A woman has sparked a debate about airplane etiquette on Reddit after arguing with a fellow passenger over seat assignments.
She revealed that she refused to swap the middle seat she had booked so that mother and child could sit together, and sat between them for the entire flight.
The 23-year-old American woman posted in the ‘Am I the A******’ thread on the website last week, explaining her situation and saying the mother had even tried to steal her seat when she went to the toilet and had to be moved by cabin crew.
While Redditors were baffled as to why the solo traveler was so keen on sitting in the middle seat, rather than the aisle or window, they said she was right to stick to her guns.
A 23-year-old American woman has divided opinion on Reddit after revealing that she refused to swap her plane seat so mother and child could sit together (stock image)
The traveler wrote: ‘I recently had to fly across the country to attend my sister’s wedding.
‘At the airport there was a mother about forty, with her son of six or seven, and all the time she was demanding things from the airport staff.
“When we boarded the plane, I went straight to my seat, the middle seat, sat down and grabbed my headphones when the mother and son arrived.”
She continued, “They had a window seat, a chair and an aisle seat. Immediately the woman demanded to sit next to her son and that I had to sit on the aisle so she could sit next to him.
“I don’t really like sitting in the aisle seat, so I told her (kindly) that I don’t like giving up my seat because I don’t like sitting there, and then she started yelling that it is her right to sit next to her son’.
The user explained that she “politely” told the mother that she was willing to switch seats with her son, who was sitting near the window.
However, she “kept shouting that she needed the seat and that she would not accept her son having to give up his seat as he is a child and deserves a window seat.”
The Redditor concluded, “Eventually a flight attendant came and allowed me to sit in my original seat.
‘The mother kept ‘accidentally’ kicking me throughout the flight and had her son irritate me on purpose so I could give up my seat.
‘When I went to the toilet I thought it was finally over because she might have accepted it, but when I came back she was sitting in my seat and my coat and my bag that I had left there were thrown into the aisle.
“I called a flight attendant and they took her back to her seat.”
She concluded the post by asking the forum if they think she is wrong for “not giving in and just letting her sit next to her son” instead of “politely refusing” and staying in her seat.
The overwhelming response among Redditors is that the 23-year-old did nothing wrong.
One user wrote: ‘Honestly, we need more information on why you prefer the middle seat.
“You handled this situation with great grace. Give the woman an option and you let the flight attendants do their job.”
The traveler responded to explain her choice, writing, “Well I just don’t like aisle seating and it was a row of three seats. The only empty seat was the middle seat, so I booked that.”
Someone else added: ‘Please put this in your post. This gives much more context and makes her even more the AH.
‘She booked the window and the aisle in an attempt to get a whole row to herself. She is 100% the reason she and her child are divorced.
“If she wanted to be next to him, she should have booked aisle and center or window and center.”
Another agreed: ‘Yes, because the mother would have reserved the aisle and window hoping no one would reserve the middle seat so she would get the whole row. That’s the risk she took and it didn’t work. NTA’.
Meanwhile, someone else reasoned, “Eh, I don’t think it’s as bad as the plan is willing to give either, but she wasn’t willing to give up the window.
“But realistically, I think 95% of people would rather sit in the aisle than in the middle.”
One Redditor praised the woman and joked, “You have the patience of a saint. NTA. If she had to sit next to her child, she would have bought two seats next to each other.’
Others chimed in with, “I mean, you did give her an option,” and “They could have planned ahead and sat next to each other.” Not your fault’.
Another user slammed the mum, writing: ‘Some people purposely book window and aisle seats hoping no one will take the middle so they can have the whole row to themselves.
‘Personally, I just find this practice greedy. I bet that’s exactly what she did and I got the impression it backfired.
“You are under no obligation to give up your seat and you even gave her an option which she declined – good for you for sticking to your guns!”
However, someone else responded, arguing, “It’s not greedy and there’s no problem with it (and it’s worked before) as long as you’re willing to a) offer a seat to someone in the middle, or b) who’s on to suck and be separated without disturbing the person between you’.
Others were more shocked by the recognition that users prefer the middle seat, which is typically the least favorite option among travelers.
A puzzled Redditor asked, “Obviously NTA, but why in the name of all things holy do you prefer the middle seat? People want to know!’
A second joked: “NTA but you are literally the only person in the history of the world who prefers the middle seat!”
Another reasoned: “NTA. but strange that someone would fight for the middle seat, lol.
“She should have given you the window, but maybe her son would have had a fit. Yet she had no manners. You have every right to the seat you paid for.”
Meanwhile, a fourth admitted: ‘NTA but I would have loved an aisle seat instead of having to sit next to a child in the middle seat.’
It comes just after another question about airplane etiquette caused division on TikTok – whether or not you should recline your seat.
A woman reignited the debate over airplane etiquette last year after she got into a shouting match with a fellow passenger when she accused them of “repeatedly pushing her seat” when she reclined it.
In an attempt to settle the argument, an etiquette expert has put forward her thoughts on pressing the recline button in flight, with her advice to avoid it completely during short distances.
Katarina, who lives in Europe, points out in a TikTok that “reclining the chair is not prohibited because the function is there.”
However, she says, “It’s a good practice to always look at the passenger behind us before leaning back.”
The travel professional emphasizes that if someone behind you is “in the middle of a meal with the tray open, or watching a movie on the seat’s screen,” leaning your seat back “may disrupt the seat” and is a would be ‘negligent’ action. .