About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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“You Paid For The Seat, Not The Communal AC”: Delta Passenger Closes Stranger’s Vent Four Times, Then Demands Hot Water To Warm Up

Jun 02 2025

Most U.S. airlines have air vents above the seat. You can turn them on if you’re hot, and turn them off if you don’t want to be blown on. But who controls the vent? Does each passenger have dominion over the one above their seat – or is it a common utility, and you have to accommodate the preferences of everyone around you? Conflict on a plane can take place over the seemingly simplest of things, as one Delta Air Lines passenger learned. Currently on a flight head westbound. I am on the right side of a 3 passenger row. The person sitting in the middle has now 3 times closed my AC vent either while “adjusting” their own vent or when I stood up to go to the bathroom. The vent is pointed towards…

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