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Entitled 60YO Passenger Requests Seat Change Over “Mobility Issues”, Gets Denied
If you’ve ever been stuck in economy class, you know how oh-so-comfortable those seats can be. However, your saving grace might be the bulkhead row. What do you do when you’re asked to swap that golden seat, then?
Today’s Original Poster (OP) found himself in that same position when a fellow passenger asked to swap seats. A flight attendant got involved, leaving the OP in an uncomfortable situation.
More info: Reddit
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Being asked to give up your seat is like being asked to give up your last slice of pizza, so it comes with hesitation or a straight-up decline
Image credits: Eric Feng / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The author sat in the aisle seat on a flight, but the elderly lady beside him requested a seat swap as she had mobility issues
Image credits: chiwis111
Image credits: EyeEm / Freepik (not the actual photo)
They declined, suspecting her true motive was to avoid sitting next to her larger seatmate rather than any genuine need
Image credits: chiwis111
The flight attendant offered the woman an alternative aisle seat, but she refused, giving the author more reason to question her motive
The flight had three seats on each side of the aisle and four in the middle. The OP was seated in the aisle seat of the bulkhead row, which is a coveted spot due to the extra legroom.
The person sitting next to them was an older lady, likely in her 60s, however, the OP was sure that moving around wouldn’t be a problem as there was enough space for the elderly woman to leave the row even if she had to stand up.
Moments later, the woman returned to the seat with a flight attendant to ask if they could swap seats. She explained that she had “mobility issues.” However, this would be a good time to mention that the other passenger beside her was a larger passenger who was, as described, spilling into her space.
The OP politely declined the woman’s request to swap seats, mostly because of their comfort. They also felt there was no real need for the swap, considering the older woman could still easily get up and move without any inconvenience.
Additionally, if the woman truly had mobility issues, she would have been pre-assigned an aisle seat in the first place. The flight attendant, trying to resolve the situation, offered the older lady an alternative aisle seat, but the lady declined.
She had her eyes set on the bulkhead row for the extra legroom, especially in economy class, and that made it seem like her concern wasn’t actually about mobility—but about comfort.
Image credits: Kelly / Pexels (not the actual photo)
According to Psychology Today, entitlement is a personality trait where individuals believe they deserve special treatment, regardless of fairness or social norms. These individuals often disregard instructions or requests that they perceive as unfair and may act indifferent to others’ needs.
In the context of the story, the elderly woman’s insistence on swapping seats could reflect a mindset of entitlement, as she may have felt deserving of better comfort without considering the other passenger’s comfort as well.
The OP was not wrong to assume that if the woman indeed had mobility issues, she would have been given a seat that would aid convenience in her travel. AirHelp affirmed that passengers with disabilities, mobility problems, or additional needs have a right to special assistance throughout their journey.
And while airlines and airports are required to provide this assistance, passengers must also ensure they are aware of their issues, by requesting in advance, either through the tour operator or directly with the airline when booking.
Overall, Mighty Travels highlights the etiquette of flying where seat-swapping on flights is involved, emphasizing that it should only be done when necessary, such as for pregnant passengers or those with urgent needs, as experts caution against unnecessary swaps due to potential disruptions and fairness concerns.
The comments supported the OP’s decision not to swap seats, pointing out that airlines allow passengers to prebook seats. They also stated that the elderly woman’s actions seemed entitled.
Other netizens challenged the woman’s claim of mobility issues, with several wondering why she rejected an alternative aisle seat.
What would you have done if you were in the passenger’s shoes? Would you have agreed to swap seats? Please, let us know your thoughts!
After wondering if they were wrong for not giving up their seat, netizens supported the author by stating that they had every right to keep their seat
Image credits: rawpixel.com / Freepik (not the actual photo)
What do you think ?
Adrian 1 week ago
So many stories on BP that involve fat people on planes. Why can't we just say it: if you're too fat to fit in a regular seat you need to buy two!
Debby Keir 1 week ago
My problem is not that I am fat, it's that I am tall and have very long legs. If I were fat, I might be able to change that, but if I am tall, I can't change it (no lopping off legs jokes perlease) and I have to sit in an aisle seat.
Load More Replies...
Bob Brooce 1 week ago
Somebody has to buy their seat after all the aisle and window seats have been sold, so I wouldn't automatically assume that somebody passed on an available aisle or window seat in hopes of swapping on the plane. That said, it's unlikely that she bought a bulkhead seat after all of the aisle seats were sold, so she probably had the seat she was happy with when he booked it.
ThisIsMe 1 week ago
NTA BUT...stop telling us what the woman was really thinking if she didn't say anything about it. YOU DON"T KNOW what someone else is thinking about. The only issue to be shared and addressed is that the woman wanted them to make you switch seats with her over a claimed mobility issue, and when they offered an alternative she declined. Period. End of the story for OP.
