# Can you change seats on an airplane?



## flowergurl (Apr 18, 2012)

I have not flown for over thirty years.  We will be flying to Hawaii for my daughter's wedding in June.  My daughter wanted a window seat but when I bought the tickets they wouldn't let me choose seats. 

They assigned seats and my daughter doesn't always have the ticketed window seat, although one person out of our group of four always has a window seat. 

Will the airline let us switch seats among ourselves so my daughter can sit in the window seat?

I know we can't switch with anyone else, but out of our group of four tickets, can we change among ourselves?

Thanks, 
Diane in Michigan


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## DaveNV (Apr 18, 2012)

Yes.  After the plane is airborne, and they say it's "Ok to move about the cabin" just change.  It shouldn't be a problem.

Dave


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## dbmarch (Apr 18, 2012)

You can just change seats among your party.  Nobody will care.   You don't need to wait.

you just can't take a seat from someone you don't know!


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## qb_bc (Apr 18, 2012)

Yes, you can exchange seats among yourselves, or with anyone else who agrees.

The only restriction might be in an exit row where the people sitting there have to be able to follow instructions and to be physically capable of opening the door if needed.


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## Talent312 (Apr 18, 2012)

Now that you have seat assignments, I suspect that you could go to the airline's
website, pull up your reservation and change your seat assignments.

You could create work for the ticket or gate agent by asking them to make the changes.
But once you're past the gate, its like a sporting event: Switch within your group as you like.


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## flowergurl (Apr 18, 2012)

Thanks, everyone, for the speedy replies.  That is a great relief to know my daughter, the bride, can sit by the window, which is what she wants.  

She will be happy to hear this!


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## Passepartout (Apr 18, 2012)

As Talent said, you can go to the airline's site and change your seat assignments. And if you are happy with where the 4 seats are in the aircraft, you can choose among the 4 any ol' way you want when you board. No need to wait until you are airborne and the seatbelt light is off.

But between you and me, why would anyone want a window seat over the water? I'll take the aisle, thanks.

Jim


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## bogey21 (Apr 19, 2012)

Personally, I wouldn't mess with anything on the Airline website.  I'd be afraid of losing the window seat in the process.  As others have said, just switch amoung yourselves.  No one will care unless it is an Exit Row and the only care there is that the person sitting in the Exit Row is over 18.

George


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## flowergurl (Apr 19, 2012)

bogey21 said:


> Personally, I wouldn't mess with anything on the Airline website.  I'd be afraid of losing the window seat in the process.  As others have said, just switch amoung yourselves.  No one will care unless it is an Exit Row and the only care there is that the person sitting in the Exit Row is over 18.
> 
> George



Hello George, 

I did go into the airline site to try switching seats and you are right, it was very tricky.  I finally exited out and kept things the way they are. 

I am happy with our seats and we have one seat by the window on all segments of the trip so we can just give my daughter (the bride) that seat since she would love the window seat.  

I appreciate everyone's reassurance and help with this. 

Thanks, 
Diane in Michigan


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## gnipgnop (Apr 19, 2012)

Hey Flowergurl ~  Not having flown for 30 years and now your first trip flying again is to Hawaii?...........you are in for a real treat!  Hope your flying Hawaiian Air....it was a wonderful experience for our first time in Hawaii.  Now we are going again in August.....Can't wait.  Congratulations to the *new bride *and "enjoy a treasure of memories on this trip."


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## flowergurl (Apr 20, 2012)

gnipgnop said:


> Hey Flowergurl ~  Not having flown for 30 years and now your first trip flying again is to Hawaii?...........you are in for a real treat!  Hope your flying Hawaiian Air....it was a wonderful experience for our first time in Hawaii.  Now we are going again in August.....Can't wait.  Congratulations to the *new bride *and "enjoy a treasure of memories on this trip."



Hi Gnipgnop, 

LOL, yep it's feast or famine with me!  My husband doesn't like air travel.  He said he did enough of it during his six years in the Marine Corps in the Vietnam War era.

