Modern air travel can be a pain in the neck. Delayed flights, cancellations, rude flight crews and the ever-present risk of air rage incidents bound for social media all add up to a less-than-glamorous experience. Let’s not even get into the size of seats and non-existent legroom.

For one Redditor, a medical emergency on a previous flight had her on standby. When she miraculously got called to board, she discovered that her new seat was between a couple but, when she asked if they’d prefer to sit together, all she got was a rude response from the woman. And that was just the beginning of her woes.   

More info: Reddit

Woman placed on standby thought her luck had changed when she was finally called to board

Image credits: Oleksandr P (not the actual photo)

She discovered her seat was between a couple, so she asked them if they wanted to swap seats

Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)

Woman rudely said she’s not supposed to be sitting there anyway

Image credits: DC Studio (not the actual photo)

Guy finally said it was OK, but the woman kept being obnoxious

Image credits: Kevin B (not the actual photo)

Woman spent entire 5-hour flight with couple talking over her lap

Image credits: 1004fox

The woman later admitted that she should have got the flight crew involved

OP begins her story by telling the community that she always pays extra to pick her seat in advance but, thanks to a medical emergency on a flight earlier in the day, she was put on standby. Luckily, towards the end of boarding, she heard her name being called and made it onto the now packed flight.

When she got to her seat, she found that she’d been seated between a couple. She asked the couple if they’d prefer to sit together, to which the woman rudely reacted, saying something along the lines of, “You’re not supposed to be sitting here anyway.”

So, OP patiently explained the situation (she revealed that there had also been plane-wide announcements) and offered to show the woman her new ticket. The woman just flicked her hand at OP’s ticket. OP offered to switch seats again, to no avail.

At this point the guy said it was OK and let OP into her seat between the couple, before making small talk about how the plane was so full. The guy’s partner then interrupted them to ask OP if she had booked her ticket via a third-party website. OP told her she’d booked directly and again explained her situation of being placed on standby.

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By now OP was done with the woman’s attitude, so she put her headphones on and tried to get on with her flight, but her ordeal was just beginning. For the remainder of the flight, the woman kept reaching over OP to get her partner’s attention, before talking with him in a really intrusive way. 

OP says she could tell the guy was trying to engage with the woman less, but things didn’t really change. She reckons the couple might have been angling to have the seat between them kept free, but that was impossible on such a loaded flight.

The so-called “rules” about what’s allowed (or not allowed) on a flight are seemingly vague when it comes to personal space and behavior – basically, they don’t really exist.   

Image credits: Vincent Albos (not the actual photo)

In his article for LifeHacker, Jeff Somers offers some tips on what to do (and not do) when you’re seated next to a jerk on a flight. First, he recommends staying calm – and sober. This will help you deal with the things you can’t control, like unruly kids, rude flight crew, or that passenger behind you who keeps sticking his bare feet through the gap.

Next, turn to the power of negotiation. If the passenger you’re seated close to is triggering you in some way, consider the fact that they might not even be aware that their behavior is bothering you. Politely inform them of the problem and see if you can’t come to some sort of agreement together.   

An article for Yahoo Travel offers 5 scientific reasons why people are jerks on airplanes and it’s worth a read. 

Bored Panda caught up with OP to ask her a few questions. When asked if she was surprised to see her post get so much attention, she said, “I am surprised! But also, I think it’s a common manipulation people try to attempt. What I wasn’t expecting was the rudeness and attitude that occurred when that plan failed.”  

We asked OP what urged her to share her story with the Reddit community. She had this to say, “I shared my story simply because I know this approach is common, and I was left very uncomfortable because of the behavior I experienced. I wanted to share my story so that hopefully it gives people a perspective of that middle person.”

Finally, OP had this piece of advice to share with anyone facing a similar situation, “I would recommend getting airline staff involved. I should have done this, but I was observing how swamped they were with all the changes to the flight.” 

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What do you think OP could have done in the uncomfortable situation? Have you ever had a negative experience on a flight? Share your opinions in the comments section!

Redditors weighed in with their own seating preferences, with some couples adding that they don’t even sit next to their partners on flights

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