If you’ve ever had your seat stolen on a plane, you know just how annoying and frustrating it is to get it back. When traveling by plane, sometimes common courtesy is left behind at the boarding gate. From stolen seats to reclining during meals and armrest wars, it’s a jungle up there. But nothing riles up frequent flyers quite like the infamous seat stealer.
Today’s story is full of turbulence – a wannabe upgrade diva, a reluctant tattletale, and an entire plane of passengers caught in the crossfire.
More info: Reddit
Airplane drama is like turbulence; you know it’s coming, but you still hope it doesn’t ruin your trip
Image credits: DC Studio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
One woman was insulted and bullied on an international flight by two entitled ladies for refusing to give up her paid Comfort Plus seat so they could sit together
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The two women asked the traveler to swap seats with them, but threw a fit and started bullying her when she refused
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
“Does she need this comfort plus seat because she’s fat?”: the woman was insulted by the unruly passengers because she didn’t want to give up the seat she paid for
Image credits: citrusbook
The women caused the plane to be delayed for 2 hours, forcing the pilot to intervene and give a first-class upgrade to the abused passenger
When you pay for a seat on a flight, you expect to actually be seated there. And so did one woman, who booked a comfier Comfort Plus seat to treat herself to some extra legroom, ready to snooze her way across the Atlantic. Bliss, right? Well, not for Carla (not her real name, by the way), the unlucky protagonist of this airborne saga.
As the passengers boarded, Carla found herself approached by “Beatrice”, who claimed her aisle seat, the one she hadn’t paid for. She even had the audacity to request a swap so she could sit beside her buddy, “Ava”. But the thing is, Beatrice’s actual seat was several rows back in economy. You know, the narrow, “can barely breathe,” free seats.
When Carla politely declined, citing the long flight and the money she’d spent, chaos took off way before the plane did. As she was denied her self-appointed upgrade, Beatrice doubled down, and with Ava backing her up, they ganged up on Carla, accusing her of “ruining their trip.”
One of the flight attendants tried to enforce some order, sending this woman back to her seat. But Beatrice wasn’t budging, and things escalated to the point that the pilot himself had to step in.
That’s right. The pilot, captain of the skies, had to abandon his cockpit to inform this lady that her refusal to move was delaying the entire flight. And, after some dramatic grumbling, Beatrice stomped back to her economy seat, leaving behind a furious Ava, who wasted no time hurling insults at Carla.
While most of us would count the incident as over, Ava wasn’t even close to being done. She loudly insulted Carla, cruelly asking if she needed the seat “because she’s fat.” Not that it matters, but she wasn’t. And, even if she were, body shaming is never okay.
That was the final straw, Carla flagged the flight attendant yet again, and this time, justice came in the form of a first-class upgrade. Yes, Carla left the drama behind and spent the flight sipping champagne and stretching her legs.
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
As for the rest of the passengers? Well, Beatrice somehow managed to sneak back into Comfort Plus next to her friend after takeoff, and because of the kerfuffle, the flight was delayed by a whopping two hours. Two hours of missed connections, frustrated passengers, and mounting tension, just because one person decided the rules didn’t apply to her.
Many passengers, including the poster of this story, were left wondering why the airline didn’t eject the troublemakers, ultimately rewarding bad behavior and leaving paying customers fuming. Even their policy on unruly passengers states that travelers must comply with all instructions given by crewmembers.
Interfering with their duties, as well as engaging in acts of intimidation, assault, or obstruction, on crew or on other passengers, is strictly forbidden and may lead to civil or criminal penalties. I’m guessing delaying a flight by 2 hours and verbally abusing fellow passengers counts as interfering and intimidation, doesn’t it?
Flying is stressful enough without having to deal with rude people and seat disputes. The pros say that, at high altitudes, the cabin pressure is lower, which messes with your body, as you’re taking in less oxygen. The low pressure can make you feel bloated, dehydrated, and maybe even a little cranky. Your blood circulation slows down, which is why your legs might swell if you’re not moving around enough.
And let’s not forget the dry air – say goodbye to hydrated skin and hello to chapped-lip extravaganza. And the narrow seats and mix of smells that circulate in a closed space don’t really help with the mood, now do they? It’s no wonder so many people are grumpy during a flight.
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