Sometimes the desire to move to another seat is not just a whim of an airline passenger.
A BBC columnist has gathered tips, observations, and insights from experienced flight attendants regarding the desire of some passengers to move to another seat on the plane.
“In most cases, we don’t mind passengers moving to other seats,” notes Michael, a flight attendant for one of the major US airlines. He means seats in the same class of cabin. But even then, moving is sometimes prohibited.
All this, of course, depends on the airline. For example, Southwest Airlines and EasyJet allow passengers to choose seats when boarding. However, in many cases, passengers trying to take seats that are not theirs can quickly lead to chaos.
“Problems arise when a passenger wants to move to a seat in the row next to the emergency exit,” admits Michael, noting that these seats have more legroom. “Most airlines charge $50 or more for these seats, and the extra fee is collected when booking tickets. It would be unfair if flight attendants allowed passengers to move to these seats if someone has already paid for the privilege of sitting there.”
Never mind the extra legroom. The desire to sit next to friends, family members, or colleagues is also understandable. But there are situations where swapping seats creates unnecessary problems. “Sometimes people just sit wherever they want,” says Michael. “It’s better for us if we can seat such passengers in their assigned seats before the person whose seat they took arrives. When a passenger arrives and sees someone already sitting in their seat, the boarding process becomes more tense, passengers start arguing about who is right, and it leads to disorder.”
What about cases where a person wants to switch from economy class to something more luxurious? If there are empty seats and the list of passengers eligible for an upgrade is empty, does that mean passengers can safely move? It’s not that simple.
Between economy class and business or first class, there is usually another cabin, often called premium economy. On a large plane or with a major airline, this cabin may have wider, softer seats that recline into comfortable beds. In addition to extra comfort, passengers in this cabin have other perks: early check-in, better food or snacks, and sometimes even free cocktails or amenities like a sleep mask or toothbrush.
On smaller planes flying short distances, the most common and obvious bonus for some travelers is an extra five to ten centimeters of legroom. As always, the exact figure depends on the airline.
What about upgrades? Most flight attendants will confirm that first class usually has no empty seats. When there are empty seats, airline staff typically offer the higher class cabin to frequent flyers before boarding begins. Who gets this benefit? First and foremost, those who fly frequently with the company. Next come passengers who have chosen a later flight with the condition of receiving a coupon for an upgrade.
But it’s not just about class—weight distribution on the plane also plays a big role. This important factor is called weight and balance. Depending on the size of the aircraft (especially for small regional carriers), passengers may be asked to move, at least for takeoff.
“Every aircraft has its own stability range. To stay within that range throughout the flight, from takeoff to landing, you need to account for all weight and its distribution,” says Darren Patterson, a pilot for a major US airline. “If you imagine the plane suspended from the top, the center of gravity is the point around which its weight is balanced. This is easy to understand by imagining two children on a seesaw.”
Passengers who think their own weight doesn’t affect the flight might be surprised to learn that it does. “The center of gravity constantly, though imperceptibly, shifts during the flight depending on how weight moves inside the plane,” says Patterson. “Even the movement of a single person walking down the aisle affects the plane’s handling, and pilots have to make minor adjustments to keep the plane in the same attitude.”
Have you ever noticed flight attendants counting passengers before takeoff? Some planes have equipment that automatically determines weight distribution and calculates the correct parameters for takeoff, while crews on other aircraft have to do it manually. If you’ve ever flown on a small plane and seen pilots moving passengers, know that they were doing it to properly distribute weight and meet safety requirements.
“The smaller the aircraft, the greater the impact of any weight movement,” explains Patterson. “On a large, wide-body plane, one person can move ten rows of seats, and it will have almost no effect on the balance. But on a regional flight or a turboprop, moving just a couple of rows is much more noticeable and could even push the plane outside the safe range.”
Thanks to modern technology, customers of some airlines can upgrade their class of service to a higher one while already on board. To do this, they simply need to swipe their bank card through a terminal. It is this small portable device that flight attendants use to charge you for a double gin and tonic that allows you to move to a higher class cabin without any problems.
The best way to choose a different seat is to do it on the airline's website before arriving at the airport. When there are empty seats, there is always a temptation to move, but it may happen that the person whose seat you want to take has simply not yet entered the aircraft cabin.
On board, everything is decided by the flight attendant, and we recommend you heed the old wisdom: "Treat others as you would like them to treat you." In other words, ask politely, and you might just get the seat you want—even if it's in economy class.