Christopher Elliott takes on his role as the world’s worst travel advisor and tells his audience in USA Today that they have his permission to take any empty seat in coach since flight attendants “can’t police every seat.”
Just move to a better seat. Nathan Segal, a professional speaker from Calgary, Canada, waits until the flight reaches cruising altitude and then moves. “I have been able to move within coach to a window seat this way,” he says. It never hurts to ask (Segal does), but flight attendants can’t police every seat in economy class, so if you see an empty seat within your class of service, you have my permission to claim it.
By the way that’s one of his “tips for getting an upgrade.” So presumably we’re not even talking about moving between regular coach seats. Just sit in the premium seat and if questioned tell your cabin crew (and anyone they call in for reinforcements that you had Christopher Elliott’s permission.
About 18 months ago I flew United and we were delayed a few minutes by a passenger who wanted to self-upgrade.. from one economy seat to another.
Waited to close door for one late passenger in 24D. He sits self down in 7D. Agrees for @United to upsell him $63. Now he won't pay.
— gary leff (@garyleff) June 3, 2017
This passenger was trying to sit in a different economy seat, moving around inside his ticketed cabin. However he was moving to a seat that costs more money. One flight attendant said to another, “When I go to the car lot to buy and buy a Honda I don’t drive off in a Mercedes just because it was there.” She congratulated herself to her colleague on the analogy, although she may have been the first person ever to compare United Economy Plus to a Mercedes.
When I was a kid I used to ask for bulkhead seats and if I was lucky I’d get them. There didn’t used to be an extra charge. If there were several open seats on a plane I’d move. More than once I flew to Australia in coach and stretched out in an entire empty row of middle seats.
It used to be a common social norm, I think, that you could change from your assigned seat in your ticketed cabin to another unoccupied seat if you wished. Now that airlines charge for seat assignments, they no longer want you to do this.
My advice: if you want to change seats, ask a flight attendant. You don’t want to get into an altercation with your cabin crew over a seat assignment. Too often flight attendants will escalate matters. How many times have we heard, in the post-9/11 security sensitive environment, “are we going to have a problem?”
Full disclosure I’ve been critical of Christopher Elliott’s class warfare pieces for years. No customer complaint ever seems wrong to him and facts get tortured in the process. Naturally he’s not a fan of mine, in fact when I ran away in the voting for his best travel blog contest he decided just to not bestow the award because he couldn’t bring himself to bestow it upon me.
Your negativity and personal attack makes you look childish.
I agree. Chris seems like a fine person but tries to sensationalize everything. Clark Howard is much better at this sort of consumer advocacy I think.
I’ve got a similar article coming later in the morning. My goodness, that guy does not learn.
No responsible travel advisor would tell others to sit in any seat on the airplane that they want. Elliott is worse than a self-entitled jerk, he tells others to “disrupt” the airlines! One wonders if Elliott is dumb enough to follow his own advice, and if he would post what happens to him when he does. This “travel advice” reminds me of the time when a self-entitled fool was sitting in my paid-for Economy Plus seating on a UA trans-Atlantic flight. He told me that since he found the seat open when he boarded the plane, he was entitled to sit there. I suggested that his continued presence on the airplane was related to his moving to his assigned seat. Needless to say, that worked.
I like and follow Chris Elliott, Clark Howard, and you. I have learned a lot from each of you. You all have your strengths and weaknesses. And none of you bat a thousand, including you, Gary. Sorry to have to break it to you.
Per my most recent AS flight last week….the FAs made several announcements to sit in assigned seats per WB requirements. Then they are allowed to spread out EXCEPT rows 6,16,17. These are premium class seats and must be paid for, they would ask you to move if they saw anyone there that shouldn’t be……
It seems like getting a better seat on aircraft, be it by upgrades or just taking one, is rivaling the political arena for the most misinformation being distributed.
Gary, if you ever wrote anything like that, I’d give you so much shit. But you don’t, so I’m in your corner on this that he’s a clown. People like that need to be called out.
It used to be, and I’m surprised it still isn’t, a security problem since the airline needed to know who was in which seat.
@Keith: “Your negativity and personal attack makes you look childish.”
So it’s okay for you to level personal attacks on Gary, but he’s not allowed to level them on other people.
Thanks for clearing that up for us.
Breaking the rules creates more work and stress for flight attendants. It’s inconsiderate for that reason above all others.
Alan,
No, it wasn’t a security problem. The airlines need to get a headcount and supply the government(s) with the passenger manifest info when/where required and whatever other info that was required of the airlines by the government(s). Seat changes within a cabin still isn’t generally a security issue.
Whereas last year at SFO I politely asked a gate agent (the one not handing boarding) just after boarding began that I noticed on the App almost all of economy plus is empty, I and wondered if I might be allowed to change my seat to up there? She kindly put me in the first row, gratis — and I enjoyed that first row all to myself on the long flight to Europe.
