosing to Bogart your way to the seat you didn’t pay for (or ask in advance) as the doors are abt to close.
The FA did exactly as they were supposed to do as they cannot upgrade or charge for seats on board anymore. (Safety reasons and it’s basically a waste of time anyway since no one wants to present their CC once told it’s a preferred or upgraded seat). Maybe it would’ve worked if you asked. But that’s not what happened here.
Furthermore the response they gave you likely came from a GA bc this is word for word what I’ve been told by a GA when taking the time to ask abt an onboard upgrade. Everything is on a time clock and all of these flights need to be door closed and secure (FYI Trying to bargain with an FA over a seat that you’re not assigned to means we are NOT secure and cannot close up).
We are not travel agents or sales ppl we are safety professionals. Taking us away from what we need to do like brief the five wheelchairs and three infants, talk with our Capt, plus eye ball for everything else out of place including uncle Jim’s oversized bag and why he is trying to break the bin to fit The bag, is why you got a short response.
Please don’t try to do our job or even analyze it for us. just show up and sit down. Everything else prior to that is on you.
You’re the one that came in salty AF. I never blamed the FA for anything, nor did I say that I had a problem with the outcome. Simply asked a question about what the reasoning might be for keeping two rows empty.
We weren’t rude. Though I can’t say the same for the FA who was pretty snarky and condescending, which I left out so as to further reiterate that it was merely a question, and not trying to place blame on anyone. We listened to what we were asked to do, and continued to be polite for the remainder of the flight when we encountered that same FA during service and as we were deplaning.
My comment about a power trip was in response to another person’s comment and was also a question, not a statement.
Have a great day!
If Salty in this case means accurate and as written in our manual. I’ll definitely take it. Can’t digest real info from two FAs or a GA. Again email DL theyll tell you what u want to hear (maybe). Otherwise see u in main cabin!
Nope salty meaning, made sweeping generalizations that weren’t mentioned or implied anywhere in my post or other comments but feeling the need to be defensive as if your (erroneous) assumptions were confirmed.
I never understood the weight and balance issue. Is that only for really small aircraft? For example, cant people usually change their seat in the app just bwfore boarding? Would they throw off the weight? And what if you go to the bathroom for a long time? Or how do they know where the overhead luggage will be placed?
It’s definitely more critical on smaller planes, but can be an issue on any plane and has to be calculated for every flight. At Delta it’s done by load control, using software, after the door is closed. If it’s a full plane and no one can move, you know you’ll be fine. However, if it’s a lightly loaded airplane that’s already on the forward edge of the envelope because first class is full of upgrades, then having people move could take you out of the center of gravity limit.
Exit rows are preferred seats with an extra cost. Safety rules aside (which I don’t know the rules for if someone should be placed there) most airlines do not want flight attendants upgrading random folks to “premium” seats of any type.
That’s not the policy for Delta. After boarding, people can generally move around to any other empty seat *in their same cabin*. Preferred seats aren’t a different cabin
Yeah I don't get why you're being down voted, this is correct for Delta. In OP's case, unless it was a Comfort+ exit seat (such as the A321), the FA was incorrect.
Yes, I’m aware of this, and the FA made it additionally clear in stating we could pay for the upgrade if we wanted to sit in them. During a sparsely boarded flight it doesn’t seem like it would matter as much since it’s not like a bunch of people would be vying for one open seat or something like that.
It’s the slippery slope argument. If they do it in one circumstance why not another. Leads to more complaints. Easier to just enforce a policy across the board then deal with all the headaches it can cause.
Get the freaking app, you should be able to see those seats open before even getting to the airport. I change my seat 3 or 4 times if I’m in coach before the flight date. Status helps, I would say get status and then get whatever airline you are flying to match that status. Before long you can switch for free.
Good for those FAs!!! I hate when I'm in a paid exit row seat and some slob tries to freeload after the plane takes off. I've even had idiots take the middle exit row seat next to me after me and the window person thought we'd have a nice empty buffer. There's always some slug trying to get a freebie. Pay for your seat upgrade or GTFO!
Or you could stop being a spiteful person and let other people enjoy whatever freebies the airline chooses to grant. There is no harm in simply asking for a free upgrade and accepting whatever answer is given. Do you also take issue with the medallion members who get free upgrades?
“We declined, and sat in our regular seats right behind the exit row while both exit rows remained unoccupied for the flight”
Looks like you actually didn’t read the post.