So......., we've been married thirty years and the last time I flew was before I got married. 

My husband was resistant to the idea of flying but he finally said he'd get on the airplane with the rest of us.  I have to admit I'm a bit nervous about the whole flight, but figure I'll get over it.  I'll do what I have to do to help my daughter have her 'dream' wedding!  

Thanks for the congrats and oh, BTW, we are flying US Airways through United.  Best price tickets I could get and at that, they were 1203.00 apiece!  I don't think Hawaiian Air flies out of Michigan. 

Diane


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## Talent312 (Apr 20, 2012)

flowergurl said:


> ...BTW, we are flying US Airways through United.



You mean... "USeless Air" a/k/a "US Scare."
Did you price flying to California, and doing a separate itinerary from there?


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## Sandi Bo (Apr 20, 2012)

> You just can't take a seat from someone you don't know!



Unless you are bigger than them.    Whoops, sorry, wrong thread...



> But between you and me, why would anyone want a window seat over the water? I'll take the aisle, thanks.
> Jim



She's the bride, she gets WHATEVER she wants  

We never pay attention to what seats we actually are assigned to, as long as we move amongst the ones assigned to our family.  DH always gets the aisle. When the kids were younger, they'd have to take turns for the window seats, didn't matter what their true seat assignments were.

Have a wonderful trip and congratulations to all.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Apr 21, 2012)

As others have mentioned, you can switch with any willing person at any time and the airline doesn't care. As noted above if it's a switch involving an exit row, the person taking an exit row seat has to meet the criteria.  

Example: As an Alaska Air MVP flyer occasionally when DW and I are flying I sometimes get a free first class upgrade on my ticket. When that happens I usually have her take my seat in FC while I take her seat (usually an exit row window).


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## dioxide45 (Apr 21, 2012)

Passepartout said:


> As Talent said, you can go to the airline's site and change your seat assignments. And if you are happy with where the 4 seats are in the aircraft, you can choose among the 4 any ol' way you want when you board. No need to wait until you are airborne and the seatbelt light is off.
> 
> But between you and me, why would anyone want a window seat over the water? I'll take the aisle, thanks.
> 
> Jim



Just did this last night with Delta. Went to the website and changed the seats since they recently just changed one of the aircraft and our seats were messed up. I would definitely do this ahead of time, just makes everything easier.


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## dioxide45 (Apr 21, 2012)

Passepartout said:


> But between you and me, why would anyone want a window seat over the water? I'll take the aisle, thanks.
> 
> Jim



Sure you are over water for most of the flight, but flying in to Honolulu is great if you have a window seat. The key is to get one on the right hand side of the aircraft. When coming in on approach (not necessarily landing), you can see the Hawaiian Islands from the window. The view is great!

I have flown US Airways and United and had no issues changing the seats online. Just do it sometime late at night when not many people are online and one shouldn't have issues with losing a seat to someone else doing the same thing at the same time. If the aircraft has lots of seats left, it should also be fairly easy.

Not sure of everyone in the group, but if you have a stubborn kid in the group that has that window seat assigned to them, you would want to avoid a crying and screaming fit if they don't want to offer it up for the bride.


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## mtwingcpa (Apr 22, 2012)

About 5 years ago I flew from Seattle to Cabo San Lucas on Alaska Air. They announced that since it was an INTERNATIONAL flight, you had to stay in the seat you were assigned...no changes were allowed. ??? 

This is the only time I've heard of such a restriction. I've changed seat dozens of time on domestic flights.


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## MaryH (Apr 23, 2012)

I fly a lot on Air Canada and UA/CO and US plus AA and NW/DL in the past and others have approached me to switch seats before so they can travel together.  Providing the seat is somewhat equivalent I try to help but sorry if you want me to switch my aisle seat for your middle seat.

you can change seat ahead of time or when you check in day before.  Check in online as early as you can since sometimes seat movement can give more option.


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