An American Airlines passenger found that a chld took the aisle seat he says he paid extra for, and had words with the family over it – but a flight attendant seems to have come down on the family’s side.
Osaac Summer took a redeye American Airlines flight. A young girl was in his aisle seat so, her family said, he’d need to take a nearby window seat. That way the family wouldn’t be separated.
@lalawright2 Respectfully they should’ve asked him if it was coo first cause he did pay for that seat.
He… was not amused, declaring “I don’t care about your daughter” and told the family, “Stay in your lane and in your seat!” It could have been handled more diplomatically, but it was his assigned seat right?
Except that he says a flight attendant told him the family was entitled to the seat, “She got on the plane before you” and told him “you are being the bad guy.” He says he was even threatened with ejection from the flight over it.
Afraid the flight was going to be delayed, another passenger offered the man their aisle seat. And a flight attendant apologized to… the family, “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. Your daughter is really beautiful.”
That is not how this works! That is not how any of this works!
Live and Let’s Fly says that he doesn’t “think families should be permitted to buy basic economy tickets” since they don’t come with free seat assignments, and those are “necessary for families with young children; therefore, basic economy class tickets should not be sold to families traveling with children who cannot be separated.”
I don’t think that’s the right take here.
- Basic economy fares are literally intended by the airlines for price-sensitive leisure travelers (and families are often among the most price-sensitive). Airlines are trying to segment those customers from business travelers who will spend more money.
- In fact, families buying basic economy are entitled to be seated together on American Airlines!
American was actually the first to commit to family seating in its customer service plan. That’s a commitment which is enforceable by the Department of Transportation.
- They will “guarantee children 14 and under will be seated adjacent to an accompanying adult at no additional cost, including Basic Economy fares” provided that passengers are all booked on the same reservation (otherwise they won’t know to seat everyone together) and adjacent seats are actually available to assign when buying the tickets.
- Basic economy passengers are instructed to “skip choosing seats for the entire reservation” to have them assigned.
Of course it is important to check when buying tickets for a flight, traveling with small children, that there are actually seats open beside each other! It’s important to make sure the seats do get assigned, if relying on the airline to handle it for you. And it’s important to garden your reservation and make sure nothing changes between the time you book and when it’s time to travel.
Sometimes you’re stuck with a last minute flight change. Maybe your original flight cancelled and you got rebooked, or your first flight is delayed and you need to have your connection rebooked, or there’s a change to a smaller aircraft. That can put you on a plane without seats by your kids – and that needs to be solved.
Gate agents are rushed, and often it is agent singular rather than plural (a domestic flight less than 80% full is only going to have one agent to take care of all the duties involved in getting a flight out on time). So they may not be as helpful as you’d like, although still try to enlist their assistance. Then ask a flight attendant for help.
Most of the time other passengers aren’t going to want to sit next to your unsupervised children! Just consider offering the better seat that your family has in trade (an aisle, or at least a window), rather than the worse seat (like a middle). And if there are two parents, consider than in a pinch one parent can sit with a single child you may not all have to be seated together.
Somebody needs to explain to the stupid Waitress that she works for AA, not Southwest. (i.e. the SWA we have now — not the one starting Jan 27, 2026). It doesn’t matter that the girl got on first.
There are some missing information. Specifically:
1) The pax was 6’2″ and paid $300.00 for the aisle seat. HE PAID EXTRA MONEY SO HE WOULD NOT BE UNCOMFORTABLE. That is why he did not want to trade to a window seat.
2) The two entitled parents were sitting in the window/middle. So they decide to have their child steal the aisle seat so all three could sit together. It should have been that one entitled parent and the child sat in aisle/middle. The other entitled parent sat in the third seat which was located elsewhere. The child ends up still sitting next to one of the entitled parents.
—–> For the record, that is AA policy and procedure. That a child under 15 will sit next to at least one adult. NOT NECESSARILY BOTH ADULTS.
3) Omaar Summer posted a video to give his side of the story. In his video he clarifies that he would have been fine with a seat swap if they’d just asked. See video link below — him saying that is at 0:25.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT_DI7u-Uv8
—–> I have watched YouTube videos and seen articles on several travel blogs regarding seat swaps. It is clearly a contentious topic. Frequent travelers say two things:
* They say they are only going to swap for an equal or better seat. Not aisle near the front for middle in the back.
