'AITA for reporting a couple who moved into premium plane seats they hadn't paid for?'
"AITA for reporting a couple who moved into premium plane seats they hadn't paid for?"
Recently traveling on an airline and all the regular economy seats were sold. I paid a premium to upgrade to a roomier seat in a section where most of the seats were Unsold (probably bc of the upcharge).
Once we were airborne, a young couple moved into the roomier seats in my row (across the aisle).
When I got up to go to the lav, I told the flight attendant that they had moved into the premium rows. A short while after I had returned to my seat, the flight attendant appeared and requested to see their boarding passes. He then evicted them back to their regular economy seats, while they made their feelings about the "bul#$#@t" known.
I (and others in the section) paid for the extra room. Why should they get it for free? AITA?
Here's what people had to say to OP:
Lauren D.
Kinda an AH, no they didn’t pay, but unless they were causing an issue in the section, who cares. The seat is unsold and flying is just a nightmare anyways. Let them enjoy their life, and mind your business.
Sarah N.
I used to work for an airline and I’m telling you now most of those premium seats go unpaid and people get them for free all the time. You’re definitely TA here. It’s not your job to police those seats. The flight attendants have tablets that tell them who’s supposed to be in what seats and what are unoccupied.
If those people moved into them, 1. 99% of Flight attendants don’t care as they don’t get paid any more or any less if they’re filled or not. 2. They will see on their tablets if those people aren’t supposed to be there and move them back.
I also want to add on most passengers don’t know those are premium seats. They just see an empty row and maybe closer to the front and get all happy. 88% of our passengers (from my former airline) traveled ONCE a year for whatever reason.
So let’s not assume that they knew those were premium seats and they were getting any perks by moving there. A lot of people don’t understand how seating works on airlines.
It really bugs me when passengers used to stick their nose in other passengers’ business. You’d also be really unhappy to know how many of those seats are given away for free by the gate agents for a variety of reasons.
Lorraine M.
I ALSO used to work for an airline. My POV is:
1. The fact that flight attendants don't care does not obligate paying customers to have to share what would have been their solitude with non-paying customers. AND the flight attendants are paid to enforce the airlines services & policies, which the flight attendants should do.
2. If some flight attendants move some non-paying customers back some of the time, Then ALL fight attendants should move all of non-paying customers back all of the time, because not doing so is exercising Discrimination, which is WRONG & is based on the flight attendants mood, busyness, likes, dislikes, on race, on nationality, on the presence of children, etc.
NO MA'AM. All non-paying customers should be treated EQUALLY - NO EXCUSES, NO EXCEPTIONS
3. Ignorance of non-paying customers is NO EXCUSE to force some customers to pay, & Let other customers have the same thing for free. It really bugs me when flight attendants & other airport personnel discriminate amongst the passengers. Passengers should NOT have to do it, But I APPLAUD passengers who STAND UP & INSIST upon EQUAL TREATMENT
I am all for the airlines doing free upgrades within reason - for disabled passengers, Children traveling alone, to make up for an inconvenience caused by the airline, etc. But flight attendants just allowing non-paying passengers to just TAKE what the airlines forced other passengers to pay for is WRONG.
And KUDOS to paying passengers to INSIST that either non-paying passengers be MOVED BACK or Paying passengers be REFUNDED what they paid to upgrade.
Christina F.
YTA. Their gain wasn't your loss.
Vivian A.
As someone who’s been flying their entire life multiple times a year every year bc family and friends work for airlines, they DAILY upgrade people for free when there’s room. You aren’t doing the airlines a favor. YTA 100% for not minding your own business and being bitter.