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“My Stance Was About Etiquette And Principle”: Man Stands His Ground During A Conflict Over Plane Seat With A Passenger Couple
In September 1783, a unique event in the history of mankind happened – for the first time, an air flight took place without a single quarrel between passengers. Perhaps this happened because the basket of the Montgolfier brothers’ first balloon contained only a sheep, a chicken and a duck. The next flight took place with people, and since then, passenger dramas have become an almost sacred aerial tradition.
Passengers confront flight attendants and fight with each other, trying to trick others into getting a more comfortable seat on the plane. And then, after landing, when the ardor and enthusiasm subsides, people just wonder how wrong they were in general. Like in this story from the user u/dankyou420.
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The author of the post once had a flight home with a budget airline and was issued a $40 upgrade for the front row
Image credits: Aero Icarus (not the actual photo)
When the guy stepped onto the plane, he saw a middle-aged couple there with the wife sitting in his booked middle seat
Image credits: dankyou420
Image credits: airbusky (not the actual photo)
Image credits: dankyou420
The spouses offered the author to exchange seats but he was adamant and even put on a show to express his indignation
Image credits: Michael Coghlan (not the actual photo)
Image credits: dankyou420
The spouses were a bit confused – so the author started pondering whether he did something wrong, after landing
Image credits: Natã Romualdo (not the actual photo)
Image credits: dankyou420
However, the man just thought his behavior was justified by the couple’s alleged ‘trickery’ against him
So, the Original Poster (OP) tells how he was flying home in economy class one day, and during check-in, he saw that there was a $40 upgrade to a front row seat. No, it wasn’t first class – the airline was budget, so there was some extra leg room. There was still an opportunity to get an average place, so our hero agreed and issued the upgrade.
When the man stepped onto the plane, he noticed that a middle aged couple was already sitting in his row, with the husband sitting on the aisle, and the wife comfortably sitting nearby, in the very seat that the author of the post had just booked. And then the OP, in his own words, suspected the spouses of trickery – they, as he decided, specially issued an upgrade in the expectation that the middle seat would remain free. But it was not there – the author decided to act on principle.
The couple offered him a place at the window, but the man was indignant and said that he would either sit on the aisle or call the flight attendant and demand his rightful seat. The neighbors were upset by such principledness on the OP’s part, but there was nothing left for them to do. What’s more, when the author put his bags in the overhead bin a couple aisles down, he decided to put on another little show…
The author of the post returned and said that he agreed to sit by the window. The couple looked confused and said it was fine. Then the OP put his headphones on, and the rest of the flight was spent working on his laptop. True, after landing, when the original poster calmed down a little, he still wondered how nice and ethically he acted in this particular situation.
Image credits: Pixabay (not the actual photo)
Recently, many sources have appeared talking about the rules of plane etiquette, but the truth is that there are no absolutely well-established and strict rules of what is ethical to do on an airplane and what is not. At least as far as seat exchanges are concerned. “I know the crew prefers when passengers take their assigned seats upon boarding an aircraft,” Anaïs Monique, a former flight attendant, writes in her column on Insider.
“After all, if passengers swap seats without the crew’s knowledge, it can complicate what we understand about our cabin – for example, a flight crew’s manifest includes essential information associated with each seat number like severe allergies, meal allocations, and flight connections,” Anaïs Monique states.
Opinions were also divided about how the OP’s intentional and ostentatious adherence to principles was actually justified. On the one hand, commenters aptly wrote that the author of the post paid for a specific place, and had the right to demand that particular seat. On the other hand, it is obvious that the neighbors did not aggravate the conflict and tried their best to smooth the situation. Therefore, like someone in the comments wrote, “I don’t think they had bad intentions in asking you to take the window seat.” And what do you think, our dear readers?
People in the comments were in fact very divided, while some of the folks just thought the spouses didn’t have any bad intentions
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DeVille 2 years ago (edited)
Sorry, I'll take the downvotes for this but it needs saying - this was all based on his assumption they'd done this to push someone out of a seat and 'spread out'. Nothing in his recap shows they admitted why they'd booked the seats that way, only him complaining that they didn't book seats together, which is totally in their rights to do, for whatever reason they wanted to. It's likely the isle seat was needed by the husband for other reasons and that's why they offered the window seat. All I see is a dude who made an assumption, decided to be an a*****e because of it, caused a fuss when none was originally made, then got exactly what was offered in the first place. He's 100% TA.