* One comment almost all of them say —> “If you steal my seat instead of asking if we can swap, it’s an automatic no.” (See #3 above — he would have been willing to switch if they had asked, not stolen his seat.)
—–> The fact that frequent fliers have HUGE issues with seat stealing speaks volumes about how airline etiquette SHOULD BE.
I agree, he could have handled it a little better, but he wasn’t wrong in what he was expecting. If I pay to select a seat, I have every right to expect that seat. This isn’t Southwest’s ‘sit where you want’ (for now) .
I bet if he sat in a first-class seat, the FA wouldn’t have told the passenger who paid for that one, “Well, he got on first”.
Why don’t the two parents move back in the plane and allow two passengers to move up? This way they could all be together.
Gary – What is the passenger’s recourse in this type of situation where the FA is wrong? I generally have no problem switching seats if it’s an equivalent or better seat and if I’m not already settled. But if I arrive & you’re sitting in my seat without asking – we have a problem. I’m nice but assertive.
Do airlines have actual policies or does each crew just wing it?
@XYZ — How ’bout start by not referring to the crew as ‘stupid waitress.’ Even if you feel strongly that someone was in the wrong here, you ‘show you cards’ by disparaging flight attendants, generally, making the rest of what you have to say irrelevant. Oh, and please do enjoy that delicious spit in your food and drink. You must wonder why you get sick often, don’t you…
@george romey:
7777! jackpot
Every fare is a multiple of the airline’s CASM from the prior reporting quarter + a multiple for the number of miles for that route – they can charge less for longer routes but they are not allowed to lose money on any seat sold to anyone at any time.
Removing geographic distortion from product pricing starts a chain reaction that moves the industry back towards sanity – it becomes impossible to go bankrupt!
and what do we call that 1990?
REGULATION
@Hagbard Celine — I get it. If you see most of my comments on here, other than the silly ones, I’m usually advocating in-favor of workers and consumers, and less-concerned about maximizing profits for the capital class. Generally, yes, that usually means more regulations and protections for those workers and consumers. Some detest that approach because they are either currently benefitting from the status quo, or have been convinced by others/propaganda to defraud their fellow passengers and the workers, most of whom are doing their best and just trying to get by. As I am sure you do too, I care deeply about the industry and all those affected by it.
I can understand that for safety reasons, young kids need to be seated near *a* parent, and folks should be (1) made aware when confirming every reservation that their seats are subject to change slightly if a situation with a young kid arises.
However, the safety issue only requires that *one* parent be sitting next to the child. If the parents didn’t book the seats correctly, and they’re relying on the this kind of seat-swapping to fix the problem…the two adults sitting next to each other without a stranger in between shouldn’t be a required component of the solution. They’re adults. They can sit separately and trade who sits next to the kid halfway through the flight.
@1990 — you are completely correct. My comment is completely uncalled for. I got a little bit fired up because I didn’t like the way the FAs treated him. Specifically:
* Telling him that the child was entitled to the seat because, “She got on first” is against policy and procedure.
* Telling him that he is a bad guy and threatening with ejection was unfair on the part of the FA.
* Another flight attendant came by, knelt in front of the family and said, “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. Your daughter is really beautiful. Thank you for flying with us.”
That explains my behavior but it does not excuse my behavior. And like you say, it can detract from the other stuff that I said.
I can’t put vocal inflection into written word, so please know that I am saying next is a “conversational tone” and not in a “confrontational tone.” I almost invariably bring chocolate or gift cards (Starbucks, Dunkin). In addition, if I have time, I write a note saying how I know it can be difficult to be in a customer facing job and you get people expressing frustration about things you have no control over. (Like weather, mechanical delays, etc.) It makes their day which makes my day.
I let my emotions get a little bit ahead of me, but again that does not excuse what I said. It’s just that it’s not fair to people who plan ahead to be punished. In fact, the link below talks about an FA named Mitra Amirzadeh. The article uses several inflammatory words such as “revenge,” “rude passengers” and “refuse to swap seats.” I take exception to the wording because I feel some of it is excessive. (And yet my previous post was at exactly the same level.)
* I don’t think passengers who say, “I’ prefer to remain in my assigned seat” are being rude.
* I don’t think it’s fair to say that they “refuse to swap seats” if they politely decline.