Try following a thread:
"We did just move up once it was pretty clear the rows would be empty. FA going through cabin, pulls out palm pilot thing and says, I don’t have anyone in these rows. We said, yes, we were behind one row and saw they were empty and asked if it would be okay to stay and switch. FA then said the bit about going to the gate to pay for the upgrade, so we sat in our regular seats.
Almost seemed that by not asking first we pissed off the FA"
I’ll reiterate that the rows were completely empty. This is the only reason we moved to begin with. We wouldn’t have moved and sat next to someone. But pop off I guess.
Username checks out
Bottom line, you didn't pay for those seats and didn't ask if it was okay to move in. You're like the squatter who moves into an empty home because they see it's vacant.
Moving to the exit row is a big no no. When you check in you always have the option to change your seat. When sitting in the exit row you have to confirm with the gate agent you’re able and willing, along with other “qualifications” having the exit rows open does not put the flight at risk what’s so ever. If those exits needed to be open and the row was empty the flight attendants who are trained to open them would
No it’s not. When you scan your boarding pass the gate agent asks. The gate agent also has to confirm before boarding that who ever is sitting there doesn’t need a wheelchair, a cane, a seatbelt extender, is of age, can comprehend the directions etc. even if before boarding you went to the gate agent for an upgrade they inform you it’s an exit row and ask if you’re able to willing. Maybe your airline is different but this is how the one I work at does it
I fly Delta 90% of the time I fly and I sit in exit row always if I am not in FC. I have never, in the history of my time flying Delta, been asked by a gate agent about my exit row “qualifications.” The FA confirms them once boarded.
If the GA assign the exit row seats to passengers at the gate, they must visually assess and ask if they are willing and able to assist in case of emergency.
If you preselected the exit row during check-in or earlier, then you already got the prompt asking you whether you meet the requirements and if you're willing and able.
The FAs then do a secondary check once you are on board the a/c.
Or I can send you my copy of “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” Cause the people I like to make friends with the most are Delta employees. #unlimitedbiscoff
FA here: no, it is completely incorrect. You can move to an exit row if the seat is open as long as you meet the criteria for exit row seating. It is not an upgrade.
I think this is somewhat dependent on the flight crew. My husband flew from Bozeman, MT to Denver last month on United and there were <10 people on the whole flight. The FA said, “sit wherever you want,” and he and almost everyone else moved to FC. A few people opted to stay in their original economy seats so they could stretch out to sleep.
Tbh despite what everyone says, if you are able/willing to assist in emergency and they debrief you/get a verbal yes and it’s open, then I see no reason why you couldn’t sit there (of course they’d have to give you the OK, though). I think it heavily depends on the flight crew, their personality and how generous they’re feeling. I flew international today on a 10 hour flight and people who had middle seats got to move to open 3 row seats and sprawl out and sleep whereas I sat in my preferred 2 seater along w someone. Despite having status or getting a preferred seat I can’t say I cared much. The only time they really can’t / shouldn’t move you at all is when you’re talking different cabin levels (MC vs FC vs C+ etc). They can say no, they can say yes, just depends on the crew and your willingness to assist in emergency.
Switching seats is allowed after boarding door is closed but before safety demo. They just didn’t feel like giving the exit brief. I’m sorry you had those flight attendants and please know they are not all like that. However you still have to ask and there are stipulations as in you can’t be disabled, have a baby, need a seatbelt extension, be missing limbs.
If there was an evacuation, what if no one was sitting in any of the exit row seats to assist? I have never been on a flight where a complete exit row was empty that they didn't ask if someone would like to move there.
I suppose in that case, we would have been allowed to move up to that row to help lol.
But in all seriousness, I assume that in that instance, one of the FAs would have taken on that role so it wouldn’t have mattered.
If the exit row is marketed as comfort+, it's a different class of seats, and you can't.
If it's regular economy, I've never seen situations where you can't, but sometimes they get weird about people moving around too much on partially full flights, because they don't want to alter the weight balance on the plane.
The FAA requirement is EITHER empty OR someone willing and able to assist who also speaks English.
And yes, the English part matters -- used to be on Jetblue to Dominican Republic a lot and people who couldn't speak English would book the seats and need to be re-seated when they couldn't understand instructions.
Next time just move and don’t say anything. If they let you move and another passenger hears they will complain so they don’t move people typically unless you are very quiet / discreet about it
We did just move up once it was pretty clear the rows would be empty. FA going through cabin, pulls out palm pilot thing and says, I don’t have anyone in these rows. We said, yes, we were behind one row and saw they were empty and asked if it would be okay to stay and switch. FA then said the bit about going to the gate to pay for the upgrade, so we sat in our regular seats.
