Soaring above the clouds should be a relaxing experience, but apparently, planes are a hotbed of pure rage. A study found that 5,793 unruly passenger incidents were reported in 2021 and the trend seems to be on the rise every year. It seems like people are fighting over the most useless stuff.

In this particular case, a woman was confronted by an entitled man who demanded that she exchange seats with him because he needed extra legroom. She refused because she had paid extra, and it ended with him being petty.

More info: Reddit

Tall man doesn’t plan ahead for a 12-hour flight, tries to guilt-trip woman into switching seats with him, and becomes rude after she refuses

Image credits: Bao Menglong (not the actual photo)

The poster, a 4’11” woman, had said that she paid $55 extra for a seat at the front of the plane with extra legroom because she had to leave immediately upon arrival

Image credits: Kaysha (not the actual photo)

During the 12-hour flight, a 6’4” man asked her to switch seats because flying was painful for him, she refused as she had paid extra for her seat

Image credits: lutfi gaos (not the actual photo) 

He got mad at her and said that someone of her height did not need more legroom, she told him to ask other people to switch but he said he didn’t want to bother men or couples

Image credits: u/Such-Error-34

Since the man kept being rude to her she called the flight attendant for help, but, later on, the petty man kept walking by and slamming into her during the flight

The Original Poster (OP) shared her bizarre encounter with an entitled passenger during a 12-hour flight. She had done everything right and booked her tickets months in advance. Because she knew that she was going to rush upon arrival, she had chosen an aisle seat at the front of the plane and had paid $55 extra for it. As luck would have it, the front row seats also came with extra legroom, which must have been a relief. 

Unfortunately, those prime seats attracted the attention of a tall 6’4” man. The OP mentioned that as soon as the seatbelt sign was switched off, he came over to ask her to swap seats with him. Most tall people, or actually people of any height, would have sympathy for his plight. Since there wasn’t enough space between the seats, he found it painful to fly for a long period of time. Research has also shown that the amount of legroom can impact passengers’ level of frustration, which is probably why the man’s mood soured so quickly.

At first, the woman shared that she was open to switching with him until she realized that he was seated at the back of the plane. She had forked over the big bucks for her seat and was not about to give it up that easily. So when she suggested that he ask someone else to swap, he said that he didn’t want to bother men or split up any couples. He only had his sights set on bullying her and getting her seat. The woman realized that he was getting increasingly rude and angry so she eventually had to get the flight attendant to intervene.

These kinds of incidents are not uncommon on flights. In 2022, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) found that nearly 1 unruly passenger incident occurred every 568 flights. Air New Zealand had more than 200 reports of disorderly passenger conduct every month, which is up from the 572 incidents that were reported in the whole of 2019.

Image credits: Toa Heftiba (not the actual photo)

Seat swapping is a kindness that you can bestow on your fellow passengers if they want to sit with their partner, kid, or family member. You can also help out a tall, disabled, or plus-size person and gracefully let them take your seat. But, nobody is entitled to another person’s spot. Regardless of his height, the man shouldn’t have tried to usurp the woman’s seat.

Did you know that not all airlines allow seat-swapping? Some have very strict policies that don’t allow passengers to just get up and shift around without permission from the crew. This is also because some planes have weight restrictions and balancing requirements, which means that something as small as switching your seat could affect the aircraft’s balance. Maybe this is an excuse the OP could keep in her back pocket in case she ever faces this problem again.

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Now one thing that could have totally changed the trajectory of this story is if the man had simply paid extra for his seat. Unfortunately, not all aircrafts have enough space between seats, which is uncomfortable for taller folks. Most tall travelers know that and they should prepare in advance, especially if they’re getting on a 12-hour flight. Rather than hoping for a stranger to bestow him with extra legroom, the man should have simply paid extra for his seat and his comfort.

Even though the man was clearly being a jerk to the woman, the airlines do have a part to play in this messy situation. Not everyone can afford to pay extra for seats that fit their body type, especially if they’re already shelling out money for tickets. It’s also up to the airlines to make better provisions for a wide range of body types. That being said, do you think the woman should have done anything differently in this situation? How would you have handled it if the man approached you?

People rallied in support of the woman and let her know that she was right to stand her ground, they said that the man probably thought of her as an easy target he could intimidate

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