Flying in the air these days can often be a mess.
You never know what’s going to happen.
One recurring issue that has been going on forever though is…babies in the air.
The struggle is real.
For both parents and passengers.
Case in point…
Redditor Bratster22 wanted to discuss his story for some feedback. So naturally he came to visit the “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) subReddit.
He asked:
“AITA for not giving up my seat on the airplane?”
The Original Poster (OP) explained:
“My wife and I were travelling on a 10 hour flight from Europe to Asia last week.”
“We booked our tickets well in advance and also managed to book the specific seats we wanted.”
“Two seats in the first row in the middle column of seats – it was a Boeing 787 with the seat configuration being 3 columns with 3 seats each.”
“We paid for these seats as it was going to be a long journey and wanted the extra leg space.”
“When we boarded, there was a woman holding a baby seated in the middle seat.”
“We had booked the 2 aisles on the off chance that the middle seat may be empty.”
“But with full intention for me to switch to the middle seat if the passenger wished to sit in one of the aisles and not between us.”
“This woman, before I even had a chance to put my bag in the overhead compartment, asked me ‘Can I be really cheeky and ask you to switch seats with my husband?'”
“She then pointed towards her husband sat in the second row on the left side column of the aircraft (only the first row has extra leg space and requires additional payment to book the seat).”
“She then told me that her husband needs to be next to her to help with the baby.”
“My wife stayed quiet while I politely but firmly told her that unfortunately as his seat is in a second row, I wouldn’t be moving there as I had specifically paid for the seat with extra legroom.”
“She then claimed that she and her husband had paid as well but they placed him in the second row, which seemed very suspect.”
“Either way I stayed firm.”
“Then the steward came and requested me to switch with the husband on her behest and I had to tell him the same thing, making things quite awkward.”
“She then threw daggers at me for some time.”
“The baby started crying after a while as well.”
“Thankfully the steward came back and told me that there were 2 vacant seats in one of the other first rows and offered to move us.”
“We ended up moving there but could hear this lady animatedly make comments about us to her husband from behind for sometime after that.”
“When I recounted this incident to my in-laws they said that I should have just moved as she had a baby with her and that turned into a different conversation about baby expectations!”
“My wife agrees with me that her poor planning is not our problem and that we should have stayed out if there were no other first row seats.”
“Quite coincidentally read an article about a similar incident that happened with mixed opinions in the comments section.”
“So AITA?”
Redditors shared their thoughts on this matter and weighed some options to the question AITA?:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
Redditors declared our OP was NOT the A**hole.
Let’s hear some thoughts…
“Why didn’t she offer the extra leg room seat to whoever was sitting next to her husband?” ~ pmang76
“The front row ‘bulkhead’ seats on big intercontinental planes have a hookup on the wall.”
“And after the plane reaches 10,000 feet the crew brings out a bassinet and hooks it to the wall for parents traveling with babies.”
“She would have been assigned the bassinet seat for free because she was traveling with an infant.”
“So she could put the baby in the bassinet and not have to hold the baby for ten hours.” ~ ThurmansThief
“It sounds to me like OP and the mother both made the same gamble and neither of them won.”
“OP gambled that the seat would be left empty and they’d get a free empty seat.”
“And the mother gambled that she could convince someone to give her husband a free upgrade out of graciousness.”
“Neither of them bet successfully.” ~ toujourspret
“Apples and oranges.”
“OP was gambling hoping for an empty seat and willing to accept any outcome.”
“Entitled parent was gambling that they could browbeat a seat mate into leaving the row and wouldn’t accept a loss.”
“Different games, they were playing chess and rugby.”
“OP would have Offered to switch aisle with middle in the same row if there was another person who wanted an aisle instead of sitting in the middle of the couple.”
“On the off chance that the middle seat may be empty but with full intention for me to switch to the middle seat if the passenger wished to sit in one of the aisles and not between us.“
“Entitled woman essentially demanded and tried to force one of them to leave the extra-legroom row entirely.” ~ Meghanshadow
“According to OP the woman said she also paid to reserve 2 seats next to each other.”
“The other woman was right to be upset that she wasn’t getting what she paid for.”
“She shouldn’t have directed that at OP.”
“That’s also probably why the flight attendant moved OP and spouse to a different bulkhead seat.”
“The woman paid for the seat with access to the bassinet that folds down and to be seated with her partner.”
“When airlines combine flights or reschedule for delays and whatnot, they are often not very careful about seating family groups together.”
“There have been enough issues around it that Congress passed a law on the matter in 2016.”
“But airlines frequently still ignore it for the sake of profit.”
“That isn’t the fault of any of the staff you’ll meet in an airport.”
“They just work with the algorithms they’re given.”
“The level of management that approved those systems is significantly removed from the customers they impact.”
“Additionally, it is the obligation of the airline to make things right.”
“Not for other passengers to do so without the airline making restitution.” ~ TragedyPornFamilyVid
“NTA – Those parents shouldn’t take out their lack of planning on you.”
“I wouldn’t blame them for asking, but the response from them was inappropriate.”
“I have never taken an infant on an international flight.”
“But on domestic flights we saved up extra money and purchased a seat for the baby.”
“So I could literally strap her into her car seat on the plane.”
“It seemed safer to me, and it seemed the best way to keep her quiet on the flight.”
“Nurse during takeoff and landing and then try to get baby to sleep while in the air.”
“It worked pretty well – worth the money – but I don’t know if I could have afforded to do that on an international flight.” ~ WellingtonGreenIII
“I learned that you can call the airline and request an ‘infant fare’ that usually gives a slightly discounted ticket price.”
“More importantly it lets the flight attendant and customer service person at the gate adjust seating accordingly.”
“In the past, They’ve even escorted me to specific seats that have more space.”
“Are closer to a restroom, and closer to the flight attendants.”
“They like to keep an eye on us so they can offer assistance if possible.”
I am also going to say NTA because the parents clearly did not choose seats together.”
“Also, while it isn’t pleasant, you can stand up, turn around and pass the baby to a person in the next row.”
“We’ve done this before where my family bought 3 rows of seating next to each other, for a big family vacation, and passed my baby around during the flight.” ~ KoalasAndPenguins
OP came back with additional info…
“Thanks everyone – didn’t think this would blow up like this!”
“Just clarifying a couple of things where people have said that I’m TA for booking 2 aisle seats.”
“The first row of seats in the middle column (learned today that it’s called a bulkhead) on this aircraft is adjacent to the second rows of seats on either side (and not the first rows).”
“Her husband had the aisle seat in this second row (but no legroom), across the aisle to where I was sitting.”
“So if she had moved to my aisle seat that I offered her initially, both she and her husband would be in aisle seats next to each other (with an aisle in between of course).”
“Both my wife and I are tall people who prefer aisle seats with leg space.”
“Like I already mentioned, that was with a plan for me to move into the middle seat if the passenger who got it wanted to exchange.”
“So I’m not sure what difference it would have made if we just booked an aisle and the middle.”
“This couple couldn’t be seated together regardless.”
It’s not an easy topic but Reddit is with you OP.
We can’t accommodate everybody all of the time.
Flying is always going to have its issues.