Taking a flight somewhere, and being squashed in to a confined space with strangers can be uncomfortable at the best of times. But for people who are exceptionally tall, pregnant, have a disability or medical condition, booking a certain seat ahead of time may be necessary to accommodate their needs. However, as one poor passenger recently discovered, some people feel entitled to take these seats from passengers who have paid extra to have them, and are prepared to cause a scene in public to try to get their own way.

I was flying by myself on a 5+ hour flight to visit family over the holidays. I specifically booked and paid extra for an aisle seat in the second-to-last row because I have medical issues that sometimes require quick access to the bathroom.

Right before boarding, a woman asked me to give up my seat so she could sit closer to the bathroom. She was pregnant but did not seem distressed. While I felt for her situation, as someone with a medical condition, I did not feel it was fair to demand I move from the seat I planned for and paid for, especially since she apparently had not booked an aisle seat herself in advance.

The flight attendants refused to help mediate when she insisted I should have to move. There were also no other aisle or close seats available on the full flight that I or flight crew could facilitate swapping. I tried to recommend she speak to her doctor about needing accommodation if sitting far from the bathroom is not medically advisable for her situation during future flights.

Still, my family says I should have inconvenienced myself and given up my seat. I disagree though – I think she and the flight crew were unfairly targeting me instead of handling it through proper channels. AITA?

Everyone, without exception, agreed that although in other circumstances, such as on a bus, you should let a pregnant woman take your seat if you are able to stand and do not need to sit yourself – but this scenario was entirely different. The woman had her own seat, she just wanted a different one, and since she hadn’t planned ahead and pre-booked that seat, the other passenger was under no obligation to swap with her just because she was pregnant.

NTA- I say this as someone who has been pregnant and has flown solo with a toddler… every passenger has equal opportunity to pre-book seats based on their needs and preferences.

It’s no one business why you booked that seat. Was the passenger or airline going to reimburse you for the cost of prebooking the seat?

Zero obligation for you to move (Far-Juggernaut8880)

NTA. I am so sick of this constant idea that people are jerks if they don’t give up a seat that they paid for. I don’t care if you’re pregnant or a family trying to be together or whatever!!! If you know that you need a specific seat pay for it or deal with the consequences.

I particularly think this case is annoying because you know you had a medical condition and set yourself up to be in the most comfortable position possible. This woman decided to play the I’m pregnant so be nice to me card. Does she not know that being pregnant means you need to go to the bathroom all the time? Most people know that about pregnancy. Why did she not plan in advance?

NTA NTA NTA. (FoggyDaze415)

NTA. Being pregnant doesn’t give you a free pass in life. I’m assuming she knew she was pregnant when she booked the flight. She should have booked the seat she needed/wanted and not relied on bullying other people to accommodate her. (SatelliteBeach123)

And why on Earth did the flight attendants not intervene and allow her to try to bully and shame another passenger into giving up the seat that they had paid extra for?

NTA

She should have booked another seat she wanted herself or not gone on the flight.

Seems she just assumed she wouldn’t have to pay for it, since some sucker was going to move.

The flight attendants are at fault for not mediating. At some point they should have told her to go back to her seat.

(and all of this is regardless of your medical issues. You paid for the seat. She didn’t.). (Trailsya)

One person even suggested that airlines should have a set rule around passengers requesting to swap with other passengers to avoid situations like this from escalating.

Nta

She’s the asshole. She knows she needs the bathroom she should have booked an aisle seat near a bathroom.

The world is sick to death of these entitled people who think it’s okay to hound others to get their own way.

The world is full of grown up tantrum throwing 2 year old’s.

Everyone knows not to give in to a real 2 year old throwing a tantrum, it’s the same with these grown up toddlers.

Airlines need to put in a rule that if you ask to change seat and the seat holder says no, ANY further dialogue on the subject by the asking person gets them removed from the flight. (Fit_General7058)

What do you think? Should the passenger have swapped with the pregnant woman, or was she being entitled to expect someone to give up a seat they had paid more for?