Mother of 12-14 year old tweens demands airline passenger move to a middle seat: 'This is about needing to sit next to my kids'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Apr 22, 2025 5:00 PM EDT

Assigned seating on airplanes is supposed to make things more orderly, but not everyone likes that rule. I think assigned seating is pretty great: although it's a bit strict, it pretty much guarantees that you'll have a specific seat somewhere, with no guesswork involved. When you're boarding an aircraft, there are already so many details you have to manage, so finding an assigned seat is easy. Fitting your luggage under the seat or in the overhead? Now that's hard. 

This mom made some passengers' lives more difficult with her demands onboard this plane. Surprise surprise, someone booked a middle seat and didn't like it! When you see that dreaded letter "B" on your boarding pass, you just know you're going to be sandwiched in between two people, and if you're lucky, they'll both be polite, smell good, give you enough space, and be relatively neat and quiet. I mean, that's the best case scenario… we all have our horror stories of being wedged in between someone who reeks and someone who wants to watch videos out loud at full volume for the whole flight. 

Next, check out some bizarre things that people found at thrift shops and online marketplaces, like one person who found "the worst sweater I've ever seen in my life [and it's] possibly possessed." 

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  • 01
    Lady insisted I switch window seat for her middle seat instead of her husbands window seat. Delta Flight attendant backed her up. I know this sub gets saturated with seat switching stories. But I think I just experienced the worst one I've ever heard of.
    via u/DinckinFlikka
  • 02
    I booked a window seat months ahead of time for a flight for work, as I get severe nausea if I can't look out the window on a flight. I'm sitting next to two kids, who appear to be around 12-14 years old. Their mother appears and directs me to move to her seat so she can sit next to her kids. (She didn't ask me to switch, she TOLD me I would be moving.). I look at where her seat is and it's a middle seat in the second to last row.
    via u/DinckinFlikka
  • 03
    Her husband is sitting in the window seat in that same row. I tell her that I make a point of booking a window seat over the wing to help with my nausea but I understand wanting to sit next to your kids so I can switch seats with her husband for his window seat, even though there's more movement in the back of the plane. She responds - I s■ you not - "don't bring my husband into this, this about needing to sit next to my kids."
    via u/DinckinFlikka
  • 04
    We went back and forth a bit where I kept pointing out that her own husband wasn't willing to take a middle seat to allow her to sit next to her kids. Again and again, she kept saying "don't bring my husband into this." It went nowhere so I just told her that I was sorry (I wasn't) but that I wasn't moving. She responded by calling me a child.
    via u/DinckinFlikka
  • 05
    The thing that irritated me the most is that she called the flight attendant who then took her side, even after I offered one final time to change window seats with the husband and the lady refusing that offer. The flight attendant also directed (again, not asked, but told me) to move and exchange seats with this woman. I again said no, put my headphones in, and turned the music up. After a bit the lady called me a selfish as and took her seat. The flight attendant also went back to her other du
    via u/DinckinFlikka
  • 06
    It's been 8 hours since we landed and I can't stop thinking about the audacity it takes to insist a total stranger switch to a middle seat to allow a family to fly together, when her own husband refused to take that same downgrade. I hope this doesn't affect me on future Delta flights.
    via u/DinckinFlikka
  • 07
    Edit: Its been pointed out to me I should make a clarification. The FA wasn't insistent that I move seats, though she did say "sir, just move seats with her" or something akin to that more than once. The FA also did imply I was being unreasonable, though she didn't outright say it. But from the tone of her voice it was just clear she was over the whole situation and trying to find a resolution. The FA probably did mean it as a firmly- worded request rather than a clear directive under FAA regula
    via u/DinckinFlikka
  • 08
    BooRoWo She could have sent one of the kids to sit next to the husband, she sits next to the other. Her problem to solve.
    via u/BooRoWo
  • 09
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    via BĀBI on Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 10
    EwoksAmong Us Get out of here with your logic!
    via u/EwoksAmong
  • 11
    terilynnrailey You brought the husband into the solution.
    via u/terilynnrailey
  • 12
    Raazok I am wondering why one kid could not sit with each parent.
    via u/Raazok
  • 13
    paperboy42190 Great job holding your position. As I was reading this, I kept expecting you to give in to her demand as she got the FA involved. Looks like this story got a happy ending. I understand wanting/needing to be with her kids, but if that was the case she should have booked a flight that had the seat arrangement that she wanted, or used her husband's seat as an even trade
    via u/paperboy42190
  • 14
    iamjerrett File a complaint. The FA should have been more accommodating to you as the passenger who was being obligated to move.
    via u/iamjerrett
  • 15
    Educational Ebb7175. The only good solution for the FA was to offer to move you up to a better class of seats. If those weren't available, then lady- who-didn't-book- seats-well needs to sit down & shut up.
    via u/Educational Ebb7175
  • 16
    mnseats What's really stupid is the solution is so easy One kid goes to sit in back with husband. Mom takes that seat
    via u/mnseats
  • 17
    Lion parcel DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE Lien parcel Lion O Lien parcel Lion parcel O DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE Lien parcel DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE Lion parcel DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE Lion parcel DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE LION Lion parcel DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE LIONMAG
    via Reza Aulia on Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 18
    j_marquand "Don't bring the husband into this." The husband doesn't care and doesn't want to parent, does he?
    via u/j_marquand
  • 19
    Wadeace Tell the flight attendant to get a red coat. When the red coat arrives and if they don't calm things down and they try to move, you say the following: 1. Are you going to refund me the cost I paid to secure a window seat ahead of time?
    via u/Wadeace
  • 20
    2. If you are directing me to change seats against my will and the already printed flight manifest, I will not be accepting the seat, and you will need to rebook me. I will be considering this an involuntarily denied boarding scenario and expecting the compensation that that entails. I will also be submitting a complaint with both the faa and the DOT to ensure they are aware of how you denied me boarding. I will also expect to have a conversation with your station manager. Already, I
    via u/Wadeace
  • 21
    am typing an email with the names of the staff involved and will be sending that to all the powers that be at Delta.
    via u/Wadeace
  • 22
    _AmeliaPond_ Nah, you'll be fine on future flights. I'm tired of parents thinking they're entitled to sit next to their kids without paying for it. If you want to sit with your family members pay for main cabin and select your seats in advance! Do not inconvenience other passengers because you were cheap and failed to plan ahead. Also, kids 12 or older are fine sitting by themselves. As an FA, my objective during boarding and an on-time departure is BBB: bts in seats, bins closed, and exits brie
    via u/_AmeliaPond_
  • 23
    In the future don't engage just say no thank you. Repeat as necessary.
    via u/_AmeliaPond_

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Kids-Teens teens teenager airport teenagers flight seating seats plane raising teens passenger flights airplane flying
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