As on the ground so in the air, trips may be pleasurable, taking time to read, enjoying a window view, or simply resting. There naturally are ways to ensure a better flight experience in advance and booking a preferred seat is one of them.

So thought this Redditor who booked an aisle seat in the second-to-last row due to his medical condition, yet was pressured to swap seats as his condition wasn’t apparent.

More info: Reddit

A man refused to swap a plane seat he booked in advance and sought advice online

Image credits: Oleksandr P (not the actual photo)

The plane passenger booked and paid extra for an aisle seat in the second-to-last row due to medical issues

More info: u/michaeldonelly

Image credits: Ivan Samkov (not the actual photo)

More info: u/michaeldonelly

While boarding, the man was asked to swap seats with another passenger

Image credits: Domenico Bandiera (not the actual photo)

The woman was pregnant and didn’t seem distressed, yet was insistent

A man brought his story to the Reddit AITA community online when he refused to swap plane seats and was told by his family that he should have inconvenienced himself and given up his seat, asking if he was a jerk in this situation.

The plane passenger explained that he was on a 5+ hour flight to visit his family over the holiday. The man specifically booked and paid extra for an aisle seat in the second-to-last row because he has medical issues that sometimes require quick access to the bathroom.

While boarding, the man was approached by a fellow passenger and asked to swap seats so she could sit closer to the bathroom. The man explained that the woman was pregnant but did not seem distressed, nor did she book an aisle seat in advance.

Considering his medical condition and the fact that he had booked his seat in advance, the man turned down the request despite the flight attendants’ refusal to mediate and there not being available seats nearby.

The man refused to give up his seat, despite there not being seats available nearby

Image credits: MaximumEngineering8 (not the actual photo)

The man’s family argued he should have given his seat to the woman

When it comes to seat swapping, it was noticed by Tunex Travels guide that airlines have varying policies and while some allow swapping as long as the passengers involved agree on it, others do not permit it at all. For this reason, it might be a good idea to first check with the flight attendant if swapping is allowed on their particular flight.

They also touched upon the etiquette surrounding seat swaps, such as always asking politely and keeping in mind that it is another person’s prerogative to decide whether they are willing to change their seat.

Tunex Travels emphasized that other passengers may have specific reasons for choosing their seat – such as proximity to the bathroom or extra legroom, therefore respecting their decision and avoiding multiple requests is crucial.

Finally, they summed up that “while it’s natural to seek optimal seating arrangement, proper manners should never go out of the window.”

The traveler’s post gathered 15.1k upvotes on Reddit and people, contrary to the man’s family, judged he was not the jerk in this situation, noticing that the woman probably could have booked the seat she needed in advance and not insisted on it when told no.

Redditors shared their takes on the situation

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