A Woman Didn’t Let a Mother and a Child Sit Together on a Plane, the Reaction of Other People Was Unexpected

A woman with aerophobia had to take a long flight for urgent matters. She bought 2 neighboring seats in advance to have a “buffer” between herself and the next passenger in case she suddenly became sick. Seemingly, the woman planned everything, but suddenly another passenger became a problem.

This is the heroine’s story: “Right before we started getting taxied, a middle-aged woman abruptly sat down in the middle seat. Immediately I told her that I had reserved that seat, and she started by being very considerate. She quietly told me she was getting away from a bad situation, and really wanted to sit next to her daughter. During this explanation, she repeatedly pointed out her daughter sitting next to her, as if I would be a monster for depriving her of that seat.”

The heroine remained adamant and called the flight attendant for help. The flight attendant asked the woman to return to her seat. She did it cursing on the way deliberately loudly, so several passengers were closely watching what was happening.

Although no one said anything, the heroine still felt uncomfortable. When she returned home, she posted her story online, asking for users’ opinion, “Should I have just given up the seat I paid for?” Perhaps the heroine was expecting to be criticized, but instead she received a lot of support from other people.

• Who cares what a bunch of strangers on a plane you will never see again think? You’ve done nothing wrong. None of them will give it a second thought the next day. © hopelesscaribou / Reddit
• The fact that she just abruptly sat down in the seat without even asking you first is just wild and privileged. Who does that!? Rude.
  In common courtesy, she should have asked you first before sitting down at all, and you could have explained you bought the seat, and avoid the other rude exchanges. I’m sure it could have been handled different where everyone is happy, but you are not wrong, it would defeat the whole purpose and waste money if you allow someone to seat in the reserved seat you paid for. © axil8 / Reddit
• I’d be reporting that flight attendant as well. In any case, she could have asked someone sitting by her on the flight to swap seats with her daughter instead. © shestammie / Reddit
• Indeed. Why not ask the person next to her if her daughter could take their seat, and they could move next to the original poster’s and even have an empty seat in between? It seems like an obvious solution. Chances are another person would take them up in the offer for a window seat with an empty seat next to them. © ProbablyNotADuck / Reddit

• Should you have given her the seat, then potentially barfed all over her? No, though it might have been a good lesson for her. © Chantelauve / Reddit
• Right. You should have asked if she was okay with a new vomit shirt and pants for the new spring season if she wanted to continue to occupy that seat. Comfort has consequences. © Well****Me / Reddit
• It is extremely rare for a person to buy an empty seat next to them. She should have asked if it was okay with you, even if you had not paid for it. © Red_Carrot / Reddit
• Sounds like they bought tickets last minute on separate rows and couldn’t get them together. They tried to manipulate you. Not your problem. © scooterbojanglesRT / Reddit
• You paid for the reservation — end of story. © unknown author / Reddit

• They do that because selecting your own seat costs money. They are cheap and hoping they can just sit wherever they want for free. © InvincibleChutzpah / Reddit
• Exactly, who are these cheapskates who don’t just pay extra to sit with their kids/family members if that’s what they want? © Dashcamkitty / Reddit
• One time my mom paid extra for me, my younger brother, and her to sit together (we were kids), and the airline separated us to sit a different family together, because a mother with even younger kids didn’t think to book together. © Tametsi143 / Reddit
• That woman was really entitled, and really should not have called you that. Teenage girl, if you’re reading this, please understand your mom was “stealing.” Sometimes if you ask it in the right way, and if refused, you back off politely, the world would be a better place. © ParticleDetector / Reddit

And here’s another story from a woman who refused to give up her seat. Check it out.