Couple on 6-hour flight tried to coerce woman into giving up window seat—woman refused and stood her ground
'I get anxious, I like the window, and if I can afford it, I pay extra to make myself comfortable so I don’t start the trip already stressed.'
When planning travel, it is crucial to pay attention to details like the seat or meal preferences so as to maintain etiquette and a convenient journey for all. A woman who goes by u/AlternativeStep1322 shared a post on Reddit about a recent experience she had while traveling. She encountered a couple who requested her to switch seats so they could be together during their 6-hour flight. When she politely declined, she was met with backlash from the couple, and things got heated. Eventually, she refused and remained adamant since she paid extra for her window seat but was told she was being heartless. To her rescue came around 1,000 comments, a majority in favor of her.
AITJ for refusing to switch seats on a flight after I paid extra, even though it separated a couple?
byu/Alternative_Step1322 inAmITheJerk
The woman opened by sharing that since she travels a lot, she is particular about her flight options. “I get anxious, I like the window, and if I can afford it, I pay extra to make myself comfortable so I don’t start the trip already stressed,” she added. The traveler did the same and booked a window seat for her 6-hour flight. When she approached her seat, she saw a man sitting there and pointed out that it was her seat. He said, “Oh yeah, my girlfriend and I were hoping you’d switch so we could sit together.” The man’s partner was in the middle seat in the next aisle, and she politely declined. “I said sorry, but no, because I specifically paid for that seat.”
Instead of dealing with it, the man “got annoyed and said it was ‘kind of heartless.’” They continued to converse, grabbing the attention of fellow passengers around. The woman even suggested the man ask for the seat right beside his girlfriend since it’s more sensible, but the passenger had already declined. Nevertheless, it was not an issue the traveler had to deal with, so she remained adamant about holding her seat. The girlfriend got offended and remarked, “Wow, okay, I guess some people don’t care about others at all.” After this, the woman refused to stay silent and said, “I do care, which is why I planned ahead and paid for my seat.” Before things could get more heated, the flight attendant ushered the man back to his original seat.
“About halfway through the flight, they weren’t even talking. Both had headphones on and were watching separate movies,” the post revealed, but the couple kept sighing and giving the woman stares. “When I told this story to a coworker, she said I ‘technically’ wasn’t wrong but that it wouldn’t have killed me to be kind, and that couples deserve to sit together,” she recalled. Another friend told her she was right to not fall for their manipulation and keep the seat she paid extra for. This confused the traveler altogether, pushing her to wonder whether she should have moved. Passengers are often pretty rigid about their flight options, especially when it comes to seats.
A survey shared by Photo Aid on over 1,000 Americans revealed over 95% of passengers agreed that seat choice matters while traveling. 92% of travelers have been asked to swap seats for various reasons. 58% of them prefer window seats, and 84% of participants noted that they regretted swapping seats. While traveling, people mainly oblige because they feel pressured to be nice, but it's unfair, especially when they have taken the trouble to pay more or reserve the seats well in advance.
The top reason people comply with changing seats is if the other is traveling with a companion or family member and wants to sit together. Nevertheless, it should not be a compulsion and certainly should not end in a bitter note if declined, as in the woman’s case. And so Redditors sided with the woman, assuring her she did right by herself by staying in her seat. u/ButterscotchLittle65 said, “If sitting together was so important, then they should have bought tickets together.” u/Acatnamedwow added, “Kindness is planning ahead and not poorly planning, causing other people inconvenience.”
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