Swapping seats - should you ask? What is the etiquette?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From the Independent

What to do if another passenger asks you to switch seats

A man recently earned praise after he filmed himself confronting a fellow train passenger who was sitting in the seat he’d purchased ahead of time.

The positive response to the viral footage of the man insisting he be allowed to sit in the seat he’d booked came after an influencer recently earned similar applause for refusing a request to swap seats on a plane so that a family could sit together.

To find out whether there’s ever a time when it’s appropriate or acceptable to ask to swap seats with a fellow traveller on a plane or a train, or any form of transportation where seats are pre-booked, we sought the advice of Diane Gottsman, a national etiquette expert and founder of The Protocol School of Texas.

I find myself wondering which nation she is an expert for ...

(( I think there may be another topic somewhere in our history to merge this with - I will have a look later ... ))

[eightonedee]

The Protocol School of Texas.

Hopefully she will advise that this is not an occasion when it is appropriate to use you personal firearm to enforce your right....

[infoman]

If the train is not busy can two intelligent human beings not come an agreement?

[ChrisB]

I have no problem in being asked, nor in giving a polite response.

Whether that is in the positive or negative, it should be accepted with due grace & without further challenge.

I see no problem whatsoever if asked in this way.

[jamestheredengine]

I tend to offer to swap seats with people who would benefit from them. But if people go about things by banging on about nuisance cheapo Advance Purchase reservations on quiet trains where they are thankfully switched off, I'll point them to the next carriage (there really should be a £10 fee for reserving a seat to deter the bargain basementers).

[CyclingSid]

If the train is not busy can two intelligent human beings not come an agreement?

Probably, if it is not Texas