Flight passenger says traveler paid $100 to swap seats because she felt 'claustrophobic'
2025-02-12
Category: world

An airline passenger was apparently willing to pay the price in order to secure their desired seat. A Reddit user, who said they were flying Delta, wrote in a post that a seatmate offered to pay them $100 to move from the aisle seat to the window seat. While boarding the plane from Boston to Atlanta, the passenger headed toward their seat on the flight but first ran into the seatmate. 'OPPOSITE OF A SEAT SQUATTER': FLIGHT PASSENGER SHARES UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER WITH FELLOW TRAVELER "As I approached my seat an elderly lady was having a hard time getting her bag in the overhead so I offered to help. She ended up being in 1D and I was 1C," the passenger wrote on the sub-Reddit thread "r/delta."  "She immediately said she'd pay me $100 to swap seats because she feels claustrophobic in the window seats in this particular seat configuration. Even though I prefer an aisle I told her that I'd gladly switch for free as long as she wouldn't complain about letting me out if need be." The passenger insisted on not taking the money and hoped that the fellow passenger would forget about the offer. As the two continued to board, they engaged in conversation and spoke about one another's family and jobs, leading the passenger to believe that "the payment thing had been settled," the passenger wrote in the post. FLIGHT PASSENGER 'BULLIED' AFTER REFUSING TO SWAP WITH SEAT SQUATTER, TRIGGERS REACTIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA "Upon landing in ATL she again insisted that I take money from her and tried to hand me $100," the passenger continued.  "I tried to refuse again, but she told me to take it and give it to my kids but to explain to them how being nice to others can lead to something nice in return. I eventually relented and took her money, but I probably won't tell my kids that because then they'll expect me to pay them anytime they do something nice." Other Reddit users commented on the encounter, with some calling it "awkward" and others finding it to be a positive example of kindness from others. 'SEAT SQUATTER REVERSE' IS SURPRISING AIR TRAVEL PLOT TWIST TRIGGERING REACTIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA "My grandfather once told me: if someone is kind enough to offer you a gift, you should be kind enough to accept it," one user wrote in the Reddit thread.  "Accept the gift - means more to giver than the receiver," another user wrote. "I guarantee seat swap requests would be like 75-85% successful if they just asked nice up front like this lady," one user said. "But so many just switch without asking and at that point it’s no longer about ‘am I okay switching’ it becomes ‘I will never change seats with you out of spite for your behavior.’" "I was on the other end of this same situation and wanted to do something nice for the person that helped us out. She wouldn't accept, but the flight attendant overheard and sent her points (which I didn't know they could do)," another user wrote. For more Lifestyle articles, visit foxnews.com/lifestyle. This flight encounter comes at a time in which "seat squatter" stories continue to trend on social media.  Another Reddit user shared their encounter with an "angel squatter" on a recent flight in the midst of an uptick in travelers who rob the seats that were selected and paid for by other air passengers. "My husband and I were last to board on our connecting flight because [our] first flight was delayed 20 minutes. We upgraded to first [class] late and there was an aisle seat and window seat available on different rows." The passenger said that her and her husband's seats were not next to one another, and there was already a woman sitting in the seat next to her husband. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER The woman sitting next to the husband was traveling alone and decided to offer her seat to the couple so they could could sit next to one another, according to the Reddit post.  Jacqueline Whitmore, a former flight attendant and Florida-based etiquette expert, shared advice about switching seats on an airplane, even if you are doing it as an act of kindness. "If you wish to sit next to someone in particular, like a friend or family member, it’s OK to ask another passenger to switch seats with you. It’s their prerogative to refuse or not," Whitmore told Fox News Digital. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Seat angels are all around us, but it’s best to ask permission before sitting in a seat that’s not assigned to you," she said.Fox News Digital reached out to the Reddit user and Delta for comment.