You’d assume that if someone were flying with their partner, they’d want to sit next to each other on the plane from the get-go. It’s not like it comes as a surprise that you have to book your seats together. It’s a bit weird if one person sits someplace entirely different unless most of the seats are already taken.
One redditor, u/hahahajump, went viral on the r/AITAH subreddit and in the media after asking for a verdict on her actions on a recent flight. According to the author, an entitled stranger asked her to trade places with his pregnant wife so they could sit side by side. However, she refused, and the internet loved it. Check out the full story below!
There’s a category of passengers who feel entitled to other people’s seats
Image credits: photovs (not the actual image)
An internet user shared why she refused to swap places so that a man could sit with his pregnant wife
Image credits: OlgaSmolina (not the actual image)
Image credits: hahahajump
Passengers who want to sit together should plan in advance and buy seats next to one another
Let’s call a spade a spade: if you so desperately want to sit next to your partner, then buy seats together. If one person is already getting an upgrade that costs more, you’d assume they have enough cash for a second upgrade, too.
And if money is (hypothetically) so tight that you can only get one upgrade and you’re so concerned about your pregnant partner having enough space on the plane… why not offer them the better seat instead?
The husband in the OP’s story was essentially trying to get a free upgrade for his pregnant wife. He was hoping that he’d be able to guilt-trip one of the other passengers sitting next to him to do the right thing. What he was not expecting, however, was being told that he could switch with his wife if he wanted her to have more room.
At the end of the day, it’s up to each and every one of us to decide whether we want to switch seats. But there’s a huge difference between being on an airplane and, say, riding on public transport.
In the former case, everyone has an assigned sea. Well, unless you’re getting the cheapest Ryanair tickets and don’t care what part of the magical flying bus you get squashed into. But in most cases, it’s not a surprise that you’ll be sitting in a particular seat on the plane.
So, broadly speaking, nobody’s entitled to anyone else’s seat. Nor should anyone feel guilty about sitting in the seat they actually paid for. If you want to enjoy the view from the window, go for it. But you should also feel free to switch with someone who desperately wants your place and couldn’t book it beforehand. What matters is that you do everything freely, not because you’re coerced.
On the flip side, on public transport, there are usually no assigned seats. So, people are more likely to give up their seats to someone who needs them more. You’re not forced to do that, but it’s generally common courtesy to get up if you’re healthy and energetic while the other passengers tire more easily.
Redditor u/hahahajump is far from the only person who has had to deal with entitled passengers. It’s a widespread problem.
Folks can get upset over a lot of things, including a lack of room
One internet user previously shared with Bored Panda that it’s often up to the passengers themselves to sort their mini-conflicts out.
“I fly a lot and have seen a lot of questionable behavior from entitled parents (and some great behavior from good parents, of course), and usually, the flight attendant is pretty busy or doesn’t want to deal with the conflict,” they told us earlier that there are some exceptions to this. Some flight attendants are proactive and stand their ground to solve the issue.
Meanwhile, it’s up to every individual to decide if and how they want to help their fellow passengers feel more comfortable during the flight. It can help to remember that everyone’s in the same boat (well, plane) and that we’re all human beings who sometimes need just a bit of kindness.
“Rules that allow parents to pay for a single seat and bring a lap baby are both good and bad for parents—good, in that they can save some money, but they also increase the parent’s discomfort a lot. I think everyone deals with discomfort differently. Some people are more polite about it and try to help each other be less uncomfortable,” the internet user shared with us earlier.
“I put up the armrest and do my best to give them a little room. They are always extremely grateful, usually say thanks, and sometimes, buy me a drink!” Not everyone’s as kind, though. Other passengers are so entitled that they’ll do practically anything to be comfortable, at the expense of others.
“I think it’s important to raise people to be polite and generous to others, but I don’t think Western culture puts a lot of emphasis on these norms anymore. Everyone’s out for themselves,” they said.
That’s not just conjecture. USA Today points out that there’s a serious issue with a mentality of entitlement these days. Passengers get upset over a lot of things.
Providing them with more legroom and making the seats wider should help stem the flood of problems a bit. At the same time, every passenger should be held accountable for their behavior. They need to understand that things like cutting in line or leaning way back in their seat aren’t cultured.
Most readers thought that the author reacted decently. This is what they had to say
However, a few folks had a very different take. Here are their thoughts
