'AITA for not switching seats on a 9-hour flight?'
"AITA for not switching seats on a 9-hour flight?"
I (26f) had a flight from Rome, Italy to New Jersey yesterday. It was 9 hours long and I have work today, so I had picked a window seat so I could easily sleep the whole time to prep for work.
After I sat down, buckled in, and got ready to sleep, a man (about 45) tapped me on the shoulder and said “you wouldn’t want to switch seats with my girlfriend would you?” The seat was in the middle of the middle aisle, and I knew it would be impossible to sleep there.
I politely said no, I’d like the seat I had chosen. If it had been a child, I probably would have switched but these were two middle-aged people…they definitely could have bought seats next to each other if they reaaaaally wanted to but instead got random ones and hoped people would switch.
Anywho, I stay in my seat. The girlfriend (also 45-ish) proceeds to stand up hourly and glare at me from her seat several rows away. When she sees I’m not giving it any attention, she proceeds to come over to his seat hourly and sit on his lap and talk very, very loudly, waking me up 5 separate times.
It should be noted that the lights are out in the cabin at this point and everyone is trying to sleep. Flight attendants keep telling her to move. She persists.
After the flight, we are deboarding and she winds up behind me. She’s loudly talking sh*t about me for not switching seats saying I ruined her flight. I must stress again that she is 45. Her seat was in a much cheaper area than mine.
They could have bought seats next to each other but might not have wanted to spend the money. The man revealed to me while we were flying that they didn’t sit next to each other on their first flight either, so this lack of planning seems to be their usual move.
AITA for not switching seats? I wanted to sit in the one I paid for that was in the area I chose, and I don’t understand why a middle-aged woman is throwing a hissy fit over her own choice of seats.
If it were a child and parent separated, I probably would have done it due to the flight being 9 hours…but I don’t think their lack of planning and choice of cheaper seats should have been made to be my problem.
I don’t get why I was in the wrong for wanting to sit in my seat. Anywho, let me know.
Here's what the jury of internet strangers had to say about this in-flight drama...
newfriend836639 said
NTA. People shouldn't be shocked when someone doesn't want to switch their good seat for a crappy cheaper-fare middle seat. And that couple knew that, because they also could have offered the guy's nice aisle seat to one of the passengers next to the woman, if they wanted to sit together so badly.
Plus, the woman's behavior was completely inappropriate. She was purposely trying to annoy/punish you by sitting on her boyfriend's lap (I mean, wtf?) and talking loudly.
You might want to complain to the airline about this because the flight attendants should have been more vigilant about immediately stopping her from this behavior, requesting air marshall assistance if needed.
Disrupting flights can be illegal. The airline will probably throw you some extra mileage points.
South_Blackberry4953 said:
NTA. I would also argue you're never the asshole for refusing to switch seats, especially in this day and age where people can pay to sit together if that's what they want to do.
KronkLaSworda said:
NTA. You paid extra for the window seat. Too bad her man is too cheap to spend that money on her. She was petty as f$ck. I'd have said many things to them both. Many things.
I flew every other week for 7 years in my old job. I never traded window/aisle for a middle seat, but I did exchange for a small kid, window for window. Never down grade. People that didn't plan ahead are making their own problems, not yours.
dwbraswell said:
NTA. Never switch seats, unless you are moving up to First Class. The only way to stop people from trying this crap is for everyone to to always say no.
Prestigious-Apple425 said:
NTA. The entitlement is strong in this one. I don’t get why the swap is always a downgrade for the person being asked- if you want something from me, it’s got to at least be like for like rather than something worse I’m slightly impressed with the other woman’s ability to hold a grudge tho!
OnlymyOP said:
NTA. You paid extra for your seat. They could have done the same if they wanted to be together so desperately.
sswishbone said:
NTA - surprised there wasn't assigned seats as part of tickets really, pretty much the norm in Europe. Anyhow, you have no reason to acquiesce to this request, you were there first. Sucks to be her
DryCrustyBih said:
NTA. I will never understand why people do not plan every aspect of their journey. Entitled people expect to either gain what they want through the kindness or unconfrontational nature of certain strangers.
If this middle aged woman had a tantrum like a 3 year old due to her not getting her way, then it speaks more of her nature than yours.