Libstak 2 years ago (edited)
I totally agree. Even if they did try to have a spare middle seat, so what, if the plane is not full why wouldn't you try create space in those cramped seats. They knew there was a chance the seat would be taken and were prepared to be accommodating about it if it was, where's the beef? Just a bunch of manufactured outrage.
Load More Replies...
S 2 years ago
I think he's an a*s for doing all of that and then still offering to take the window after it all but the couple shouldn't get off scot-free either. They should have asked him politely if they could switch seats and I personally believe he would have said yes. Instead they told him where he could sit, which would have rubbed me the wrong way too. Everyone kind of sucks here.
Ace 2 years ago
On many budget airlines the window seat can be cramped and uncomfortable. Personally I go for the aisle every time, and when I'm travelling with my wife we get two aisle seats on either side of each other. But in this situation where the aisle seat was unavailable to book I'd have done exactly the same as this guy.
norabest321 2 years ago
No shade, serious question for ya. You'd have made a scene and then offered to take the seat they offered you in the first place? Then why make an issue? We can't ask the OP but you say you would do the same. So why make people feel bad on purpose?
Load More Replies...
Dizzie D 2 years ago
This is on the internet a lot lately. People taking booked seats on trains, planes etc and not budging or wanting to sit next to their partners. If the person whose seat you are sitting in has spent time and money ensuring they sit there, then they sit there. What is wrong with people? Okay, maybe you can always ask someone but the moment they say 'no, I paid for that extra legroom/ window seat', then jog on and deal with the fact YOU didn't book a seat properly. Would you go up to someone at a retail counter who just purchased a more expensive jacket and hand them your cheaper purchase and say 'here, you must have this one, I prefer yours?' No. Same principle, same stupidity.
norabest321 2 years ago
If you want to split hairs and go with a retail comparison, it would be more accurate to say, "we've both got the same jacket but yours is half a size smaller and a $40 more. Would you like mine instead? It's a free trade and you'll fit better in mine."
Load More Replies... Jason K 2 years ago
They booked as they did taking the chance that they'd have the whole row, but prepared to offer anyone who took the middle seat an upgrade, as the people who would prefer a middle seat over a window seat are essentially psychopaths anyway.
Squirrelly Panda 2 years ago
I don't usually favor the window seat simply because I often need to get up frequently to pee. The aisle is better than the middle, but the middle is easier to get out of than the window. OP is a mild jerk because he didn't really care. The couple are mild jerks because they either should have offered either seat or stated why they preferred the aisle and still have offered full choice.
Load More Replies... Rachel Ainsworth 2 years ago
If seats were more comfortable then people wouldn't do this. I blame the airlines.
AndThenICommented 2 years ago
I can’t wait for a new company to pop up or for regular carriers to abandon trying to compete with budget carriers (I realise this story is about a budget carrier). Maybe then they’ll again focus on service and comfort and we can stop pecking at eachother like stressed chickens
Load More Replies...
Violets are Grey 2 years ago
To make issue of a non-issue. Here's the reason why staying in your assigned seats is important, unless it can't be helped, (1) Flight and ground attendance by practice have to report and re-organize the flight manifest to reflect any seating changes so they're not liable if there's a future issue, like, a special meal was ordered for allergies. This can lead to delays. Most times now if your okay, their okay with it. (2) Rare, but can happen, in-air incidents or issue. They need to know *exactly* where you sit at all times bc in the case of emergency, they know who you are, relay your information to services and your contact, especially if your traveling alone. Remember that special meal for allergies? It went unchecked bc none of the flight attendants were aware of the change and now your plane is being redirected back. If you need to switch seats, always inform the attendance on-flight regardless.
Violets are Grey 2 years ago
Hit the overhead button always!!! In cases that someone wants your chair you and they don't take no for an answer, hit that button. Flight attendant becomes the mediator and witness, and they have the authority to make decisions and officially report grievances to the pilot who ultimately is responsible for all the souls on the flight. And here's some pettiness if your forced to go backwards in the plane for changing seats: Keep your bag in the overhead, no overhead change. Just tell that person you will bring up their bag when your deplaning. At that point you can decide to play nice and bring up their bag or simply forget it and let them wait until everyone is off.
Load More Replies... DeVille 2 years ago (edited)
Sorry, I'll take the downvotes for this but it needs saying - this was all based on his assumption they'd done this to push someone out of a seat and 'spread out'. Nothing in his recap shows they admitted why they'd booked the seats that way, only him complaining that they didn't book seats together, which is totally in their rights to do, for whatever reason they wanted to. It's likely the isle seat was needed by the husband for other reasons and that's why they offered the window seat. All I see is a dude who made an assumption, decided to be an a*****e because of it, caused a fuss when none was originally made, then got exactly what was offered in the first place. He's 100% TA.
