Why you aren’t allowed to move to an empty row on planes – and it could even be dangerous
FLIGHT attendants and pilots have revealed why passengers aren't permitted to move seats, even when there's an empty row at the back of the plane.
Often the row at the back of the aircraft is left unfilled by airlines.
This is because of the simple fact that flight attendants need somewhere to sit when they're having their break.
Larger planes have beds and places for the cabin crew to go and relax, but on smaller aircraft that's not the case.
Instead, their best bet for a bit of rest is to have a seat in the cabin, amid the passengers, with the "jumpseats" where they sit for take off and landing not the most comfortable places to sit for a break.
This doesn't stop passengers constantly asking if they can sit in the vacant seats however, with many eyeing up a chance to stretch out.
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In a thread on Reddit, cabin crew were asked how they dealt with passengers who asked: “Can I move to this empty back row?”
One said that passengers are usually very understanding when they explain why they aren't allowed.
They wrote: "I just tell them they are welcome to move anywhere except the last row as that is where crew takes a break and eats.
"As soon as I tell them that they are very understanding usually."
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However, others offered more creative answers to passengers to deter them from asking again in the future.
One said: "I actually had someone I was working with tell the passenger who wanted to move that the masks were inoperable at that row."
There are other reasons why passengers might not be allowed to switch seats too - it could affect the safety of the aircraft.
Pilot Captain Magnar Nordal explained on a Quora forum: “If the [systems are] set wrong, then the aircraft may crash at take-off.
“Four passengers seated themselves forward from their assigned seats before take-off.
“My first officer was flying, and he experienced problems when he rotated the aircraft: It was very heavy.
“This was a very critical situation, because the runway was very short, and we would not have been able to stop.”
Meanwhile, this passenger was labelled "creepy" for his method for trying to get a row to himself.
And these travel experts revealed their best tips for claiming more than one seat for yourself.
