United Airlines Answers the All-Important Question of Why You Can’t Sit in Empty First Class Seats
Have you ever made your way through first class on your way to your seat in coach, spotted an empty seat, and thought, 'I wonder if I can sit there?'
United Airlines recently weighed in on the question after a traveler asked why those seats cannot simply be filled when they are open.
The issue is not just about comfort, it is about fairness, ticket class, and who paid for what. In United’s example, a coach passenger cannot just take a first class seat any more than someone who bought one car can drive away in a more expensive model.
That comparison sparked plenty of reactions, and the debate over empty premium seats is not going away anytime soon.
This is the same kind of mess as the friend who upgraded to first class without consent and then demanded cost-splitting.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the flight attendants know exactly who is supposed to be in first class and who isn't.
If the attendants find you sitting in a seat that you didn't pay for, they have every right to ask you to move. There are even stories of people getting arrested over the first-class seat switch debacle.
FlickrSurely, getting a free drink and a little extra legroom can't be worth that kind of risk, right?
FlickrWondering who should pay when a friend upgrades to first class without you, check this out? Reddit debates splitting costs when upgraded comfort creates a fairness fight.