That is some crazy story for him to advise people to do as they wish regarding seating. Especially these days
Advising someone to just take any seat in whatever cabin one wants is just reckless. It’s a great way to end up with the flight diverting or at best the police greeting you on arrival if you do so and refuse to move. It’s just classless too. Chris Elliott is reckless to print this. His ‘clicks’ must be down.
@Mike Of course it is…I am not a trained professional blogger. 🙂
What a jackass this guy is. I have been on United flights where people pull this stunt and a dispute arises with the cabin crew. It got to the point where they were threatening to call the captain and have the passenger removed. It is absurd that USA Today published advice like this. What is next? He will say its ok to go into a restaurant and take food off plates from another table without paying for it? Making FA jobs that much harder is not cool and having someone squeeze in to the seat next to you when they didn’t pay for it is bull which also happened to me. If you want something then PAY for it.
He clearly says “within your class of service”, not “any seat on the plane”. Am I missing something?
@SomeDutchGuy Never let the facts stand on the way of a good rant! 🙂
Extra legroom seats are same class of service.
Same thing when PA announcement says, “Due to US security regulations please USE THE RESTROOM IN YR TICKETED CABIN” and then shortly thereafter, the back of the plane comes forward, creating a line to Biz/First lavatory. US FAs look the other way. (Go figure,, whenever I try going forward fm Coach, flying overseas on non-American airline, I’m sent back!). And same thing applies to not congregating around galleries or lavatory. Happens and rarely does the FA say police it. Inconsistent at best.
@Gary Leff No way! That’s crazy! LOL
I have experienced denial of move to same priced seats in both Hawaiin and Scoot.
I always sit in John Kasich”s seat until told to move or else.
My mom sent me a picture of her AARP magazine which has an ‘Avoid Hated Travel Fees’ article that suggests “Roll two carry-on-size bags to the gate, then have an attendant check in one to go to the luggage hold-for free. I do this all the time; I’ve never been turned down, yet I rarely see others try it.”
Chris Elliot still has a job writing? I thought he was done a long time ago. things like that is why I stopped reading him on USAToday. Corporations can be greedy but he is telling the passenger to STEAL. I recall being at a clients once who is a rotary member and seeing the 4 way test. Chris Elliot need to adhere to this test
1.Is it the truth?
2.Is it fair to all concerned?
3.Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4.Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
I’m surprised it sounds like a revelation. FWIW, I do it on my coach flights all the time when I’m less than satisfied with my seat — of course, after the gate’s closed. I never ask for permission, but I never try to conceal my move. Of course, I’d never try to get into an Economy Plus or exit seat. And surely, every now and again I’m asked to return to my seat, which I do immediately and without a fuss. More often, though, nobody cares. The problem is, 9 out of 10 times planes are full. No seats to choose anyway.
I remember one AA flight when I grabbed a middle seat in an empty row, when a very angry FA ran over and barked at me to get back to my seat. I immediately obeyed, apologizing and telling her I wasn’t trying to make her work harder than it already was. Right after the seatbelt sign was off, she came over and offered to accompany me back to my “self-assigned” seat. She also apologized for being rude earlier. It’s amazing how much a little smile can do.
People are people. I doubt, you’re running a risk of getting kicked off the plane if you’re not arguing or trying to be an a^^hole.
Best to stay in your assigned seat during TTOL so that it matches the manifest. Easier to CSI your body in the event of crash. Once cruising, switch seats within your fare bucket.
On United you can board very very late and poach economy plus, it will work most of the time. Nothing wrong with this advice.
So does USA Today give everyone permission to steal one of their newspapers if the guy at the newsstand isn’t watching?
So does this mean Chris is giving everyone permission to steal one of their newspapers if the guy at the newsstand isn’t watching?
I found this post to be mean-spirited, nasty and childish. It comes across as petty perhaps because Christopher Elloitt has a column in USA Today and you don’t?
He specifically says in the excerpt – within your class of service. As I read it he is not advocating for taking a more expensive seat – just one that you may find more comfortable. You may not consider this the best advice and that is fine. But to call him the “worlds worst travel advisor” – you may want to look deep inside yourself for your rationale at that. Just saying.
As as an aside – I have read your column for years and gotten much advice from you which I am appreciative of and used your credit card links for sign-ups. What I am trying to say – I like you, but I find this behavior abhorrent.
@Betty I would just point out that airlines charge more for different seats in coach, and more for extra legroom seats in coach which is the same class of service. thanks for reading!
@GaryLeff – I found your response informative and written in a pleasant fashion. I just wish that your original post had been written in the same manner. Thank you and all my best, Betty.