I’m a planner when it comes to travel, so I almost never get stuck in a middle seat or, worse, in that avoid-at-all-costs spot next to a busy airplane bathroom. But there have been plenty of times when I’ve found myself in a bad seat, and I generally just grin and bear it.
On one domestic flight out of New York a couple years ago, though, my row was full, while plenty of seats sat empty around me. Before takeoff, I was going to move to one in the same cabin class, but I first (almost as an afterthought) asked a flight attendant if I could. Her answer? Yes, but only after takeoff and only because I asked nicely. That moment stuck with me because it seems that passengers often play musical chairs without an issue. But it turns out that switching seats isn’t always allowed.
One passenger recently shared her experience with this on X. Seat-swapping was permitted, she noted, but it cost $86. And no, the plane wasn’t packed, a point she illustrated with a photo of an expanse of empty seats.
@united flight to our mission trip to Honduras from Houston. 3 hour duration. Most of the plane is empty. The attendant told us that they won’t let anyone change seats for less than $86/each even though the plane is nearly empty.
What would you do? Pay the money or stay out in… pic.twitter.com/kKNrl3xK4z
— Stacy Ruth (@Stacy_Ruth_) September 11, 2025
So what gives? Is forbidding seat-switches really just about airlines’ maximizing profit—or are there other factors at play? To find out, I spoke with two aviation experts: Daniel Bubb, PhD, a former pilot and the author of Landing in Las Vegas: Commercial Aviation and the Making of a Tourist City, and Cory Lane, a certified captain and the director of safety at the private Nevada-based jet charter and management company Cirrus Aviation. Keep reading to learn why you can’t always change seats.
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Why can’t you always move to an empty seat on a flight?
It may seem harmless to hop into that empty seat, but there are a lot of good reasons the crew might want you to stay put. Here are some of the most common:
Airplane balance
“If the airplane’s weight and balance is not within the operational standard, it can create a very dangerous situation where the airplane becomes unstable and might not even be able to lift off the runway,” Bubb explains, noting that pilots use sophisticated aircraft-specific charts or computer software that take into account fuel, passengers, cargo and aircraft configuration to calculate weight, center of gravity (CG) or balance.
Lane points out that this is especially true on regional jets or turboprops, where even one passenger’s move can create a noticeable difference for pilots. “Even small shifts in passenger location can affect the center of gravity, which could require crew intervention,” he says, adding that pilots may manually recalculate CG if fuel burns significantly or if passengers or cargo shift. “In small aircraft, even a single passenger moving from front to rear can shift CG enough to affect pitch control or trim settings.”
It may seem minor, but Lane says improper balance can cause major issues for pilots, from increased fuel burn and reduced climb performance to sluggish controls that could result in a stall, runway overrun, structural damage during landing or even loss of control.
Record keeping and safety
Airlines are required to maintain accurate records of passenger locations for security and emergency response. “Cabin crew need to know where passengers are seated for service, safety checks and emergency procedures,” Lane says. “Uncoordinated seat changes can cause confusion, especially during boarding or when verifying passenger counts.”
Emergency rows especially require flight attendants to be on alert and manage changes. “Not all passengers are eligible to sit in exit rows due to FAA regulations—age, physical ability and willingness to assist in emergencies are factors,” Lane points out.
Crew members also need to keep track of passengers with special needs—for example, those requiring assistance or medical support. In addition, sometimes a seat may appear empty but is actually reserved or may be needed by airline or other officials. “Air marshals or crew rest areas may be compromised if passengers move unpredictably,” Lane says.
Profit protection
It should come as no surprise that financial reasons play a part in why airlines don’t love passengers swapping seats at their discretion. Today’s carriers often maximize profitability by charging for extras—everything from snacks to seat selection—so they’re not exactly eager to let passengers snag more desirable seats without anteing up.
Loyalty rewards
Airlines carefully manage upgrades and usually prefer to award their most coveted seats to their most loyal frequent fliers. “Passengers who paid full fare for business or first class might become upset if someone was seated in those sections without paying for it or without having status with the airline that permits them to upgrade,” Bubb says.
Are there ever any exceptions?
On occasion, passengers are moved to different and even better seats—but usually for safety or operational reasons. “There are exceptions, such as a passenger having a medical issue where they need to be moved to the front of the aircraft, where there is more space for them to be treated,” Bubb says. “[Or] there might be a very light flight where the captain needs the passengers to move toward the front of the plane so that it is within the operational standard.”
What’s the best way to move to an empty seat?
In my case, moving within the same cabin class was approved by the flight attendant. “Usually, it is up to the discretion of the flight crew to determine whether a passenger can move, and most airlines carefully monitor this,” Bubb points out, explaining that there are, of course, times when flight crews might not catch passengers swapping seats, “but those are infrequent.”
So if you want to move to an empty seat, here are the right ways to go about it:
Use the airline’s app or website
Your best bet for changing seats is to do it before the flight. Many airlines allow passengers to modify them through the carrier’s app or website, sometimes for a fee. Just remember, however, that standby passengers are often assigned their seats at the last minute, so scoring what seems to be an empty row isn’t always guaranteed.
Make the request at check-in or the gate
The check-in counter is a convenient place to request a seat change, especially if you’re willing to pony up the cash for a better assignment. You can also attempt to switch seats at the gate, but agents there may already be too busy juggling other customers and flight operations to accommodate you.
Ask politely on the plane
You can ask a flight attendant to slide into that empty seat once everyone’s seated, especially if you have a legitimate safety or health concern. But flight attendants are busy, so it’s probably better to hunker down where you are if the flight is quite full.
“If the flight is empty, the best way to ask a flight attendant is to be polite and ask if you can move to a different seat,” Bubb says. “They may say yes, depending on which class you paid for a ticket, or no.” Whatever the answer, he adds, it always pays to be nice to flight attendants. “That is just common courtesy.”
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Sources:
- Dan Bubb, PhD, former first officer at Air Vegas Airlines, associate professor at the University of Nevada and author of Landing in Las Vegas; email interview, October 2025
- Corry Lane, director of safety at Cirrus Aviation Services; email interview, October 2025
- Stacy Ruth on X
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