The Not-So-Obvious Meaning Behind 'Do Not Occupy' Signs On Some Airplane Seats

We all have reasons for choosing the seat we do. We might want to lock in and work during the flight, or sleep against the window during a red-eye. Some people's perfect seat may be one with more legroom, while others pick the aisle if they don't want to bother other passengers when they want to get up. However, sometimes, upon boarding a plan, there may be a sign on a seat that says "do not occupy." One reason might be that the seat is broken, whether it's because the seat belt isn't working or the seat itself doesn't recline. However, there is a not-so-obvious reason for that sign if you happen to be flying on Croatia Airlines. In the last row of their Airbus A220-300 planes, you'll find a seat that has the words, "Do not occupy this seat" stitched into the cushion right under the headrest. One person posted on Facebook with a picture of it, saying that they were told it was because the seat belt didn't work. 

However, the airline spoke to Croatian site AvioRadar in 2024 (via New York Post) and explained that this particular aircraft only has 149 useable seats because if the 150th is used, two more over-wing exits would be required on the plane. In fact, if you look at the Croatia Airlines seat map for the A220-300, the seat, which is 31E, isn't even shown, so no one is going to be selecting it during booking. 

While seat 31E on the Croatian Airlines Airbus A220-300 isn't available for passengers at all, there are other times you may not be able to pick certain seats when you book your flight. For instance, on Delta Air Lines, you may sometimes see an "X" over greyed out seats on the seat map. However, you're not going to find anything stitched into them on the plane. This is often done to hold seats for passengers with disabilities, families flying together, or crew members. If they're not taken, they may be released before the flight takes off. 

Often, when we see unoccupied seats, we may consider asking if we can switch, particularly if the seat next to it is unoccupied as well. Everyone wants to stretch out if they can. In fact, some people may even try the bold trend called seat squatting, where they just move to that seat and sit there so no one else can take it. However, moving without the permission of the flight attendant is a bad idea. First of all, you have to stay in your assigned seat during takeoff, or you can hold up the flight. Once you're in the air, you can ask. However, sometimes there are other reasons why you won't be able to change seats, even if it's a largely empty flight, because of weight and balance issues with the plane. If you do need to move, whether for a broken seat or any other reason, always ask a flight attendant first.