In recent years, airlines have made a bigger deal about passengers not changing their seats to another one, at least without being given the OK.
They frequently explain their official reason, although many of us still think that “getting a seat that would cost more, had you paid for it” (i.e. window seat, seat close to the front, etc.) miiiiight have something to do with it too.
Anyway, a Reddit user recently discovered another reason why changing your seat could have unusual consequences.
What Happened on the Flight
Redditor u/SkyVegetable419 was on a United flight from Newark to O’Hare with her husband. The couple were next to each other, both in aisle seats in the exit row (it’s a well-known seating strategy if you’re afraid this one won’t work).
SkyVegetable419 said there was a male passenger of size seated in the middle seat, next to her husband and he (and the husband) apparently looked pretty miserable. She offered to switch with the man, since the middle seat next to her was empty; that way, the guy would have a little more elbow room. The man agreed, so he sat in the aisle seat next to an empty middle, and she sat in the other middle seat, next to her husband.
SkyVegetable419 said the man was happy with the switch and he seemed appreciative.
What Happened After Landing
Everything was fine until they landed in Chicago and SkyVegetable419 checked her email (if you’re reading between the lines, United says they’re rolling out free Wi-Fi to their entire fleet. I have yet to be on a United flight with this free Wi-Fi where it actually worked). She said that, lo and behold, she had been charged 600 miles for in-flight food.
Except she hadn’t ordered any food on the flight.
Turns out, the passenger who took my seat ordered food using miles, and because the seat number tied to my account, it charged to my mileageplus account.
SkyVegetable419 said she contacted United’s customer service department, explained what happened, and they refunded her the 600 miles. But still, there ya go – another reason to not switch seats without telling someone – at least on United, which uses a process whereby you register to order anything ahead of time, and your credit card is then tied to your seat.
Some Caveats
One of the replies to SkyVegetable419’s was from someone who said they were a flight attendant. They said that FAs are supposed to confirm your last name and ensure it matches with the account on their device.
- Several passengers replied to the FA, saying that their experience of “verification” was the FA saying, “You’re Mx. Smith, right?” The pre-registered credit card is already in their system, and unless you used someone else’s card, it’s going to match the name on the ticket. ANYONE could answer and say, “Yep, that’s me.” FAs should be asking what the last name is.
- Other passengers said that they’re verified by name maybe 20% of the time.
The Lesson Here
This will mainly be a warning on a United flight, since other airlines allow you to pay with an actual, physical credit card. But if you switch seats with someone, make sure the flight attendant knows, so any food, drink, etc., is charged to the proper person.
Plus, you know…the whole weight and balance thing.
Here’s a link to the whole story, with responses.
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