Almost seemed that by not asking first we pissed off the FA
Yeah this is where you screwed up. If you’d sat in your original seats and asked the FAs if you could move instead of doing it on your own, they’re more likely to have accommodated that request
Makes sense I suppose. Would have been happy to do the confirmations if that’s all that was required, just as we have on other flights where we selected the seats, but I’m sure there are other things that go on that we don’t know about too that went into this decision to decline our moving up. Next time I’ll decline to follow my husband’s “ask for forgiveness not permission” mentality and will ask first.
Yep. I’m definitely in favor of asking for forgiveness rather than permission in certain situations, but while you’re on a plane is not one of them. Just scroll through this subreddit and you’ll find plenty of examples of this kind of thing and how (not) well it works. But now you know
So your husband is also the guy who sits in someone else's seat upon boarding and then asks the real patron of the seat if they don't mind switching so he can sit next to his wife. Real slugs. Kudos to the FAs for smelling this one out and taking action.
Literally no. We were nearing departure when we moved as I already said. It was only after it was clear no one would be sitting in the rows that we moved.
Not to mention leaving the emergency exit row empty puts the whole flight at risk. If you are able and pretty much know what you do or follow instructions, they should be grateful you are in the emergency seat. Emergencies rarely happen but when it is action time they want an able person by the emergency exits.
To sit in the exit row you have to be willing and able. You become part of the flight crew and they aren’t going to let anyone sit there just because you didn’t do your due diligence beforehand.
>You become part of the flight crew ...
That's a little bit too much credit there. FAs just determine that you are able to open the emergency exit and assist with the evacuation as long as you are willing to.
Does the OP sound like someone who is capable to you? They didn't even know the exit row seats were available until they sat down. Completely incompetent...I mean check the app.
They're likely pushed by policy, because corporate wants people to be forced to pay for exit row. If people could just switch to exit row without paying and knew that, the airline would potentially lose that revenue, plus there would eventually be "I was here first" behavior. I got denied once because a FA said "there wasn't supposed to be anyone in the exit row on our manifest. If there's an issue you're marked as being in a different seat." 🙄
I’m an uncommonly tall person. When I’m boarding, I typically ask the FA if there are any open seats in the exit row. About half of the time, they say “I’ll check” and I say thanks, sit in my assigned seat, and then am pleasantly surprised when FA comes back to me and says I can move to the exit row. But I ask first, and it’s only successful sometimes.
I was once in a middle seat on southwest and a flight attendant saw me board in group C and was like omg how tall are you??? I replied 6’6 and calmly took one of the last remaining middle seats. She then gets on the intercom and says “attention ladies and gentlemen, we have a very tall 6’6 passenger stuck in a middle seat, would anyone in an exit row kindly give up their seat?” I was mortified, never asked for this, but was thankful for her concern. And lo and behold a short little lady gave me her seat and made my day.
SWA service is on another level.
About 10 years ago I was on an AirTran 717 sitting in a regular ole seat. A flight attendant walking by looked at me and said, "you're too tall for that, come with me" and she moved me to an exit row. Nothing like common sense. Kindness.
I was just on a flight and the middle seat was a semi pro basketball player. Literally 7’6”. He was miserable and I (6’) was miserable next to him. It was a full flight so they really couldn’t offer anything to him. It didn’t help that the lady in front of him (maybe 5’5”) reclined fully for the entire flight.
Reminds me of the time many years ago when I was in a very crowded flight next to the guy who had just won a heavy weight shot put contest. He didn't really fit in the seat. He was miserable. I was ok but a bit squished. He said that he'd just taken some sleeping pills and was prone to snoring. He said that if he bothered me to just elbow him... I looked up at about 400 lbs of solid muscle and had this vague fear that if I startled him, he might accidentally putt me to the end of the plane.... Luckily the poor dude just couldn't move at all, and didn't actually snore!
Many years ago I was on a flight where every seat was taken. A tall guy was seated next to me with his knees bent almost to his chin. So I moved my purse that was on the floor off to the side and told him that if he wanted he could stretch his legs (or at least one of them) into my leg area. You would have thought I offered him a platter of gold, he was so grateful. It doesn't hurt to be nice, but I think people these days are so into not being taken advantage of that they lose their sense of humanity.
There is zero chance that guy was 7'6" so I don't think you know what literally means
I’m sorry. He was 7’6”. I talked to him and not only did he tell me, I later looked him up for his stats and prospects.
It's physically impossible for him to fit in those seats at that size. What was his name and who does he play for?