* And… the word “revenge” is probably over the top also. However, the picture of her holding a bunch of children’s stuff with her smirk suggests that she is not the nicest person in Customer Service.
https://brightside.me/articles/flight-attendant-reveals-how-she-punishes-passengers-who-refuse-to-swap-seats-829176/
I seldom fly anymore. After a few nightmare flights years ago on AA. I am older and frequently in pain in cramped conditions. If I can’t occasionally move my left leg to briefly straighten it., it is likely to set off a spasm that will have me screaming in pain.
I’m not talking leaving it in the aisle, just flexing it for a count of 2 if there’s no traffic.
If I paid $300 I would be tempted to try to file a theft charge. Nasty, but so is effectively stealing $300 for goods not received.
The FA was wrong. A little common sense would have moved one of the parents and allowed the customer to have the seat he paid for.
@bkkbob — Do you mean actual ‘common sense,’ (as in, a sound judgment in practical matters); or, rather, like, the recent rightwing attempt to highjack the phrase (as in, to justify their beliefs without explaining their reasoning, often in furtherance of bigotry or political advantage)?
Just don’t fly American Airlines.
@1990 — Nah, this one was in fact a stupid waitress.
@1990 — No one brought up politics except you. The definition of common sense in this case was clearly explained. I’m sorry this triggered you. I hope you find peace.
This could have been so easily resolved…move the father and that’s that. Who wouldn’t be pissed in a similar situation?
@1990 looks like you may have a little chip on your shoulder (just a little) and a dash of victim mentality….
Those that travel, will all agree, especially when traveling AA that the waitress comment was actually nice compared to what we all have regularly experienced…. That being said, could it have been phrased a little nicer .. probably…. But it is what it is..
Next, your attack (yes, I am using the word ATTACK) on bkkbob – was entirely uncalled for and immature (IMO)….
Please, while your crowd often resorts to name calling and slandering…. This is not a forum for that…
Have an awesome day — happy travels
I am surprised if this really happened. If it did, you do have to obey the flight crew, they have so much power over if you if you don’t. However, in that case make your point as clearly as you can, recording, and file a complaint with the airline including FA’s name and I would bet you’ll get a fairly nice flight credit reward. The terms usually say you are not guaranteed a seat, but they do want to do what they can to give you want you booked. However, there are some tricks to politely escalate.
1) Explain you need an aisle and ask them to find you another.
2) If they can’t, state you will need to disembark the plane before you do you need confirmation they can get you another aisle without much delay. This is a particularly powerful threat if you have checked bags and make it shortly before door close, as they will need to delay the flight to extract your bag. The reality is, when this is presented to the purser, you are simply a passenger with a boarding pass and somebody is sitting in your seat, so you need to get off the plane, and 99% the purser is going to solve that for you unless the flight is full. Say, “Unfortunately, I reserved the aisle because I don’t fit in the window and it’s not fair to those around me.” At least if you are big enough to say that.
Sadly, today, first class will be filled with upgrades well before door close, so you won’t be able to get one of those, but often those people upgraded will have had an aisle.
Family should have arranged this before they boarded. FA should be fired.
FA should have had family exit the plane and work with an agent and let the agent find a volunteer.
Families don’t usually pay to sit together like they should if they need to. The Father should have sat elsewhere and let Mother sit with the Girl.
AA charges non-elites for seats exit those way in the back or middle seats.
Also interested in recourse. We’ve seen it worse, paying F passenger downgraded to Y.
Assume one doesn’t have to be home ASAP.
I know airline employees have seniority and hold on to it passionately.
I never knew positive-space general flying public had seniority rankings during the boarding window.
The more you know.
If an airline charges you more for a specific seat, they need to produce it. No one should try to make you the bad guy for wanting what you have already bought. Otherwise the airline is stealing from you.
Enough of this BS. You get the seat you pay for. I would’ve gone ballistic on these d-bags.
The real lesson here is American Airlines is the worst Airline in the US the staff is extremely rude planes are dirty, and they just generally do not care. But it does come out of Texas so you expect something awful. It’s an airline I refuse to ever fly on again
I have had a fair number of times where I found another person in my assigned seat. It is one of the major reasons that I try to board at the beginning of my boarding group these days. Most of the time it is given as due to confusion about the seat number. A few times I have had to have a flight attendant get the other person to their correct seat. I have had a seat number that was duplicated on someone else’s ticket several times. I have already been in my seat those times and refused to move. The flight attendants in each case have moved the other person elsewhere. I have had others try to swap with me for a much worse seat. No thank you. Almost all of the times I can recall it was a woman trying to commandeer my seat.