Say No to Downvoting 5 days ago
This. I am just a crazy fool with rose coloured glasses who assumes the best of everyone. We don’t know the particulars of the older lady’s mobility issues or of how she came to be booking her ticket, so I don’t think it’s fair to splash around the “she could have done this and she could have done that” - we don’t know her life. Is OP well within their right to decline the seat swap? ABSOFREAKUNGLUTELY! But does that make the older lady’s the devil just for asking? NOPE! All it does is make her someone that that asked something - the rest is all speculation,
Load More Replies...
BarkingSquirell 6 days ago
I have mobility issues and in advance ensure I can be accommodated. I would never ask anyone to move for me. But I also "fat out" people from riding comfortably.
qkppyrxvfx 6 days ago (edited)
Why are people still asking AITA about refusing to swap plane seats?
FreeTheUnicorn 6 days ago
Not the AH for refusing to stop, but the AH for refusing to get up and asking her to move over you. I have mobility issues, dyspraxia and some balance issues and walking to the toilet on an airplane is difficult enough without asking me to worry about falling on top of a stranger. Mobility issues doesn't necessarily mean a wheelchair, andasking for reasonable accomodation, like a person getting up so you don't have to crawl over them, is the right thing to do. Denying this woman some dignity just because you don't like that she asked you to move is a total d1ck move.
K. LNU 6 days ago
If you haven't flown on a 777 - there is plenty of room to get past without tripping on someone along the bulkhead seats. I'm 5'4" and if I extend my legs (from a seated position my legs reach about 28"), I can touch the bulkhead with my legs extended. There is plenty of room for a lady with mobility issues (if she doesn't have a walker) to get by. I like the bulkhead for that reason. I always pay for an aisle, so that if it is a long flight and I fall asleep, people can still get out without having to wake me. I'm sure OP would have moved or stood up so that IF that lady had issues she could get by. But if you read the story, she was asking her to change to a less desirable seat.
Load More Replies... Adrian 1 week ago
So many stories on BP that involve fat people on planes. Why can't we just say it: if you're too fat to fit in a regular seat you need to buy two!
Debby Keir 1 week ago
My problem is not that I am fat, it's that I am tall and have very long legs. If I were fat, I might be able to change that, but if I am tall, I can't change it (no lopping off legs jokes perlease) and I have to sit in an aisle seat.
Load More Replies... Bob Brooce 1 week ago
Somebody has to buy their seat after all the aisle and window seats have been sold, so I wouldn't automatically assume that somebody passed on an available aisle or window seat in hopes of swapping on the plane. That said, it's unlikely that she bought a bulkhead seat after all of the aisle seats were sold, so she probably had the seat she was happy with when he booked it.
ThisIsMe 1 week ago
NTA BUT...stop telling us what the woman was really thinking if she didn't say anything about it. YOU DON"T KNOW what someone else is thinking about. The only issue to be shared and addressed is that the woman wanted them to make you switch seats with her over a claimed mobility issue, and when they offered an alternative she declined. Period. End of the story for OP.
Say No to Downvoting 5 days ago
This. I am just a crazy fool with rose coloured glasses who assumes the best of everyone. We don’t know the particulars of the older lady’s mobility issues or of how she came to be booking her ticket, so I don’t think it’s fair to splash around the “she could have done this and she could have done that” - we don’t know her life. Is OP well within their right to decline the seat swap? ABSOFREAKUNGLUTELY! But does that make the older lady’s the devil just for asking? NOPE! All it does is make her someone that that asked something - the rest is all speculation,
Load More Replies... BarkingSquirell 6 days ago
I have mobility issues and in advance ensure I can be accommodated. I would never ask anyone to move for me. But I also "fat out" people from riding comfortably.
qkppyrxvfx 6 days ago (edited)
Why are people still asking AITA about refusing to swap plane seats?
FreeTheUnicorn 6 days ago
Not the AH for refusing to stop, but the AH for refusing to get up and asking her to move over you. I have mobility issues, dyspraxia and some balance issues and walking to the toilet on an airplane is difficult enough without asking me to worry about falling on top of a stranger. Mobility issues doesn't necessarily mean a wheelchair, andasking for reasonable accomodation, like a person getting up so you don't have to crawl over them, is the right thing to do. Denying this woman some dignity just because you don't like that she asked you to move is a total d1ck move.
K. LNU 6 days ago
If you haven't flown on a 777 - there is plenty of room to get past without tripping on someone along the bulkhead seats. I'm 5'4" and if I extend my legs (from a seated position my legs reach about 28"), I can touch the bulkhead with my legs extended. There is plenty of room for a lady with mobility issues (if she doesn't have a walker) to get by. I like the bulkhead for that reason. I always pay for an aisle, so that if it is a long flight and I fall asleep, people can still get out without having to wake me. I'm sure OP would have moved or stood up so that IF that lady had issues she could get by. But if you read the story, she was asking her to change to a less desirable seat.
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