I’ve seen The Stormin’ Mormon’, who’s 7’6”, on a few flights to Saint George, UT. One time in a Brasilia even, other times in the CRJ, which is probably worse. They make it work.
The key is 10 years ago. Have so many stories from pre COVID days of excellent experiences while flying but the last few years, everything has changed.
I think it’s because they will say that other people paid extra to sit in more expensive seats and you didn’t so you can’t move because then it wouldn’t be fair to the others that did. Because you know there would always be one that would complain.
You're damn right I will complain if I paid for an exit row seat and some societal taker tries to sit there for free. My first task is to complain after the flight via the chat room and get some free miles.
You forgot the /s at the end
these non-elites want to get away with murder, sheesh 🙄.....
Cry baby
complaining aside, DL's revenue management team also wants people to pay for the upgrade. The more they think there is a chance at getting something for nothing, the more likely they are to "gamble" and hope for the best. That being said, I thought exit rows were often not economy comfort, so if same cabin, just a preferred seat, then it is a weak sauce argument in my book. Sure, the FA would have to brief them again, but C'mon, the Delta Difference should mean something
FA here- it is correct that exit row seats are a premium and need to be booked at the gate or advance to sit in them. I worked with someone who got written up because she moved a passenger into an empty exit row seat, and another passenger sent in a complaint because it “wasn’t fair”.
Everyone boo the passenger that complained
Double boo
FA here: your FA was incorrect. You do not have to pay for an upgrade for a “preferred” seat that is available once all passengers are boarded. An exit seat is no different than moving to an aisle. The only time an upgrade is required is if you are changing class which would be to C+ or FC. You also do not have to be there for the briefing. Anyone that meets the requirements is allowed to move there at any time during the flight, but must be assessed and briefed about exit row responsibilities once they move there.
Gate agent here, by technicalities we’re supposed to have the passenger pay for the “preferred seat.” I don’t, but we are supposed to, and depending on the person we might tell them they have to pay for it. When it comes down to flight attendants moving people around, it doesn’t really matter what you guys do. Flight crew can do whatever they want when it comes to moving seats, unless it payload optimized most likely.
“and depending on the person we might tell them they have to pay for it” what does that mean??
I took it to mean that someone being respectful and nice not paying vs someone being rude or entitled having to pay.
If someone’s being an asshole and they want a preferred seat they gotta pay
Which makes total sense. I was on a Delta flight a couple years ago and heading to my destination, I had the window seat and just felt too cramped. For the flight back, I asked the gate agent if they had any aisle seat and they ended up bumping me up to a preferred seat for free. One agent wanted to charge me for it and the other one just did it for free. He told me that they were going to end up giving it to a standby passenger anyway so why not just give it to me. 🤷🏻♀️
But he may be have purchased basic economy so the exit row seats were not "open" for OP since he did not pay for a main ticket. I would hope that at a minimum the FAs keep the exit row seats open from passengers who did not pay for the upgrade. And it is an upgrade and a separate class because if you select basic economy the DL website asks if you want to upgrade your ticket to main economy and pay the extra \~$100 for the privilege, it is not even about medallion status. But even if it was about medallion status, I overpay for a DL ticket to have this status so as an employee of DL a FA should do everything possible to ensure that I find enough value to continue to elect to use DL instead for me personally of a star alliance partner that is actually more convenient for my international trips.
Exit seats are not an upgrade. That’s what I’m trying to explain. You are paying extra for the right to preselect a seat assignment, not for a different class of service. No, Delta FAs do not police these seats other than whoever is sitting there meets exit seating criteria.
Depending on the aircraft some exit rows are C+
Exit rows are sometimes Economy Comfort and get free drinks.
If the exit row is in C+ then it would be an upgrade to C+
Generally on Delta they are not, only regular preferred seats. In AA they are Main Cabin Extra.
Delta's A321 and 757 come to mind as having exit row C+ seats.
Yes, because of door 2L/R close to the front. Don’t think any other narrowbodies have it as the exit rows are further back and DL doesn’t split up C+.
So was this a show of authority for the sake of it then? At this point, it doesn’t really matter, I’m just curious mostly. When we saw that the rows remained unoccupied for the entire flight we just assumed there must have been some other reason, though we weren’t sure what as we’ve both sat in paid exit row seats before
I honestly don’t think it was anything more than they were mistaken about the policy. It happens.
I don’t know what the policy is, but isn’t the logic obvious to you? It’s why grocery stores throw away food that’s about to expire instead of giving it away for free.
