Generosity is always appreciated, no matter how large or small the acts.
However, generosity shouldn’t always be expected.
While we might find ourselves turning to others for help from time, we must level our expectations as to how much help they can provide.
As generosity is something you earn, and is given to you, not something you should expect or feel entitled to.
On a recent flight, Redditor UsualSuccess7450 was asked by his neighboring passenger if he would be willing to swap seats with his wife.
While the original poster (OP) considered the idea, after learning where the man’s wife was sitting, he said he would only do it on one condition.
A condition the OP’s fellow traveler flatly declined, throwing a bit of vitriol in the OP’s direction.
After also being scolded by his own wife, the OP took to the subReddit “Am I The A**hole” (AITA), where he asked fellow Redditors:
“AITA for offering to sell my seat to honeymooners?”
The OP explained why they were unwilling to give up his seat and allow a honeymooning couple to sit together:
“I was flying from Melbourne to Dubai.”
“I paid for a premium economy seat because it is a fourteen hour flight and I want to be comfortable.”
“The person in the next seat had been upgraded and they asked if I could switch seat with their wife as they had just gotten married and were on their honeymoon.”
“I congratulated him on his nuptials and asked where his wife was sitting.”
“He pointed towards the back of the plane.”
“In economy.”
“I declined to switch seats.”
‘He asked if there was any way to convince me.”
“I offered to switch if he paid the difference between the seats.”
“It is a goodly amount.”
“I had been lucky to get mine at a decent price.”
“It would only have cost him $1,000 AU$.”
“He said that they were on a budget for their honeymoon.”
“I congratulated once again and put in my earbuds.”
“He muttered that I was an a**hole.”
“I said he was a prick for taking the upgrade instead of either sitting with his wife or giving it to her.”
“I told my wife about the incident and she thinks I should have done the nice thing.”
“For the record she hates flying in economy so I know she would not have switched.”
“AITA?”
Fellow Redditors weighed in on where they believed the OP fell in this particular situation, by declaring:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
The Reddit community resoundingly agreed that the OP was not the a**hole for refusing to give his seat to his neighbor’s wife unless she paid for it.
Everyone agreed that it was beyond audacious for the OP’s seat neighbor to expect him to trade his premium seat for an economy seat, and if anyone was an a**hole in this situation, it was his seat neighbor for agreeing to an upgrade that didn’t include his new wife:
“NTA.”
“If he really wanted to sit with his wife?”
“I’m sure the person sitting beside her would have loved an upgrade to premium economy.”
“He was essentially asking you to pay for his wife’s upgrade.”
“As a seasoned flyer from Australia who also works in aviation?”
“I smell a rat.”
“Presumably they booked together.”
“They would have had the opportunity to plead their case when the upgrade was processed, either by contacting the airline prior to the day of flying, or in person at the airport.”
“My bet is that they either booked separately (so she couldn’t be taken into account) or he has some kind of status with the airline.”
“And I’d also bet that the newlywed yarn was just made up for sympathy.”
“He didn’t have to take the upgrade, and you are not to blame for his selfishness and lack of planning.”- Natural_Garbage7674
“NTA at all.”
“People who do this kind of thing are so crappy.”
“Him trying to guilt trip you by telling you he was on his honeymoon was supposed to mean what exactly?”
“Why were he and his wife entitled to a $1K gift from a stranger at the last minute?”
“So their plan was to take the upgrade and try to bamboozle whoever was sitting there?”
“They played themselves.”
“He said that they were on a budget for their honeymoon.”
“What does this have to do with the price of peas?”
“Their poor planning is not your emergency.”
“They should have rejected the upgrade if they wanted to be sure they sat together.”- Fleurtheleast
“The AH is the guy who took the upgrade, left his wife in economy, and tried to guilt a stranger into swapping seats with his wife.”
“He had options.”
“He could have either refused the upgrade, paid the price difference you offered, or swapped seats with his wife.”
“Suggesting that you are the AH in this scenario confirms he’s awful.”
“Good luck to his new wife!”
