Pilot says you should never swap seats on a plane as it’s ‘dangerous’

People can often be particular about where they sit on a plane.

Your seat can be the difference between having a great window seat, plenty of leg room, or constantly having to wrestle with your neighbour for the armrest.

However, a pilot has now revealed that your designated seat could be even more important than that when travelling on a plane.

In a post to a forum on Quora, Magnar Nordal explained that where you sit affects the plane's weight and how it is controlled.

He said: "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."

This warning was also echoed fellow pilot Darren Patterson, who told the BBC that someone moving 10 rows of seats can alter the aircraft's balance.

He said: "The smaller the aeroplane, the more dramatic effect any shift in weight can have.

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"On a large, wide body aeroplane, a single person can move 10 rows of seats and the effect on the balance is negligible.

"Have that same person move just a few rows on a regional plane or turboprop and the effects are far more dramatic; possibly even exceeding the limits of the envelope."

Darren added: "All aeroplanes operate in an envelope of stability. To continuously stay in this envelope, from take-off to touchdown, all weight and its location have to be accounted for."

The news comes after flight attendants revealed the best way passengers can get upgraded to first class.

A lot of travellers have never experienced the joy of flying first class, with tickets way more expensive that normal seats, but flight attendants say what you wear could be key to getting that upgrade.

Despite many people being tempted to dress in comfortable clothing for their journey, cabin crew say dressing smartly can increase your chances of getting moved up to first class.

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