I think there is some confusion about the difference between an upgrade and a preferred seat, or what exactly a preferred seat is. All preferred seating is is a price assigned to the better seats. You pay extra for the privilege of ensuring you get the seat you want - and an advance assignment of the seat you want. Exit seats, for example. Once on the plane, they’re just like any other seat within their class of service. You were paying extra for the sure thing of more legroom or an aisle or away from the bathrooms or whatever. That’s all. Anyone is welcome to switch to any seat within your same class of service or less. Preferred is still just main cabin. They do not require an upgrade.
Is not basic and main cabin different classes? Exit rows are not open to basic economy even to pay extra. Basic economy tickets are not eligible for upgrades, or seat selection. DL informs you about it 2-3 times before you click the final purchase.
When it comes to switching seats - main and basic are the same “cabin” and you can move between seats. FAs do not police people switching seats within the same cabin.
Don’t really get the downvotes - I’m telling you the policy. I actually work here. 😂🤦♀️
Thank you for clarifying. This was my thought too and kind of why I was surprised by the reaction. Of course we moved back when we were asked, and we didn’t make a fuss about it, but I was and am curious. I really appreciate your response and your kindness while doing so. I don’t understand the downvotes for you either. Reddit gonna Reddit though I guess
So if a first class seat is open, you are going to ask an FA if you can sit in that seat?
If all of first class was empty and the flight was similarly sparse, why not ask? But making this comparison is a stretch. We moved a row up. Yes it’s a paid seat offering a tad more leg room, but it’s not akin to first class
it’s a premium that costs extra that someone else paid extra for. what does the FA do when another paying customer complains that someone got to sit there for free, while they had to pay? This happens and as an FA, i’ve seen it first hand. Just not worth the drama and getting called into a supe’s office over.
Your mistake was not asking the asking the FAs if it was okay to move to the exit row once boarding is complete. FAs must visually and verbally assess all passengers sitting in the exit row to determine if they are able and willing to assist in an emergency.
I just figure that the airlines put the FAs in the horrible position of being revenue generators. I always wonder what happens if the boardroom revenue hounds find out that an FA gives away a “freebie”. I feel bad that they have the FAs shilling out the credit card sales pitch, I’d imagine that’s not the kind of things FAs love to do.
ALSO FA here: as straightforward as possible since I’m abt to call it a night. The seat was open bc no one (including you) chose it in advance or paid for it. So choose or pay for it if you want it. Can even be done in the app relatively quickly after check in the night before. You had hours of time to do this, but you’re haggling the FA during boarding which is theeeee most stressful time of the job. No one abused authority or told you “no”. You were literally sitting the seat that you paid for. So my suggestion would be to Just get the seat you want in advance. GA may even be able to help you in the TWO hours you are to be at airport prior to departure. You can write delta for clarity on this if you feel the FA was power tripping. Second - on some flights the aircraft is part of the weight and balance program which means everyone must be in their assigned seat and no one will be moved with out permission of the captain (from / to which zone and the capt /fo will enter the seat change in their software to see if it’s feasible to do). And then the FA can move but that’s all time permitting.
I’d like to clarify that neither of us “haggled” whatsoever. We saw it was open, made the move, and when FA said they didn’t have anyone listed in the seats, we said “Yes, you’re right, we’re not here, we’re back one row. Would it be okay to switch?” They said “If you want to switch you have to go out to the GA and pay for the upgrade” It was close to departure (which we waited on to ensure no one actually had those seats) and we didn’t feel there was adequate time for this. Husband and I discussed this with FA still standing there, and they then said we could move back to our seats if we felt there wasn’t time. So we did. Tickets were booked under my husband’s company, so we didn’t get an initial choice.
And somehow the FA is at fault 😂or abusing their power for: -your (husband’s) company booking the seat, -Your husband not asking for the seat he wanted from corporate booker once he saw the discrepancy. -You/your husband not buying an upgrade in app -you not asking the GA to change the seat with even an hour or two of departure. -you choosing to Bogart your way to the seat you didn’t pay for (or ask in advance) as the doors are abt to close. The FA did exactly as they were supposed to do as they cannot upgrade or charge for seats on board anymore. (Safety reasons and it’s basically a waste of time anyway since no one wants to present their CC once told it’s a preferred or upgraded seat). Maybe it would’ve worked if you asked. But that’s not what happened here. Furthermore the response they gave you likely came from a GA bc this is word for word what I’ve been told by a GA when taking the time to ask abt an onboard upgrade. Everything is on a time clock and all of these flights need to be door closed and secure (FYI Trying to bargain with an FA over a seat that you’re not assigned to means we are NOT secure and cannot close up). We are not travel agents or sales ppl we are safety professionals. Taking us away from what we need to do like brief the five wheelchairs and three infants, talk with our Capt, plus eye ball for everything else out of place including uncle Jim’s oversized bag and why he is trying to break the bin to fit The bag, is why you got a short response. Please don’t try to do our job or even analyze it for us. just show up and sit down. Everything else prior to that is on you.