I hate when people use their children as entitlements. But more blame on the airline for not anticipating this problem. How about having their reservation system detect this issue and solve it without human involvement?
@J G — Everything is politics. People, money, power, culture. Folks who say ‘no politics’ are like the parents in ‘Don’t Look Up’ (they just want to ‘jobs’ the meteor will bring…)
@CzechJunk — Thanks for taking the time to respond.
My comment on ‘common sense’ is apt; that phrase has been commandeered recently, and not in an accurate or authentic way. Clearly, you took offense, so that means it’s ‘saying something’ to call it out.
As for the crews, I travel plenty on AA metal (so far 11 times this year), though I do credit a lot of partner airlines to my AAdvantage account (thanks for the Platinum Pro, Qatar and JAL). I’ve found that the flight attendants at American are really not that different than most other airlines; they are professionals, primarily there for our safety, then our comfort, trying their best to do their jobs, not deserving of your spite at all. When traveling in First with AA, I usually get a PDB more than half the time, which is better than United, sometimes.
Finally, since I see your name choice (Czech); I was recently in Prague, and enjoyed my time there (flew Delta, though). Anyway, feel free to come around VFTW anytime. For debate, banter, or no reason at all… so far, it seems Gary is a gracious host who encourages free expression and does not micromanage. Of course, it is his website, so he can do as he wishes.
Well we can all agree on 1 thing, XYZ is a FUC$ing IDIOT, so are most passengers.
@1990 The FA was also indeed a maroon of a waitress. What she did was wrong and then continued to hurl veiled insult at the passenger by apologizing to that family and complimenting the daughter was uncalled for.
Hope the guy sue her and AA.
United Airlines does the same thing…don’t believe that this is just an AA policy.. Had my seat changed from aisle to middle seat on a 6hr flight home minutes before boarding to accommodate to a family. These policies are retarded….if a family can’t plan ahead or afford seats to sit together in the first place, just stay home and fill up the kiddie pool in the backyard and throw some hot dogs on the grill.
@Tim ja — not sure why you think I’m an idiot. If it’s because of the “stupid Waitress” comment, I already posted a second comment as a retraction. All my other comments are naming logical and cogent reasons why he should not have been expected to change seats.
@PayYourWay — This is a hill I’ll die on: Flight crews are not mere waitresses. Ever. You’re just being hateful, and it’s the internet, so you can get away with it. In real life, if you treat others that way, at worst, you’ll get removed from your flight, at best, maybe some spit in your drink. While you can be disappointed in this particular flight attendant for their acts or omissions, you shouldn’t denigrate the entire profession.
Both are wrong
The sad thing here is I bet the parents sat the little girl in that seat to purposely put another human in an awkward position to ask for what they paid for. The FA would have had no issue moving a parent had they sat there. Using your children to steal from someone else while this poor guy gets painted as villain to a clueless and unprofessional flight crew.
Thanks for sharing this story. I’m not a frequent flyer as a matter of fact I despise air travel a fly only when it’s absolutely necessary because of all restrictions, loss of freedom and having to share a confined space with other travelers. i appreciate knowing how AA treat their guests and will not be booking with them if the need to fly becomes imminent.
This puts Osaac in an untenable Catch-22. If he agrees to give up his seat AA will shaft him on a refund. If he doesn’t give up the seat, the FA b*** will force him to deplane and make up a story about Osaac being disruptive etc. Which may also result in him being shafted on the refund not to mention not reaching his destination on time. AA will back the crew every time because it doesn’t want union problems. And the problem is further exacerbated by the airline rules which state that seat assignments are not guaranteed.
I am not how I would play this hand. I guess you tell the FA you paid $100 for the seat and ask her to provide a refund on the spot. If they refuse and eject you then take video where you calmly explain that you are being ejected from the airplane because another passenger stole your seat. But for sure you are screwed.
Of course this is why I always board as early as possible. If you don’t have elite status buy-up to a seat that includes early boarding or simply pay the AF for the airline credit card. Most of the people who pull this scam are not elites though I suppose some will abuse family boarding. That’s why we will miss WN, the family boarding was after #60.