The passenger refused to switch seats with the boyfriend (stock) (Image: Marija Bazarova via Getty Images)
A man was applauded for refusing to swap plane seats so an ‘entitled’ boyfriend could sit beside his girlfriend during a flight without paying any extra.
The 29-year-old was heading home from a business trip and had pre-selected an aisle seat. Being tall, he required additional legroom so he could stretch out throughout the journey.
His tranquil flight was disrupted when a fellow passenger spotted him sitting alone and approached him seeking a ‘favour’.
He posted on Reddit: “I was flying home from a work trip and had booked an aisle seat because I’m tall and need legroom. As soon as I sit down, a guy comes over and says, ‘Hey bro, can we switch? My girlfriend’s by the window and I’m in the middle back there.’
“I glance at his seat, literally the second-worst spot on the plane. I say, ‘Sorry, I booked this one specifically’. He gets annoyed and says, ‘Dude, I’m just trying to sit next to my girl.'”
He sympathised with the man’s wish to change seats but politely made clear he wasn’t prepared to compromise his own comfort.
He continued: “He said, ‘You’re sitting alone, man. What do you need the aisle for?’ I replied, ‘Because I paid for it. That’s how seats work.’
“He called me an ‘inconsiderate loner,’ which was amusing, given he tried to guilt-trip me into accepting a less desirable seat. The flight attendant eventually had to instruct him to take his seat or face removal.”
In a final social media post conveying his frustration, he added: “Couples don’t get priority over people who planned ahead. Sorry not sorry.”
While numerous users praised the individual for standing their ground, others shared their experiences with ‘entitled’ passengers on flights.
One commenter recalled: “This happened on a 12h flight from Korea to Toronto and when the person said no the girlfriend started bawling and eventually someone else nearby traded with her.
“I was so mad they gave into her crocodile tears because now she’s going to do it every damn flight.
“This poor tiny Asian woman was stuck in a middle seat for 12 hours instead of her aisle seat because a pretty young white woman can cry on command.”
Another offered their view: “In the airplane seat war card game, inconsiderate loners beat inconsiderate losers every time. Especially the ones too cheap to buy an aisle seat.”
Recounting a comparable incident, a third person commented: “This exact thing happened to me! What preceded it was the girl jumping into the window seat in my aisle and laughing cutely at him that she got the good seat first.
“Then she asked if I could trade with him (in the middle seat in another row) so they could sit together.”
Considering the equity of the scenario, they continued: “I thought, if they really wanted to sit together, she could have given up her window seat to someone for a fair trade.”
Explaining their response, they said: “I said no. She replied, ‘It doesn’t hurt to ask’. Sure it doesn’t, but don’t expect anyone to take a downgrade to give you an underserved upgrade.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