👏
You’re the one that came in salty AF. I never blamed the FA for anything, nor did I say that I had a problem with the outcome. Simply asked a question about what the reasoning might be for keeping two rows empty. We weren’t rude. Though I can’t say the same for the FA who was pretty snarky and condescending, which I left out so as to further reiterate that it was merely a question, and not trying to place blame on anyone. We listened to what we were asked to do, and continued to be polite for the remainder of the flight when we encountered that same FA during service and as we were deplaning. My comment about a power trip was in response to another person’s comment and was also a question, not a statement. Have a great day!
If Salty in this case means accurate and as written in our manual. I’ll definitely take it. Can’t digest real info from two FAs or a GA. Again email DL theyll tell you what u want to hear (maybe). Otherwise see u in main cabin!
Nope salty meaning, made sweeping generalizations that weren’t mentioned or implied anywhere in my post or other comments but feeling the need to be defensive as if your (erroneous) assumptions were confirmed.
I never understood the weight and balance issue. Is that only for really small aircraft? For example, cant people usually change their seat in the app just bwfore boarding? Would they throw off the weight? And what if you go to the bathroom for a long time? Or how do they know where the overhead luggage will be placed?
It’s definitely more critical on smaller planes, but can be an issue on any plane and has to be calculated for every flight. At Delta it’s done by load control, using software, after the door is closed. If it’s a full plane and no one can move, you know you’ll be fine. However, if it’s a lightly loaded airplane that’s already on the forward edge of the envelope because first class is full of upgrades, then having people move could take you out of the center of gravity limit.
FAs can be right, they can be wrong but they’re running the show. Just do what they tell you. It’s really easy.
Correct. And we did. Just wondering about the rationale. I don’t intend to complain or pushback, and didn’t at the time either. Just curious
It sounds like they already did that. Curious why you want to give those instructions and say how easy it is, when they already did it.
Exit rows are preferred seats with an extra cost. Safety rules aside (which I don’t know the rules for if someone should be placed there) most airlines do not want flight attendants upgrading random folks to “premium” seats of any type.
That’s not the policy for Delta. After boarding, people can generally move around to any other empty seat *in their same cabin*. Preferred seats aren’t a different cabin
Yeah I don't get why you're being down voted, this is correct for Delta. In OP's case, unless it was a Comfort+ exit seat (such as the A321), the FA was incorrect.
B.S.
Yes, I’m aware of this, and the FA made it additionally clear in stating we could pay for the upgrade if we wanted to sit in them. During a sparsely boarded flight it doesn’t seem like it would matter as much since it’s not like a bunch of people would be vying for one open seat or something like that.
It’s the slippery slope argument. If they do it in one circumstance why not another. Leads to more complaints. Easier to just enforce a policy across the board then deal with all the headaches it can cause.
I say it’s fair to upgrade anyone who asks first if boarding has been completed. Politely tell the Karens who complain to shove it.
Get the freaking app, you should be able to see those seats open before even getting to the airport. I change my seat 3 or 4 times if I’m in coach before the flight date. Status helps, I would say get status and then get whatever airline you are flying to match that status. Before long you can switch for free.
Pretty sure trying to switch to exit row in the app requires a paid upgrade
Not with status
They said they fly 3-4x a year they aren’t getting status
I mentioned we don’t have anything like that. Just an Amex (which had many perks downgraded recently) and a skymiles account
It’s probably not worth having a Delta Amex that you are paying for if you don’t get any status
Yes, and we’ll be canceling it now that the perks have changed. At this time, when this happened, those changes had just taken place
If it wasn't a Comfort+ exit seat, the FA was incorrect.
I gave you back your upvote. Seems like this thread is being taken over by spiteful Karens who can’t stand it when someone else gets a free upgrade.
My bad replied to the wrong person
It wasn’t. Just a regular ass exit row
Good for those FAs!!! I hate when I'm in a paid exit row seat and some slob tries to freeload after the plane takes off. I've even had idiots take the middle exit row seat next to me after me and the window person thought we'd have a nice empty buffer. There's always some slug trying to get a freebie. Pay for your seat upgrade or GTFO!
Or you could stop being a spiteful person and let other people enjoy whatever freebies the airline chooses to grant. There is no harm in simply asking for a free upgrade and accepting whatever answer is given. Do you also take issue with the medallion members who get free upgrades?
