If you agree to hold someones seat, how long should this apply?

A stranger in a packed movie theatre asked me to hold her seat, I agreed and turned away at least 20 people who asked if it was taken. She never came back and after about 20 minutes I let someone else sit there. I think this is extremely rude, what is the etiquette for this situation?

If you agree to hold someones seat, how long should this apply?passions soap opera

Maybe next time say "Sure, for a few minutes. Then I'm going to let people sit there so hurry back." In reality, I don't know what I'd do. I'd want to be nice to everyone, and that wouldn't work.

If you agree to hold someones seat, how long should this apply?mr messed up opera theater

I can say maybe until your moral allows you to or until you really have to go

Well, you are doin a good deed, so you did the right thing, you dont have to worry because they left you there -you did a good deed
its okay i guess, just ask them and make sure they come back
15 min. at the most
If it is a brand new movie than I am not sure I would have taken on the responsibility of watching their seat. Not being mean so much as I don't want to be holding people back who are ready to sit down for the movie not trying to hold seats and buy popcorn at the same time. I think that it is rude that they even asked.
If u are a good friend you should hold someones seat until they get back,from whatever there doing,so they won't have to find a diffent seat.
Wow, that is rude of her. I would say about 10-15 minutes, but really, you shouldn't have to hold a seat for a complete stranger.
You should never hold a seat for anyone. You should have told the woman,that you could'nt do it. If the seats are not "reserved",then people can sit where they choose.
juss ask them how long they will be if the y say for to long then juss politely say that u cant do it
I think you went above and beyond! I would have given her 5 mins. tops! Sometimes people can be so rude! I would never ask a complete stranger to do that unless it was an extreme emergency!
15 minutes max.

That was rude of her to do that.
Normally when someone asks you to hold their seat, they mean it and appreciate it. Perhaps the woman had some sort of an emergency (even a minor one), and coming back to tell you to stop holding her seat was not feasible. In the very rare case of a person being inconsiderate, I would not stop being considerate with the world at large because of that occasional incident.
You can hold my seat any time you want to for as long as you want to.