Here’s what happened to me on a recent flight, and I genuinely need opinions on whether I was in the wrong.
I’m on the heavier side, and after years of traveling, I’ve learned that for longer flights, it’s better for everyone if I purchase an extra seat. It’s expensive, yes, but it allows me to travel comfortably without intruding on anyone’s space.
This Thanksgiving, I flew across the country to visit my sister and her kids. Everything was going smoothly until a woman with a little girl—maybe three years old—stopped at my row. Without so much as a “please,” she told me to move over so her daughter could sit next to her. I stayed calm and explained that I had purchased both seats for myself.
She immediately huffed, called me “selfish,” and waved down a flight attendant. The attendant approached and asked if I might “make an exception,” but I politely declined and showed my two boarding passes as proof. It turned out the child was ticketed as a lap infant, meaning the mother wasn’t actually entitled to another seat in the first place.
Eventually, the woman had to sit with her daughter in her lap, clearly upset for the rest of the flight. Throughout the journey, I could feel the tension. I got glares from nearby passengers, overheard muttered comments, and even caught one person whispering that I “lacked compassion” and that “karma will hit me soon.”
I sat quietly, trying not to let it get to me. I understood the mother’s frustration—traveling with a small child is never easy—but I also knew I had done nothing wrong. I’d paid for two seats, fair and square, so that no one would be uncomfortable, including me.
Maybe some people see that as selfish. Or maybe I simply stood my ground and refused to apologize for taking up the space I paid for.