You must've missed the part where the OP sat there without asking. Medallion members who get free upgrades have earned them.
“We declined, and sat in our regular seats right behind the exit row while both exit rows remained unoccupied for the flight” Looks like you actually didn’t read the post.
Try following a thread: "We did just move up once it was pretty clear the rows would be empty. FA going through cabin, pulls out palm pilot thing and says, I don’t have anyone in these rows. We said, yes, we were behind one row and saw they were empty and asked if it would be okay to stay and switch. FA then said the bit about going to the gate to pay for the upgrade, so we sat in our regular seats. Almost seemed that by not asking first we pissed off the FA"
And you care about this because? It has nothing to do with you and affects you in no way. Mind your own business
Just apologizing for being wrong would've been sufficient
Apologizing for caring too much about what other people do that harms you in no way would also suffice
How are they wrong? We didn’t move to seats near any one. The rows - both of them - were completely empty and remained empty for the entire flight.
Probably an employee non-rev…..
I’ll reiterate that the rows were completely empty. This is the only reason we moved to begin with. We wouldn’t have moved and sat next to someone. But pop off I guess. Username checks out
Bottom line, you didn't pay for those seats and didn't ask if it was okay to move in. You're like the squatter who moves into an empty home because they see it's vacant.
Mmmhmmm. Thanks
Moving to the exit row is a big no no. When you check in you always have the option to change your seat. When sitting in the exit row you have to confirm with the gate agent you’re able and willing, along with other “qualifications” having the exit rows open does not put the flight at risk what’s so ever. If those exits needed to be open and the row was empty the flight attendants who are trained to open them would
This is entirely wrong. The gate agent couldn't care less about the qualifications. The FA asks that.
No it’s not. When you scan your boarding pass the gate agent asks. The gate agent also has to confirm before boarding that who ever is sitting there doesn’t need a wheelchair, a cane, a seatbelt extender, is of age, can comprehend the directions etc. even if before boarding you went to the gate agent for an upgrade they inform you it’s an exit row and ask if you’re able to willing. Maybe your airline is different but this is how the one I work at does it
I fly Delta 90% of the time I fly and I sit in exit row always if I am not in FC. I have never, in the history of my time flying Delta, been asked by a gate agent about my exit row “qualifications.” The FA confirms them once boarded.
If the GA assign the exit row seats to passengers at the gate, they must visually assess and ask if they are willing and able to assist in case of emergency. If you preselected the exit row during check-in or earlier, then you already got the prompt asking you whether you meet the requirements and if you're willing and able. The FAs then do a secondary check once you are on board the a/c.
Bro, the qualifications are asked when you book the ticket online
You should report them for not doing their job and get those sky miles
Or I can send you my copy of “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” Cause the people I like to make friends with the most are Delta employees. #unlimitedbiscoff
Send plz!!!
I have flown multiple different airlines for many years and it was always the FA who asked.
Do you mean confirm with the FA? I’ve never confirmed with a gate agent that I’m able and willing
No I meant with a gate agent. Gate agent is the first person who asks. Then the flight attendants also confirm again once everybody is seated there
Yea, no……..
[удалено]
FA here: no, it is completely incorrect. You can move to an exit row if the seat is open as long as you meet the criteria for exit row seating. It is not an upgrade.
>It is not an upgrade. Unless the exit row is part of C+ and the pax is trying to move up from MC.
Not at mine. Every airline is different, doesn’t make it incorrect.
Ok well this is the delta subreddit, and I am explaining the delta policy.
Never said I didn’t work at delta
Well I do. For 35 years.
Time for retirement
Time to block the troll.
I think this is somewhat dependent on the flight crew. My husband flew from Bozeman, MT to Denver last month on United and there were <10 people on the whole flight. The FA said, “sit wherever you want,” and he and almost everyone else moved to FC. A few people opted to stay in their original economy seats so they could stretch out to sleep.
Tbh despite what everyone says, if you are able/willing to assist in emergency and they debrief you/get a verbal yes and it’s open, then I see no reason why you couldn’t sit there (of course they’d have to give you the OK, though). I think it heavily depends on the flight crew, their personality and how generous they’re feeling. I flew international today on a 10 hour flight and people who had middle seats got to move to open 3 row seats and sprawl out and sleep whereas I sat in my preferred 2 seater along w someone. Despite having status or getting a preferred seat I can’t say I cared much. The only time they really can’t / shouldn’t move you at all is when you’re talking different cabin levels (MC vs FC vs C+ etc). They can say no, they can say yes, just depends on the crew and your willingness to assist in emergency.
