A plane passenger has sparked uproar after telling a mom traveling with a baby she should be ‘ashamed’ for switching seats on a three-hour flight.
The unnamed woman took to Reddit‘s popular Am I The A**hole thread to dish details of the feud.
The 31-year-old explained how she had been victim to ‘rude comments and stink eye’ for the entirety of the journey after being moved to a new row of seats with her 19-month-old son.
The majority of readers were quick to flood to the comments to defend the doting mom – but not everyone was convinced she was in the right.
The unnamed woman took to Reddit’s popular Am I The A**hole thread to dish details of the feud
The 31-year-old explained how she had been victim to ‘rude comments and stink eye’ for the entirety of the journey after being moved to a new row of seats with her 19-month-old son (stock image)
In the post, which was shared at the weekend, the woman began: ‘I was traveling today with my 19-month-old son on a plane on a three-hour flight. My son, being under two, has to sit on my lap.
‘I also had a big backpack with all the necessities that I keep on the floor and easily accessible. It can get crowded fast, but it’s just how it is when you travel alone with a young child.’
She explained that she was assigned a random sear at check in and ended up being in a full row.
The mom continued: ‘Although I appreciate it when there is an empty seat next to me as it greatly improves our flight experience, it’s not an expectation I have and I never ask for it at check in.
‘Once the boarding was completed but before take off, a flight attendant came to me and offered to move us three rows up because there were two seats available, and that they usually try to accommodate people with young infants.
‘I was delighted and accepted right away. The flight attendant helped me move my things and explained the situation to the other passenger on the row.’
But the seat swap was not well received.
‘The passenger did not appreciate it at all, she started complaining to the flight attendant that she was planning to sleep on the flight, and that it would be impossible now.
The post was soon flooded with comments – with most insisting that the mom was not in the wrong
‘[She said] that she specifically chose this seat while checking online because the row was empty and it’s gonna be a nightmare now.
‘The flight attendant simply explained that both my seats (old and new) are standard, that the woman only paid for her own seat and that their policy is trying to accommodate young parents if possible.
‘The woman then told me that I should be ashamed to impose all this noise on people that are just trying to enjoy their flight. Especially since it wasn’t even my seat and I didn’t even pay for it.’
The mom candidly admitted that she was usually ‘not good with confrontation’ so instead ‘ignored her all the way.’
‘That got her even more angry but she finally stopped complaining after a while,’ she dished.
‘My son ended up crying only once, I got some stinky eye and some other rude comments but all in all, the flight was way more comfortable for us this way, so I don’t really regret switching seats.’
Elaborating further in a follow-up edit, the mom said the bag she took could fit under the seat during takeoff and landing but that ‘it was on the floor the rest of the time for easy access.’
She continued: ‘My son was on my lap the whole flight, the extra seat was just extra space to feel less crowded and not bump elbows.
‘I’m overweight yes, but not extremely so…
‘I can’t afford to buy an extra seat just to have more space, as my son isn’t allowed to sit there yet.’
But, on the other hand, there were a handful of comments that did suggest the mom was in fact the ‘a**hole’
The post was soon flooded with comments – with most insisting that the mom was not in the wrong.
One person wrote: ‘NTA, you paid for a seat. The airline accommodated you and explained to the other passenger. The other passenger paid for her seat only – not the entire row.
‘Sounds like [the] other passenger was an unpleasant person, which isn’t your fault. If another mother with a young child did pay for the seats near her, I’d almost guarantee she would have complained still.’
Another commented: ‘NTA – the other woman was never guaranteed those two seats would stay empty – they were just empty at the time of her booking.’
And someone else simply said: ‘NTA. If she wanted the row to herself, she should have bought the empty seats.’
The mom candidly admitted that she was usually ‘not good with confrontation’ so instead ‘ignored her all the way’ (stock image)
But, on the other hand, there were a handful of comments that did suggest the mom was in fact the ‘a**hole.’
One person wrote: ‘I’m not going to give judgement, but as a person who does not like kids, if I was the lady in that seat originally, I would be p***ed to see a kid so unexpectedly next to me.’
Another added: ‘I will be honest with you. It burns me that you did not purchase a seat for your child. You obviously like the fact that the airlines usually try to accommodate as you put it. You booked your flight pretty much banking on that.
‘Your child is not token for privilege. It also burns me the other woman thought she was entitled to a row to herself. Anyone could have chosen those seats after she chose her seat. So both of you are AHs.
‘I personally do not enjoy sitting next to a crying child, a drunk seat mate, a seat mate who falls asleep using me as a pillow sprawled out in the row, etc.
‘I know I can purchase an extra seat so I keep one empty next to me, but I do not, as I expect seat mates to abide by personal space. Next time buy your kid a seat.
‘And tell the other woman that next time [she should] buy the entire row. You expected a free seat for the child, or your row mates to deal with four humans in the row instead of three. Shame on you.’