'So I just plop down in his seat': Passenger insists it 'doesn't matter' where he sits on airplane, refuses to give up seat to ticket-holding passenger

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Nov 13, 2023 11:00 AM EST

You'd think finding your seat on an airplane would be one of the easiest parts of the flight. Airlines are pretty specific about that. Unlike concerts or some movie theaters where you can sit in one general area, when you fly, you choose your own seat. For those who get plane-sick, there are window seats; for those who want to stretch their legs out and move around, there are aisle seats. No one wants the middle seats, naturally. 

You can't just waltz onto an aircraft and sit where ever you want. In fact, if you even try to board before your section is called, you can't get onto the plane yet! So it's pretty strange that this dude was so blasé about being in the wrong seat. As u/SentientSlimeColony shared, they had an "airplane switcheroo" while embarking on a lengthy flight. Instead of settling into their seat and planning out which 3-5 movies they could watch during the flight, they were stuck with a guy who wouldn't move into his correct seat. Did he really think the notoriously strict airline industry would side with him? Think again, you novice traveller, and get into that correct seat. 

Up next, these safety watchdogs were stunned by these safety violations at companies that apparently didn't care about their employees one bit. 

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  • 01
    ammi C28
    via Ashim D’Silva on Unsplash
  • 02
    Airplane switcheroo S OC One of these reminded me of one I had not too long ago. I was going on a long international flight. I typically pick window seats, as I can rest against the wall and look out the window. I had manage to secure one for both legs of this flight, and was feeling particularly pleased.
    via u/SentientSlimeColony
  • 03
    When I got to my aisle, however, there was a guy in my seat. No problem, people get confused all the time. I told him "Hey man, I think you're in my seat" and showed him my ticket. He looked at his ticket, then gestures at the aisle seat- "Oh, I guess I'm that one. Doesn't matter, right?" And goes back to listening to music or whatever.
    via u/SentientSlimeColony
  • 04
    I'm pretty steamed, because while I know I'm right, I'd also have to make 2-3 people get up and shuffle around, and I'd feel like a bit of a d (even though I know he's the one being a d thead here). So I just plop down in his seat and pout for a bit, until someone comes down the aisle and taps me: "Hey man, I think you're in my seat".
    via u/SentientSlimeColony
  • 05
    My mood does an instant 180, as I get up and tell them "Actually, I'm not- this guy is!" and point to window thief. "I'll just move to my original seat, and you can sort it out between the two of you".
    via u/SentientSlimeColony
  • 06
    The guy looks confused, but window thief now begrudgingly gets up and they start comparing tickets, while I move to my comfortable window seat. I guess there was some kind of print error because window thief and the innocent bystander actually did have the same ticket, so the flight attendants ended up moving window thief a bunch of rows back, which was just icing on the cake to me.
    via u/SentientSlimeColony
  • 07
    BartFly Guess I'm a d this happens almost every flight and its intentional. I have made multiple people move. they start i get the attendant. people seem to think seat numbers are optional. FYI: I don't like flying.
    via u/BartFly
  • 08
    SentientSlimeColony OP Oh no, you're 100% in the right, and I knew I was too. I was just too tired to make a scene about it. I was also in another country, and wasn't sure if there was a different culture there.
    via u/SentientSlimeColony
  • 09
    01 lolol69lolol I love when jerks on planes get the short end of the stick. My husband and I got married in Houston, TX while he was living in London. Day after the wedding we're flying back to the UK. Go to sit in our seats (one aisle one middle) and I see there's people in our seats. I politely point this out and the women were so bitchy about it - adamant that they had the correct row (they were off by one row) but screw it. We'll just take their seats. We ended up not having anybody next to
    via u/lolol69lolol
  • 10
    DeepPastaFriday The fact that airlines can legally sell more tickets than there are seats on a plane bugs the hout of me.
    via u/DeepPastaFriday
  • 11
    zajacdan I hate seat stealers. Sometimes I pay extra to sit in the window seat.
    via u/zajacdan
  • 12
    Finance Mum I'm australian and it's really strict that you have to sit in your correct seat, in case of accidents. If you wish to move to sit with a friend, you have to wait until after takeoff in your correct seat, and then the staff will use a tablet to swap you in the system, and then you are allowed to move. Never knew this was an issue elsewhere.
    via u/Finance Mum
  • 13
    techtornado Nice! I royally screwed up this way in reverse with this by not counting correctly... Note that it was seat 32F vs 35F and the font used by the airline I arrive at 32 and say, m'am we might need to swap seats... $gal - Oh? Is it 32F? *I check my ticket* $me - Gah! Sorry about that, 35, I'm so sorry! She and her friend had a good laugh, said it's not a bother and to not worry [I still worried a bit as is proper in British form]
    via u/techtornado
  • 14
    imvirtuallyinsane The only time I've experienced a duplicate seat issue it's because one of the people has been bumped up a class *after* they printed the original ticket for the one being bumped. The gate staff usually, but not always, catch these as they scan you on to the plane. No accounting for different airline's procedures though...
    via u/imvirtuallyinsane
  • 15
    Riuk811 If I am just assigned a window seat or any seat for that matter I won't make a fuss, but if I paid extra to choose that specific seat, I'm definitely making a fuss
    via u/Riuk811

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air travel malicious compliance malicious-compliance-reddit plane aisle petty Travel ticket seat sitting malicious compliance reddit window airplane
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