An airline passenger has turned to the subreddit ‘Entitled People‘ to express his amazement over what happened on a flight from Toronto to Vancouver that he was on.
While the man, who goes on the platform by the nickname Canada11235813, was getting ready in his business class ‘pod,’ a woman approached him and asked if he could switch seats so that she and her husband could travel together.
Without giving it much thought, the man agreed; however, he then learned that he had to downgrade to economy.
The seat-switching trend on airplanes has become increasingly popular, but it can also be quite annoying for both passengers and flight attendants alike
Image credits: Dennis Sylvester Hurd / flickr (not the actual photo)
This example, however, takes it even further and enters new levels of disturbance
Image credits: Prostock-studio / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
Image credits: canada11235813
Experts think it’s reasonable to ask someone to switch seats if you need to sit next to your young kids or an elderly relative, but otherwise, not so much
Image credits: Oleksandr P / pexels (not the actual photo)
“Switching seats on a plane can sometimes be a tricky situation,” Carla Bevins, who teaches business management communication at Carnegie Mellon University, told USA Today.
She thinks there are some instances where you absolutely may not switch seats. And the first examples she mentioned were when you are in a different service class, sitting in an exit row, or when the fasten seat belts sign is illuminated.
You can try thinking of it as going to a dinner party and someone has a card with your name on it on the table. And instead of sitting in the place you were assigned, you toss the card and plop yourself down wherever you want. Impolite.
Rosalinda Oropeza Randall, an etiquette expert, agrees that you don’t have to play along.
“If someone asks you to switch seats, you are not obligated to do so or even consider it,” she told the same publisher. “You have the right to decline – politely, of course.”
Her pro tip for when the other passenger wants to know why you won’t move is to remember that you don’t have to explain yourself. “You may say something like, ‘I prefer to stay where I am,'” she said.
Airlines could possibly end all the seat-switching if they allowed their passengers to choose their seats without hitting them up for extra money. But until then, it’s usually best to just stick to your own.
As his story went viral, the man joined the discussion in the comments
Where some people also shared their own similar experiences
