A passenger boarded their American Airlines flight and found a child sitting in their seat. He paused, double checked the row, and is ready to let the child keep the seat-provided the parent asks politely.
However the parent wouldn’t ask nicely. They acted as though the seat was theirs by right. They wouldn’t apologize or make a request. So the passenger whose seat it was declared, “Since you want to do it that way, give me my seat.”
- A woman a few rows away snaps, “You’re doing too much—we’re tired of hearing about it.” The man fires back with profanity. A nearby flight attendant tells the woman to “mind your business.”
- The aircraft can’t push back until everyone is seated, so this needs to be resolved. The air conditioning is off. APU bleed air isn’t on until doors close. It’s hot, getting hotter, and patience runs thin.
- Several other passengers urge the man with the boarding pass and a right to the seat to “just sit anywhere” so they can leave. But he won’t. He paid for that seat assignment.
One flight attendant tells bystanders to stay out of it, while another suggested removal of the passenger (‘Well, he can always get off’). Eventually, though, the parent moves the child, the passenger sits in his original seat, and the flight can push back.
@lalawright2 Respectfully they should’ve asked him if it was coo first cause he did pay for that seat.
Another passenger on the flight, who shared video of the incident to TikTok, narrated how things unfolded. And she concludes – after some salty language – that the parent tried to “pop their privilege,” got called on it, and American Airlines handled it poorly.
@lalawright2 here y’all go
American ostensibly guarantees children up to age 14 will be seated next to an accompanying adult at no extra charge. That’s sometimes not easy – there may not be open seats available to organize that. If a family shows up split across rows, volunteers are usually requested. Passengers aren’t supposed to just commandeer a paid seat assignment from another passenger.
The airline is trying to kick off fewer passengers, though, so this story had a happy ending with everyone reaching that plane’s destination.
More rage-bait like this, please. And, do ‘up’ the outrage. If we can add race, partisanship, pets on planes, and something about the Middle East, that’d be swell. Oh, and AI slop. Yes!
I continue to be distressed by the general lack of civility in the travel behavior of Americans (aka people residing in the US). Yes, I know that some other nations are worse, but, hey, there was a time after the Wild West when Americans behaved better. But now Americans seem to have reverted TO the Wild West once again … and the federal government has now even made Wild West behavior normative! Shameful. I also continue to avoid American Airlines (and its ilk) for the very reason that it seems to be among the least capable of the airlines at managing that behavior. I’m thankful that I don’t have to fly it with any regularity, and I certainly and intentionally avoid it whenever I can.
@odot2 — Eh, it’s all relative; these days, we have smart phones, can readily record ‘incidents,’ and that leads to the ‘virality’ of the ‘misbehavior.’ For all the hubbub, ask yourself: When did you last experience anything like this personally? It’s rare. Most folks are still decent people, trying their best.
and airline guarantees for families sitting together requires that the passenger ask for it and accept a seat that may – and perhaps likely – be further back than their original seat.
not sure AA can be blamed w/ the info available in this article other than that their FAs were not more direct in resolving the situation – but managed to do so w/o a confrontation.
good for the man w/ the seat assignment for not bowing to crowd pressure
@1990. Agree with you 100%.
@Tim Dunn — Why not ‘humble’ ourselves on-occasion. I’m sure we’ve all been through enough IROPS, stand-by, take a middle seat ‘in the back,’ just to get ‘home’ under the circumstances. Sure, I prefer a recliner and meal, but gimme a Biscoff or a stroop waffle, maybe a Jack & Coke, that’ll do. Bah!
No. He doesn’t have to. The man paid for that seat. Along with dogs I’d like to see fewer entitled parents imposing their children on us.
@Odot2 the the you are referring ti what when people of privilege in America aspired to be more like those who, at the time, were in the top of the political, cultural and societal food chains.
Now that we are near the top our values have been corrupted. When we’re told daily that wealth and power and the end points why wouldn’t we expect people to act like this?
the one time I was gracious and swapped seats … I quickly realized why .. the man in the center had spent a couple hours in the smoking lounge, his clothes, him .. drenched, and I’m kinda allergic to cigarette smoke! And it was an international flight! And the plane was packed. In this instance, the carrier sold THAT seat to him … how dare somebody presume to ‘appropriate’ it. (a nice $10 legal phrase) No question who was in the right!
Welcome to privilege, where everyone exerts and refuses to honor…whose is it?
Why why anyone flies on American airlines is beyond comprehension.
@Parker — Bingo! Fish rots at the head!
@David R. Miller – There are these unfortunate things called hub fortresses where, very often, the locals have no other practical choice.
Don’t blame the male passenger at all. Obviously the two African Queen F/A’s were on his side too.
@Coffee Please — Bah! Thank you for the assist on my initial comment above. It’s a race!