A Delta Air Lines passenger stretched out in their seat in the most surprising and intrusive way possible. Here’s the view of seat 18E on one of the airline’s Airbus A220s flying to Toronto:
A flight attendant reportedly came over and told this passenger that everyone needs “to be facing forward for takeoff” – winking at the customer whose space was being impinged on. That’s not literally true as a rule, of course – a lap infant can be facing backwards! – but it apparently did the trick.
Some passengers suggest use their knees as a footrest in a situation like this one (“Thanks for the ottoman!”). Others suggest grabbing something from their bag underneath the seat way out in front of them every few minutes, and asking the intruding passenger to move their legs each time to gain access.
This inconvenience aside, it’s still my favorite seat on Delta aircraft. To be sure, there are some advantages to flying Delta first class, like a cheeseburger pre-order option that may be available.
However, you’re most likely to find me in Delta coach. The airline acts like extra legroom seating at the front of the plane is a separate cabin (it isn’t really). They call it “Comfort+” and tell you if you’re sitting there it’s an upgrade. That’s even true if you had an exit row seat and they move you ‘up’ to a middle seat.
When they started pretending Comfort+ was the standard elite upgrade they were automatically moving customers from exit row aisles to Comfort+ middles, and had to create a process to let passengers opt out of that silliness.
As a Bilt Rewards Platinum member, I’m also an Air France KLM Flying Blue Gold. That doesn’t let me reserve ‘Comfort+’ extra legroom seats at booking. However it does get me priority boarding so that I don’t have to get check my carry-on bag.
And, crucially, it lets me assign exit row seats free at booking. Outside of the snacks they’ll give you this is usually better than Comfort+. Here’s a Boeing 737-900.
Still, I’ve had the strange experience of whose space is it in front of me when grabbing this window seat? My position is that the space in front of a passenger belongs to the passenger sitting behind it. That’s true for the legroom and also for the space under the seat in front.
However, I’ve had passengers in the middle seat of the row in front try to take the underseat storage. That would have left me with none. When called out on it, though, everyone seems to recognize that that space doesn’t belong to them – it belongs to the passenger in this exit row window.
What I’ve never seen is that middle seat passenger sit sideways taking up the exit row window seat’s legroom instead of their own.
Oh lala, Mr. Air France KLM Flying Blue Gold…
Gary clearly doesn’t fly Delta much, yet he took the time to trash Comfort+ (Delta removed the Plus, just calling it ‘Comfort’ these days). Bah!
At least he included a photo of the Shake Shack burger (and brownie) which is ‘not bad.’ Tried one in the last couple weeks, departing JFK.
@Tim Dunn, what say ye?!
if there is a missing seat, there is certain to be an emergency exit there.
Many airlines – which don’t include those from the US – do not allow underseat carryons at exit rows.
Legs should be “properly stowed” and not in someone else’s space regardless of takeoff or landing.
eventually, DL will be large enough in AUS that he will have to go out of his way not to fly them. DL just needs to “repurpose” a slot to add DCA-AUS and Gary will be on the hook.
@Tim Dunn — You remain ‘bullish’ on Delta in AUS. Yeehaw!
(On a personal note, first time I flew on an a220 was DFW-LGA on DL. Nice ride.)
So incredibly happy my travelling days (work) are behind me. People these days are unbeliveable – and the airlines are worse.
Delta quit doing the automatic upgrade to middle seats a few years ago. Now when you put in for an upgrade, you can choose aisle, middle, or window. It’s nice.
*** view from seat 18E. The twister champ is in 17D (if this is an A223).
Great job, FA! It seems like one needs to ask each time: ” who’s gonna be the jerk on this flight?” Maybe we take bets at the gate.
@Tim Dunn here’s hoping DL’s AUS succeeds. Would be nice to have a southern midcontinent hub for east-west and intra-Texas connectivity.
@This comes to mind — It seems some folks get a bit too greedy.
“We were on the verge of greatness…we were this close…” — Orson Krennic.
I agree with the Comfort+ assessment. I have my preference for upgrading to First Class. If I fly main, I normally book an exit row. The sides on comfort+ are, imo, uncomfortable and the extra legroom is not a benefit for a middle seat.
A Comfort+ middle seat is *indeed* an upgrade when you’re 6’9″ tall. As such, I have zero sympathy for those in the window or aisle seat if they display their displeasure that that the adjacent seat won’t be empty.
I gladly pay extra for Comfort+ because the slightly extra legroom makes flying bearable for my 6′-2″ senior frame. The dedicated bin space, snacks and earlier boarding are worth it to me too. The difference in price for first class is just too great for my semi-retired self.