Flying is a costly way to travel, and if you want the benefits of an upgraded seat, you have to pay an even heftier price. For some people, the extra space and perks make it worthwhile. Most will probably tell you that if theyâve paid an upcharge for their seat, they intend to stay put. There are certain circumstances where a passenger could be willing to trade, but not everyone is so amenable.
A passenger seated in economy plus on a recent flight claimed a woman asked for their seat so her child could sit next to her. This didnât go over well, so the passenger asked Redditâs AITA forum if they were in the wrong for telling the woman her poor planning wasnât their problem.
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The original poster paid for an upgraded seat.
The mom did, too, but she didnât get a seat in the same category for her 9-year-old son. She asked OP for their seat, and OP asked how much âcashâ she had to offer to swap. The mom called OP cruel for not allowing her to be with her son and creating âanxietyâ for the child.
âI ask if she offered the person sitting next to her son her seat in economy plus, she said she âneeded the leg room.â I said clearly she cares more about her own comfort than her sonâs well being, if she cared she would give up her seat and move to the back,â OP wrote.
OP didn't let it go.
OP wasnât willing to switch and the mom was not happy. âShe breaks out in a screaming wail filled with âHOW COULD YOUSâ Ten min later a smiling man sits down next to me grinning about his sweet upgrade. My partner says IATAH for questioning her parenting in public and making her cry⊠am I?â
Whoâs in the wrong here?
One particular part of the story stuck with Redditors.
They really didnât love that this mother was more concerned about her own legroom than her child.
Like this person who wrote, âNTA. I really hope this is real because that manipulative woman who sold out her son for âmore leg roomâ deserved to get exposed as the opportunistic leech she is. Donât feel bad about her tears. They werenât real anyway.â
Someone else agreed, writing, âIf legroom means more to her than her kid, sounds like youâre not the one prioritizing poorly. Bonus points for helping that guy score the upgrade of the day.â
But some think OP might be making up the story.
It didnât sit right with one commenter. âI have trouble believing these repeated entries that paint mothers in a negative light,â the person wrote. âFirst of all, airlines are required to book you next to a child. Second of all, the airline attendant isnât going to sit there listening to someone screaming in the aisle and let it go.Just seems like attempts to encourage misogyny. Iâve only been asked to swap seats once, and it was for an adult couple that wanted to sit together.â
Or this person who wrote, âYou didnât do this. You thought about being nasty but you merely said no thank you this was a paid upgrade and she moved on.â
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Most people say OP paid for the upgraded seat so should keep it.
Even though the story seemed a bit fishy to some people, no one called OP the jerk. Instead, they agreed the mom should have planned better.
Like this person who shared, ââ Play stupid games, win stupid prizesâ seems appropriate here. The woman has does this successfully before, or she wouldnât be as brazen as she is. Good on you for calling her out. NTA, and enjoy the leg room!â
