Woman Slammed For Refusing To Give Up Her First-Class Seat To Allow A Family Sit Together

Sep 07, 2023

In many parts of the world, flying is the most preferred option for traveling long distances, as it cuts out long hours of road travel. Since commercial flights became mainstream in the 1950s, they have witnessed unprecedented levels of growth. The growth in the aviation sector is reflected not only in the increased patronage over the years but also in the increased number of airlines that have risen to cater to people.

As a result of the number of airline options available to flyers, the competition between airline operators is stiff. To ensure that they can retain their most valuable customers and keep patronage up, airline operators include a loyalty program that rewards customers who are loyal to the brand. This loyalty reward comes in various forms, including extra legroom seats, priority boarding, rebooking priority, and upgrades. However, regardless of whatever perks a customer receives from an airline, problems like air rage, seating arrangements, and overbooked flights may still mar their experience.

In one such case, a Reddit user @u/C_Readerholic_001, in an Aug. 14, 2023 post, detailed her experience with an airline that upgraded her flight to first-class and asked her to switch seats to economy midflight. 

The original poster (OP) started the post by explaining that she had booked a flight one year ahead of a San Francisco trip that she had been planning. When it was close to the time of her trip, she was offered an upgrade to first-class by the airline for being a member. OP was excited by the upgrade and made sure to get the full experience of the perks of flying first-class. 

“I made sure to do everything possible in the lounge before my flight and I was welcomed with such a comfortable setting for the 13-hour flight,” she wrote.

However, barely one hour into her flight, she was asked to swap seats with a 10-year-old boy who was in economy and separated from his parents, who were in first class. Like OP, the boy's parents had their seats upgraded for being members, but their son’s wasn't, so he was left alone to sit in economy on a 13-hour flight. The flight attendant pleaded with OP to give up her seat, stating that she would get an upgrade on another flight or a full refund of her flight fares.

When OP told the attendant that she felt like she was being kicked out, the attendant explained the complexity of the situation to her:

“I asked her if there was any chance I could stay in my seat because I genuinely thought I was being kicked out and she said that the two parents and I were the only upgraded passengers on the flight and there were no other first-class seats available so if there was to be any chance for the boy to sit with his family it would only make sense for him to sit in my seat.”

OP would have considered swapping seats if it was a case of overbooked first-class and the boy had purchased a ticket or if his parents had bought first-class tickets. However, she insisted on keeping her seat since she earned it for being a loyal customer.

Although the attendant gracefully accepted OP's decision, an elderly woman sitting next to her berated her for not swapping seats with the boy.

“I get a 13-hour flight alone for a child is the scary part but I saw him walk up and down the isles like every hour to meet his parents so it wasn’t like he was alone," OP said.

Redditors on the platform took to the comment section to drop their opinion on OP’s post, with many in support of how she handled the situation.

“Knowing people these days, I would guess the parents knew this full well ahead of time. They were probably given the option to upgrade the last ticket for a nominal amount and declined, hoping to guilt someone into this exact situation,” one Redditor commented. “Also, why didn't one of the parents take the economy seat and leave the child in first class with the other parent? The fact that they were willing to enjoy it by themselves says everything. NTA at all. Kudos to you for sticking up for yourself and not letting yourself get bullied by a pair of Karents.”

“No. The parents never should have accepted seats away from their kid to begin with, especially not both of them. If they were so concerned, they would have gone back to coach and given up their seats to two other people,” commented another.

“NTA - they could have moved out of first class to be with their son. You stayed and did the right thing. The old lady who shamed you, SHE could have moved if she cared so much. Where did you fly from that it took 13 hours to get there?” a third user commented.

“NTA,” yet another user wrote in support of OP's decision. “That old woman could have given up her seat if she was so worried. I am not switching seats unless I get an even better upgrade. Odds are good that the parents took the upgrade & were counting on someone else giving up their seat.”

What do you think of this person's decision to not give up her seat for the boy? What would you have done if you were in a similar position? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family members, and other people you think would have an answer!