Anyone who has driven a cab knows this type of situation too well: couples in the back seat seemingly oblivious that they are in a public space. My usual comment to the offending couples was "would you be doing this in a Safeway produce section?" Obviously not, risking being wracked over the head with a pineapple. I would also say that a taxicab is not a bedroom or a movie set. I suggest saying to amorous couples that the airplane is a shared public space limiting all kinds of behaviors, commonplace civility in play here. Do not be afraid to speak the obvious. And make sure that flight attendants intervene. Unlike in a taxi, the pilot can't easily pull to the curb and say "Get out!" Maybe airlines should begin making parachutes optional.
I am not sure how a couple could “get it on” in an airplane bathroom, as small as they are these days. Some are so small that even one person being in one is a challenge
There is one more reason that these idiots make a spectacle - they want the attention. In this SM obsessed world, all sense of decency and boundaries are out the window. I bet a lot of these faux lovebirds are hoping someone will film and post their "aren't we just so adorbs" shenanigans online.
Fortunately I have never had to deal with this and my answer would be as yours, "NO". If they make a fuss, I would calmly say, "Again, NO, your problem does not become my problem" and either look away completely ignoring them or give them the fish-eye stare. Or, I might play it a little further and say "go ask the gate agent or the flight attendant, maybe they can upgrade you to first class" (or some hideous suggestion that I know won't work).....let them squirm.
Seriously, why would anyone give into this?? You're going to give up your aisle or window seat for some simpering, immature babies who cannot be adults and probably all their lives never had to deal with any sort of disappointment ? Hold your ground, people, do not give into this....you are enabling immaturity and someone else's problem that could have been solved in advance at the time of booking.
I do not have much of a problem if a couple adopt lovebirds behaviours but certainly I will not give my seat in exchange of some seat that I do not like. It already happened to me 3 or 4 times. One of them, a couple with a 2 or 3 years old kid ask me to move and I was supposed to switch to a middle seat. They went to a point that they request to the stewardess to ask me to move. I don't know how some people still survives in society. Obviously I did not move, sorry, it is not my problem if they didn't want to pay for a seat or make reservations with time enough.
I would never agree to change seats for entitled adults as I normally pay for a guaranteed one.
The one time I DID change was voluntarily - a young mom with two littles who were obviously a last minute flight as they were in the very back row. Mom was on one side of the row and the three year old at a window across the aisle. She did not ask, I offered and she almost cried, she said she was afraid to ask and inconvenience a stranger. I even gave her a break by holding the baby for a bit so she could calm down the older one.
While young lovers act like toddlers, the don't deserve the same treatment. Grow the hell up, nobody owes you anything.
Of course, I do totally agree. We should always accept that they're many exceptions. I once offered to exchange seats for a couple and it wasn't a problem at all, because it was just to change one aisle for another in 1st class. It was the same row, she had the window so we exchanged aisles with her husband. I would have do it as well if they asked me once they did it in a proper way.
My immediate thought, considering the path to the honeymoon these days, would be to ask how long have you lived together? Congratulations on finally getting married. OK - that is my mental thought followed by I wonder how long until the divorce court? My answer is Why didn't you purchase seats together? NO.
Sorry, but I'm sick of these self-entitled people who don't think ahead about where to sit or don't want to have to pay extra to choose their seats TOGETHER, then expect others to accommodate for their lack of skills or intelligence. No pity and NO! to the request!
I was seated in a business class aisle seat and a couple was upgraded late & asked me to switch to the husband's window bulkhead seat. I said no because I like being able to get up without climbing over anyone and having my bag with things I use in-flight accessible under the seat since I'm too short to reach the overhead without help. They were very surprised & miffed I said no but later the wife was glad I was next to her because she couldn't eat what they were serving and I had bought a salad she could eat which I gave her while I ate the airline food. Glad I held my ground.
I’ve never forgotten this couple. Our plane was delayed on a runway at Heathrow and the couple next to me kept smooching. When the plane finally took off and reached cruising altitude, he took off his socks and she clipped his toenails.
Off topic - I went to the movies and saw a teenage couple squeezed together in ONE reclining seat. I was wondering what this was going to lead to. To my relief, they left about 10 minutes into the film. So it’s not just bad behavior on planes.
Have been asked politely many times by people to trade seats. I have never refused. Also, I am not particularly bothered by overly affectionate people. I say "Make Love, Not War." But also, from some of the examples Christopher gave, I can see how even I could be offended by extreme behavior. Hope to have the continued good luck to avoid the truly offensive couples.
Couples don't have a monopoly on bad behavior on flights - families and single travelers can be difficult in other ways. There's nothing wrong with asking to switch seats provided you take no for an answer. And for heaven's sake, if it's a relatively quick flight I'm happy to switch - and sometimes volunteer to do so. On a recent flight I had an aisle seat and the man next to me in the middle seat had a prosthetic leg and was struggling - I offered to switch (he did not ask) with him so his leg would have more room. No big deal.
I rarely fly first class but had the opportunity and was in first class with my two somewhat young (8 and 10 )granddaughters right behind me. A man was miffed when I wouldn't change for him and his "fiancée." Luckily for me a nice young woman agreed to change and sat by me. The "love birds" sat in front of us talking loudly the entire flight- and their conversation didn't sound like that of an engaged couple!
