Why I Refused to Give Up My Window Seat to a Mother With 2 Children

Recently, a story made waves on social media when a woman refused to give up her window seat to a mother with two children. The incident sparked a heated debate about airline etiquette and the unwritten rules of seat swapping. But let’s take a step back and examine the situation closely.

According to TikTok user Tammy Nelson, she had a recent encounter with a mom during a flight that went viral. In her post, which has been viewed more than 2.7 million times on TikTok, Nelson wrote, “What would you do? I got on the plane and a woman was sitting in my seat and when I mentioned it to her, she said, ’Oh, you want to sit here? I thought we could switch because these are my kids’ (she points to the two seats next to mine).’”

Nelson informed the mom that she would be willing to switch seats, but she requested another window seat. However, the mom insisted that Nelson take her middle seat. Nelson wrote, “She points to the row behind us and says, ’Mine is right there.’ (It’s the middle seat.)”

“Having had only 90 minutes of sleep the night before and knowing I had to give a presentation to 500 people, I desperately needed some sleep, so I did not agree to switch seats. Before anyone comes after me... the kids looked like they were about 11 and 15 years old. And the mom was in arms-reach of both of them from the middle seat in the row behind us,” she captioned her TikTok video.

“The mom proceeded to complain for at least 15 minutes to the person next to her loud enough for me to hear. But the woman actually defended me — several times. It was so kind, and I appreciated it so much because I was feeling really guilty,” she added.

In the comments, thousands of people expressed their opinions, with a majority of them supporting Nelson’s side.

• “Nope. They should have booked their seats together,” one person commented.
• “If you’re going to ask to switch then your seat has to be of equal or greater value,” another person shared.
• “Even if I wanted to switch, the second someone acts entitled by sitting there before even asking... Not happening,” one commenter said.

Many parents joined the discussion, expressing their opinions on the matter. A significant number of them argued that the mom should have been more proactive in planning and booking seats next to her children.

• “I pay extra to ensure my family sits together,” one comment read.
• “Mom here...keep that seat! I ALWAYS booked for my fam ahead of time to avoid this,” another mother shared.

Speaking of airplanes, have you ever stopped to wonder why the seats are almost always blue? Have you ever contemplated the reasons behind this peculiar choice of color? Is it simply because blue is known to have a calming effect on our minds? Or perhaps, it is because blue evokes a sense of safety and security? If you’re curious to unravel this mystery, dive into the following article for more fascinating insights.