Libstak 2 years ago (edited)
I totally agree. Even if they did try to have a spare middle seat, so what, if the plane is not full why wouldn't you try create space in those cramped seats. They knew there was a chance the seat would be taken and were prepared to be accommodating about it if it was, where's the beef? Just a bunch of manufactured outrage.
Load More Replies... S 2 years ago
I think he's an a*s for doing all of that and then still offering to take the window after it all but the couple shouldn't get off scot-free either. They should have asked him politely if they could switch seats and I personally believe he would have said yes. Instead they told him where he could sit, which would have rubbed me the wrong way too. Everyone kind of sucks here.
Ace 2 years ago
On many budget airlines the window seat can be cramped and uncomfortable. Personally I go for the aisle every time, and when I'm travelling with my wife we get two aisle seats on either side of each other. But in this situation where the aisle seat was unavailable to book I'd have done exactly the same as this guy.
norabest321 2 years ago
No shade, serious question for ya. You'd have made a scene and then offered to take the seat they offered you in the first place? Then why make an issue? We can't ask the OP but you say you would do the same. So why make people feel bad on purpose?
Load More Replies... Dizzie D 2 years ago
This is on the internet a lot lately. People taking booked seats on trains, planes etc and not budging or wanting to sit next to their partners. If the person whose seat you are sitting in has spent time and money ensuring they sit there, then they sit there. What is wrong with people? Okay, maybe you can always ask someone but the moment they say 'no, I paid for that extra legroom/ window seat', then jog on and deal with the fact YOU didn't book a seat properly. Would you go up to someone at a retail counter who just purchased a more expensive jacket and hand them your cheaper purchase and say 'here, you must have this one, I prefer yours?' No. Same principle, same stupidity.
norabest321 2 years ago
If you want to split hairs and go with a retail comparison, it would be more accurate to say, "we've both got the same jacket but yours is half a size smaller and a $40 more. Would you like mine instead? It's a free trade and you'll fit better in mine."
Load More Replies... Jason K 2 years ago
They booked as they did taking the chance that they'd have the whole row, but prepared to offer anyone who took the middle seat an upgrade, as the people who would prefer a middle seat over a window seat are essentially psychopaths anyway.
Squirrelly Panda 2 years ago
I don't usually favor the window seat simply because I often need to get up frequently to pee. The aisle is better than the middle, but the middle is easier to get out of than the window. OP is a mild jerk because he didn't really care. The couple are mild jerks because they either should have offered either seat or stated why they preferred the aisle and still have offered full choice.
Load More Replies... Rachel Ainsworth 2 years ago
If seats were more comfortable then people wouldn't do this. I blame the airlines.
AndThenICommented 2 years ago
I can’t wait for a new company to pop up or for regular carriers to abandon trying to compete with budget carriers (I realise this story is about a budget carrier). Maybe then they’ll again focus on service and comfort and we can stop pecking at eachother like stressed chickens
Load More Replies... Violets are Grey 2 years ago
To make issue of a non-issue. Here's the reason why staying in your assigned seats is important, unless it can't be helped, (1) Flight and ground attendance by practice have to report and re-organize the flight manifest to reflect any seating changes so they're not liable if there's a future issue, like, a special meal was ordered for allergies. This can lead to delays. Most times now if your okay, their okay with it. (2) Rare, but can happen, in-air incidents or issue. They need to know *exactly* where you sit at all times bc in the case of emergency, they know who you are, relay your information to services and your contact, especially if your traveling alone. Remember that special meal for allergies? It went unchecked bc none of the flight attendants were aware of the change and now your plane is being redirected back. If you need to switch seats, always inform the attendance on-flight regardless.
Violets are Grey 2 years ago
Hit the overhead button always!!! In cases that someone wants your chair you and they don't take no for an answer, hit that button. Flight attendant becomes the mediator and witness, and they have the authority to make decisions and officially report grievances to the pilot who ultimately is responsible for all the souls on the flight. And here's some pettiness if your forced to go backwards in the plane for changing seats: Keep your bag in the overhead, no overhead change. Just tell that person you will bring up their bag when your deplaning. At that point you can decide to play nice and bring up their bag or simply forget it and let them wait until everyone is off.
Load More Replies...
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