“NTA.”- tinyd71
“NTA.”
“I’m so tired of people thinking they can ‘guilt’ someone into giving in, even expecting them to lose money in the deal.”
“This guy is the AH and I don’t think his marriage will last.”
“They just got married and he already abandoned his new wife for the ‘good life’.”
“His wife now knows she made a mistake, hopefully she’ll get out before too long.”-G0t2ThinkAboutIt
“NTA, but he is.”
“You’re absolutely right.”
“That dude is a total AH for taking the seat and leaving his new wife in economy on their honeymoon.”
“Yikes.”
“Bets on how long that marriage will last.”- Momjamoms
“You are 100% NOT the a**hole.”
“Their lack of planning is not your fault.”
“The sheer entitlement of some people is laughable.”
“Your wife was also 100% wrong on this one, you planned, you paid for your seat upgrade you even offered to be very nice and move if you got the cost of the seat upgrade.”
“Some people are ridiculous.”- Timely-Profile1865
“NTA.”
“As I’ve flown back and forth between US and Sydney, I totally get why you want the better seats.”
“Being newlyweds doesn’t entitle you to special treatment.”
“You did the polite thing: congrats but polite no.”
“You could have laughed in his face bc he’s literally asking you to ditch $1000 dollars just bc they’re newlywed.”
“If he was on his honeymoon, celebrating his birthday and announcing their first baby on the way, that’s still not a good reason to use your money to his benefit.”- BeMandalorTomad
“NTA at all.”
“But he sure is.”
“If he wants to sit next to his wife, why wouldn’t he give up his premium seat to the person sitting next to his wife in economy?”
“I am sure that switch is very favorable and he gets to be next to her the whole flight.”
“He chose not to do that.”
“The dude can only sit next to his wife in premium economy?”
“Can’t go to economy with her, if he wants it that bad?”
“Sounds like he has priorities.”
“And it’s a 14 hour flight.”
“No way am I losing money and comfort for some couple to sit together.”
“It’s very easy for your wife to say that when you know she will never follow through.”
“Lol.”- Ahrjun
“NTA.”
“If he wanted to sit with his wife, he could have easily switched his premium economy seat with the person sitting next to his wife in economy.”- rhubarb-81635
“100% NTA.”
“You paid extra for that seat.”
“He was asking you, a complete stranger, to basically give him 1000 AU$.”
“The audacity.”
“Also, he’s even more TA for taking the upgrade and leaving his bride in the back.”- Notallwanders
“NTA.”
“I think you did a great service to the wife.”
“You have helped her see who her husband really is, hopefully before they have children together.”
“On their honeymoon he abandons her?”
“He upgrades and leaves her behind?”
“Is that what he’ll do again when he sees the first wrinkle on her, or if she gains three pounds?”
“Leave her behind when he upgrades?”
“Hopefully your act of kindness will help her see clearly to dump his a**.”- SushiGuacDNA
“NTA.”
“He’s on his honeymoon and took an upgrade leaving his brand new wife in economy on a 14 hour flight?”
“And expects you, a complete stranger, to give up your paid for upgrade?”
“Wow.”
“I think we just found spouse of the year.”- Princess-She-ra
“NTA.”
“I pick my seat and pay for the seat selection every time I fly bc that’s where I want to sit.”
“I had a significantly delayed flight once that didn’t leave until almost midnight so I was tired and wanted to be able to rest on the plane.”
“When we boarded and sat an older man in the middle seat asked if I’d change seats with his wife.”
“I was in a window seat on an emergency row with no one behind me. She was in the middle row crammed somewhere else.”
“Not a chance in hell I’m ever trading a window seat with a middle seat.”
“Too bad so sad.”- Excellent_Rice_154
A honeymoon is all about spending time with your new spouse and never leaving their side.
Leaving one to heavily question why anyone would agree to an upgrade that wasn’t also offered to their wife.
One can only imagine that it was not a harmonious arrival, and the “honeymoon” phase as it were might have been over for this couple before it even began.