Though it might seem like a needless rule or a ploy to get you to pay for seat selection, there’s a legitimate safety reason flight crews rarely allow seat swapping
With many airlines charging extra fees for passengers to select their seat, you may be more inclined to rely on the kindness of strangers or a scant flight to ensure you can sit next to family or friends. However, even if the stars align in your favour, flight crews may still derail your seat-swap plans, and for good reason.
Most airlines have firm rules surrounding seat swapping on-board an aircraft, even if you’ve found a willing swap partner or an unoccupied seat in the front. You may still need permission from the flight crew to move. The reason these policies can be surprisingly strict has less to do with etiquette and fees and more to do with weight distribution on the actual aircraft. In the simplest terms, the plane’s centre of mass should be centred somewhere between the middle. Of course, people move around to go to the bathroom and stretch their legs, so small wings on the tail help stabilise the aircraft during minor fluctuations.
How it works
Theoretically though, if an airplane’s centre of mass moved behind the wings (for example, if all passengers were seated in the very back) the plane would rotate nose-up. Similarly, if the airplane’s centre of mass moved significantly forward, the plane would rotate nose-down. Essentially, weight imbalances can threaten the airplane’s ability to fly safely, as well as take off and land properly.
But what does that have to do with you moving to sit with your friend? Given the presence of stabilisers like the small wings and the sophistication and magnitude of modern aircrafts, the impact of one person changing seats is negligible. The real problem is that if flight crews let one person move, they need to let everyone move. Therefore, likely for the ease of flight crews (who are already struggling to accommodate family needs and ensure everyone is safely buckled in) it’s better to have a blanket policy that no one moves. Unless special circumstances apply, of course.
And of course, there is always the commercial element of airlines wanting to charge customers for seat selection and create a distinction for business and first-class passengers. But there are still airlines that let you select your seat free of charge.
Seat selection is free for all easyJet Plus cardholders and FLEXI fare customers. easyJet also allows you to change your seat up to two hours before your flight departs.
Ryanair passengers need to pay additional fees to select their seat, otherwise they will be allocated a seat at random. However, because children under 12 must sit beside an accompanying adult, a maximum of four children for every one adult will receive a reserved seat free of charge. This ensures parents can sit together with their under-12s. But before you get frustrated that a flight attendant won’t let you swap seats, remember that this policy is the easiest way to ensure that all passengers remain safe throughout their journey.