The family didn't ask for the seat - they took it. Next will they teach the kid to shoplift and only return the loot if he's caught?

I would say no too. The "its a kid" argument doesnt work for me. Im 58, i fly every 2 or 3 years max, im gonna fly even less as i age. I dont know how many window seat opportunities i will have left to experience in my life and im not giving any i score away.

I cannot for the life me not understand why people do not understand, taking someones seat on a plane they did not pay for is theft of services. You paid for the seat, you have the right to sit in the seat you paid for and anyone that tries to take that from you is theft. People should start pressing charges against people who "steal" someones paid seat.

I always book a window seat in the exit row. I would not switch. It's nobody's business why, although I have a (diagnosed) anxiety disorder and cannot have people bumping me all the time if I'm in an aisle seat. But why should I have to explain? In South Africa, you can choose your seat when you book, or when you check in at the airport. (You pay when you book online, but when you check in, they will ask you what seat you want, if it's possible.) I once sat in someone else's seat by mistake (misread the sign on the bulkhead) and when pointed out I apologised and got in the right seat). Just be polite.

Keep your assigned seats, and leave other people TF alone. Put the kid in the aisle seat, and Dad can sit in the row behind him. Mom and sister were right across the aisle from him, so it’s not like he was surrounded by strangers. Just make sure OP is fine sitting next to a child. Problem solved, no one is inconvenienced, no argument, no scene, everyone is happy. Not everything requires a major conflict or very much shuffling to resolve. Hell, not everything is a conflict, period.

The person who commented that single people who won't switch seats are selfish just kills me. PSA to whomever needs to hear this: having kids doesn't make you special.

I always pay extra to book my seat in advance and you pay per leg of the flight , so it adds up quickly. But I do it because I get motion sick easily and certain seats/areas lessen significantly. It means the difference of me being VERY sick for the entire flight and several hours after, or making it through mostly fine. You couldn't pay me enough to make me feel sick the whole flight... Unless you are offering me a better position. But that never seems to be the case... funny how it's only people who want a better seat under the guise of *whatever excuse they give*. If someone wants my seat, I lose the money I spent on it... I PAID extra for that. If you order McDonald's but decide you like my filet mignon better, that's on YOU and in no way am I supposed to just swap with you.

70m flight? I'll trade my seat for whatever three drinks cost because if I don't have a window, I better not be sober. Not all of us are the same and can just deal with the aisle seat.

As to the folks who are saying the OP is the a*****e...I can bet you a whole dollar they are White. Know why I can say this with confidence because it's White folks (I'm a White Gay guy) who f*****g complain about how hard it is to raise kids. I have lived with all kinds of folks and it's only been the White folks who complain, whine and p**s and moan about raising their kids. They are the moms who need to crack a wine bottle at 3 in the afternoon, and the dad has his man cave to check out cause their kids are monsters, which the parents made that way. I have cared for all kinds of kids, from infants to preteens, sometimes multiple kids at a time, and I did it for years. Get over yourselves and stop breeding for the love of all that's holy!

Absolute total BS on those saying he is the TA. Airlines will not, in any way shape or form, not confirm a seating where a 7yr old is not seated with their parent (unless flying alone, then that's another story).

Thus is my seat. I paid for it. Please move,now.

I'm sick of people with kids acting like the world needs to bend to their will because they chose to breed. Fück off with that noise. There is no shortage of people on the planet so we literally did not need you to breed, but ya did. So now it's your problem to deal with, not everyone else's.

Audacity of the "YTA" amebas.

The aisle seat is always my preference. More leg room and you don't have to move past people to get out of your seat.

Growing up as a dual nationality child, in two different countries? We obviously flew a number of times (Not in a super rich family btw before that starts! 😄 I learned from an early age how to budget and get the best for the cheapest!) Sometimes we were separated due to delays etc. The people next to me were always nice to me as a child sitting away from their parent. It usually happened when the plane was delayed or there were huge queues to check in so we couldn't sit together. So long as I had my colouring book or whatever? I was okay. There are some really nice people out there who will look after children away from their parents and I always feel sorry that we read too many stories about the negative ones. I'm guilty of it too, being negative sometimes, but? I still remember one guy who was sat next to me, I was away from my mother at 5yrs old, he cut up my food for me (not that I'd asked him to! 💜😄💜) Read me my book to me and he was in his mid-20s, I think 25.

I pay extra to book my seat. Their not wanting to pay to book seats together is not my problem.

One thing to take into account is that families cannot always reserve seats together. I just took a trip where I booked 3.5 weeks before the flight. All seats in economy with extra legroom were already taken. Many of the other empty seats were middle seats. I am not saying that you need to give up your seat, but things are not always the family's fault.

It's like a competition of who's the rudest.

It's a 70-minute flight and you're both adults. Not entirely sure why this would erupt into a row in either direction to be honest. When I travelled with younger children, I'd book seats in advance, now they're older we sit separately. Equally, if I had paid for a window seat and a family wanted to stay together, for a 70-minute flight I couldn't care less and as one of the other poster said,would have jokingly (or maybe not so jokingly) put a price on it such as drinks or snacks

Quality content. Two strangers exchanged a few sentences with each other.

I recently flew with my four kids. We booked seats together (oldest is 8, youngest is 3) and we were told that “there is a possibility we can’t seat you with your kid. If we can’t we’ll try to seat them with some other adult. BUT! If you pay 50$ a ticket we’ll make SURE you sit next your kid.” Maybe the airline moved their seats and maybe this family couldn’t afford the extra per ticket to guarantee they could sit with their child. I try to assume the best. OP had a right to say no but his casual disregard of others is off putting. Also, he says the boy was *maybe* seven. This is a little fellow. Badly done.

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I'll take 70 mins in an aisle seat for a seven-year-old. I know I don't have to, but I'm a nice person.