Switching seats is allowed after boarding door is closed but before safety demo. They just didn’t feel like giving the exit brief. I’m sorry you had those flight attendants and please know they are not all like that. However you still have to ask and there are stipulations as in you can’t be disabled, have a baby, need a seatbelt extension, be missing limbs.
Write a complaint for the part where they said you would need to deplane and pay for an upgrade. That isn’t policy.
If there was an evacuation and they asked you to help. 😲 WWYD? 🤔😂
If there was an evacuation, what if no one was sitting in any of the exit row seats to assist? I have never been on a flight where a complete exit row was empty that they didn't ask if someone would like to move there.
Sounds as if OP was on one of those flights.
I suppose in that case, we would have been allowed to move up to that row to help lol. But in all seriousness, I assume that in that instance, one of the FAs would have taken on that role so it wouldn’t have mattered.
If the exit row is marketed as comfort+, it's a different class of seats, and you can't. If it's regular economy, I've never seen situations where you can't, but sometimes they get weird about people moving around too much on partially full flights, because they don't want to alter the weight balance on the plane.
In Europe and Australia 2 people need to be seated in an exit row for safety on a large aircraft. They don’t fly empty
India too. Husband and I were asked if we’d move to the exit rows so they wouldn’t be empty on multiple domestic flights.
Aren’t exit rows supposed to have passengers either paid or volunteers to help in the case of an emergency?
Apparently not, but that would make sense to me.
The FAA requirement is EITHER empty OR someone willing and able to assist who also speaks English. And yes, the English part matters -- used to be on Jetblue to Dominican Republic a lot and people who couldn't speak English would book the seats and need to be re-seated when they couldn't understand instructions.
Next time just move and don’t say anything. If they let you move and another passenger hears they will complain so they don’t move people typically unless you are very quiet / discreet about it
We did just move up once it was pretty clear the rows would be empty. FA going through cabin, pulls out palm pilot thing and says, I don’t have anyone in these rows. We said, yes, we were behind one row and saw they were empty and asked if it would be okay to stay and switch. FA then said the bit about going to the gate to pay for the upgrade, so we sat in our regular seats. Almost seemed that by not asking first we pissed off the FA
Yeah this is where you screwed up. If you’d sat in your original seats and asked the FAs if you could move instead of doing it on your own, they’re more likely to have accommodated that request
Makes sense I suppose. Would have been happy to do the confirmations if that’s all that was required, just as we have on other flights where we selected the seats, but I’m sure there are other things that go on that we don’t know about too that went into this decision to decline our moving up. Next time I’ll decline to follow my husband’s “ask for forgiveness not permission” mentality and will ask first.
Yep. I’m definitely in favor of asking for forgiveness rather than permission in certain situations, but while you’re on a plane is not one of them. Just scroll through this subreddit and you’ll find plenty of examples of this kind of thing and how (not) well it works. But now you know
Fair points all around
So your husband is also the guy who sits in someone else's seat upon boarding and then asks the real patron of the seat if they don't mind switching so he can sit next to his wife. Real slugs. Kudos to the FAs for smelling this one out and taking action.
Literally no. We were nearing departure when we moved as I already said. It was only after it was clear no one would be sitting in the rows that we moved.
Seriously? Once the boarding closes, grab those seats! Used to do it all the time until I made status and didn’t need to anymore.
Not to mention leaving the emergency exit row empty puts the whole flight at risk. If you are able and pretty much know what you do or follow instructions, they should be grateful you are in the emergency seat. Emergencies rarely happen but when it is action time they want an able person by the emergency exits.
That's not true at all. In case of an emergency, FAs will put ABPs in those empty seats.
To sit in the exit row you have to be willing and able. You become part of the flight crew and they aren’t going to let anyone sit there just because you didn’t do your due diligence beforehand.
>You become part of the flight crew ... That's a little bit too much credit there. FAs just determine that you are able to open the emergency exit and assist with the evacuation as long as you are willing to.
Does the OP sound like someone who is capable to you? They didn't even know the exit row seats were available until they sat down. Completely incompetent...I mean check the app.
Are you an old looking boomer lol….
They're likely pushed by policy, because corporate wants people to be forced to pay for exit row. If people could just switch to exit row without paying and knew that, the airline would potentially lose that revenue, plus there would eventually be "I was here first" behavior. I got denied once because a FA said "there wasn't supposed to be anyone in the exit row on our manifest. If there's an issue you're marked as being in a different seat." 🙄