Airline Seat Assignments

I work for a large travel company, and my clients often share their flight experiences with me. I arrange travel for the business traveler, and I can tell you nothing surprises me anymore. I have heard about the little old lady who gets searched at airport security, the lost luggage fiascoes, how small airline seats are, and the traveler who calls to say, "I missed my connection, can you find me a flight? The airline says they are sold out!"

I have even heard about a passenger who decided to change his clothes right at the boarding gate, prior to his departure flight! Now that is another story in itself!

But the most common complaint I receive is "please, no middle seats"! No frequent flyer wants to sit in the middle seat, not even if he or she is traveling with another co-worker. A traveler who ends up in a middle seat is most likely sitting in-between either two very large individuals who really should have purchased 2 seats, or next to a young mother with an energetic toddler, or possibly next to someone with a terrible body odor!

So, one day, my client Rob, happened to be visiting my office, he didn't hesitate to ask if I wanted to hear his latest airline experience. Of course I said, "Sure". He reminded me I had reserved him a middle seat (I remember he booked his reservation late, and he got the last seat on the flight). Unfortunately he was unable to change it at check in.