General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Airplane Etiquette [View all]musette_sf
(10,200 posts)but unless the seat you want to move from is equal to or better than the one I am currently in, the answer is NO. And any attempts to impose awkwardness or uncomfortableness are easily ignorable once I have my headphones on and my iPad out.
If petite lady had changed seats with one of the larger gentlemen, yes, you would have been a tad bit cramped, but you still would have been on the aisle.
I always pay the extra for a preferred seat with extra legroom, so I usually don't get too many seat change requests. Airlines do not permit free of charge seat changes once in flight, to a premium seat that was empty and unsold prior to departure, save in exception scenarios. Therefore no one should assume that I will move from a seat with an extra tariff to a less comfortable seat that cost less.
Some time back, I had paid for a premium aisle seat on a flight from Orlando to the West Coast, and I was seated among a family that had members spread throughout the plane. I was asked to change my extra-fee seat to a middle seat in the back with less legroom, and I promptly and tersely declined. The group around me attempted to make my flight miserable, but once I had my headphones on and iPad out, I listened to tunes, read a book, and ignored them.