Anyone who has driven a cab knows this type of situation too well: couples in the back seat seemingly oblivious that they are in a public space. My usual comment to the offending couples was "would you be doing this in a Safeway produce section?" Obviously not, risking being wracked over the head with a pineapple. I would also say that a taxicab is not a bedroom or a movie set. I suggest saying to amorous couples that the airplane is a shared public space limiting all kinds of behaviors, commonplace civility in play here. Do not be afraid to speak the obvious. And make sure that flight attendants intervene. Unlike in a taxi, the pilot can't easily pull to the curb and say "Get out!" Maybe airlines should begin making parachutes optional.
I am not sure how a couple could “get it on” in an airplane bathroom, as small as they are these days. Some are so small that even one person being in one is a challenge
There is one more reason that these idiots make a spectacle - they want the attention. In this SM obsessed world, all sense of decency and boundaries are out the window. I bet a lot of these faux lovebirds are hoping someone will film and post their "aren't we just so adorbs" shenanigans online.
Fortunately I have never had to deal with this and my answer would be as yours, "NO". If they make a fuss, I would calmly say, "Again, NO, your problem does not become my problem" and either look away completely ignoring them or give them the fish-eye stare. Or, I might play it a little further and say "go ask the gate agent or the flight attendant, maybe they can upgrade you to first class" (or some hideous suggestion that I know won't work).....let them squirm.
Seriously, why would anyone give into this?? You're going to give up your aisle or window seat for some simpering, immature babies who cannot be adults and probably all their lives never had to deal with any sort of disappointment ? Hold your ground, people, do not give into this....you are enabling immaturity and someone else's problem that could have been solved in advance at the time of booking.
I do not have much of a problem if a couple adopt lovebirds behaviours but certainly I will not give my seat in exchange of some seat that I do not like. It already happened to me 3 or 4 times. One of them, a couple with a 2 or 3 years old kid ask me to move and I was supposed to switch to a middle seat. They went to a point that they request to the stewardess to ask me to move. I don't know how some people still survives in society. Obviously I did not move, sorry, it is not my problem if they didn't want to pay for a seat or make reservations with time enough.
I would never agree to change seats for entitled adults as I normally pay for a guaranteed one.
The one time I DID change was voluntarily - a young mom with two littles who were obviously a last minute flight as they were in the very back row. Mom was on one side of the row and the three year old at a window across the aisle. She did not ask, I offered and she almost cried, she said she was afraid to ask and inconvenience a stranger. I even gave her a break by holding the baby for a bit so she could calm down the older one.
While young lovers act like toddlers, the don't deserve the same treatment. Grow the hell up, nobody owes you anything.
Of course, I do totally agree. We should always accept that they're many exceptions. I once offered to exchange seats for a couple and it wasn't a problem at all, because it was just to change one aisle for another in 1st class. It was the same row, she had the window so we exchanged aisles with her husband. I would have do it as well if they asked me once they did it in a proper way.
My immediate thought, considering the path to the honeymoon these days, would be to ask how long have you lived together? Congratulations on finally getting married. OK - that is my mental thought followed by I wonder how long until the divorce court? My answer is Why didn't you purchase seats together? NO.
Sorry, but I'm sick of these self-entitled people who don't think ahead about where to sit or don't want to have to pay extra to choose their seats TOGETHER, then expect others to accommodate for their lack of skills or intelligence. No pity and NO! to the request!
I was seated in a business class aisle seat and a couple was upgraded late & asked me to switch to the husband's window bulkhead seat. I said no because I like being able to get up without climbing over anyone and having my bag with things I use in-flight accessible under the seat since I'm too short to reach the overhead without help. They were very surprised & miffed I said no but later the wife was glad I was next to her because she couldn't eat what they were serving and I had bought a salad she could eat which I gave her while I ate the airline food. Glad I held my ground.
I’ve never forgotten this couple. Our plane was delayed on a runway at Heathrow and the couple next to me kept smooching. When the plane finally took off and reached cruising altitude, he took off his socks and she clipped his toenails.
Off topic - I went to the movies and saw a teenage couple squeezed together in ONE reclining seat. I was wondering what this was going to lead to. To my relief, they left about 10 minutes into the film. So it’s not just bad behavior on planes.
Omg the toenails I would have to say something
That's disgusting! I would have had to change seats!
Have been asked politely many times by people to trade seats. I have never refused. Also, I am not particularly bothered by overly affectionate people. I say "Make Love, Not War." But also, from some of the examples Christopher gave, I can see how even I could be offended by extreme behavior. Hope to have the continued good luck to avoid the truly offensive couples.
Couples don't have a monopoly on bad behavior on flights - families and single travelers can be difficult in other ways. There's nothing wrong with asking to switch seats provided you take no for an answer. And for heaven's sake, if it's a relatively quick flight I'm happy to switch - and sometimes volunteer to do so. On a recent flight I had an aisle seat and the man next to me in the middle seat had a prosthetic leg and was struggling - I offered to switch (he did not ask) with him so his leg would have more room. No big deal.
I rarely fly first class but had the opportunity and was in first class with my two somewhat young (8 and 10 )granddaughters right behind me. A man was miffed when I wouldn't change for him and his "fiancée." Luckily for me a nice young woman agreed to change and sat by me. The "love birds" sat in front of us talking loudly the entire flight- and their conversation didn't sound like that of an engaged couple!
No way unless you're the skinniest people on earth!! I can hardly fit in there by myself!!
Oblivious lovebirds or parents traveling with kids under 7 yo. Which set of adults feel they are more entitled to discomfort other people?