'AITA for not giving a pregnant woman my seat on a plane?' It's not my fault you're pregnant!
"AITA for not giving a pregnant woman my seat on a flight that I paid for?"
CLwTCHMLK-3Y writes:
I (28M) recently took a 12-hour flight from NYC to Hawaii. I had paid months in advance for a comfort seat with extra room, which cost me about $200 extra plus points. About 15 minutes before takeoff, a visibly pregnant woman was walking up and down towards the front of the plane.
She and a flight attendant looked around for a moment, talked a bit, and then the lady approached me, asking if I would be willing to switch seats with her due to her condition.
I politely declined. I explained that I had specifically booked this seat because I’m pretty tall (I’m 6’4") and that I needed the extra comfort and space. The attendant seemed understanding and went to ask other passengers near me, but no one volunteered.
I felt like I was the only one giving her any attention. The pregnant lady then told me I wouldn’t understand what it feels like to be a woman carrying a baby in this summer heat, got upset, and eventually had to return to her seat in the back.
Throughout the flight, I felt awkward passing by her every time on the way to the bathroom. When I landed, I couldn’t help but feel guilty. I’m a young man without the burden of carrying a child and totally could’ve sacrificed a bit, and I wondered if I had been wrong to prioritize my comfort over someone who might have needed it more. So, AITA for refusing to give up my seat for this pregnant woman on a long-haul flight?
OP added some clarity:
To clarify, sorry I left this detail out: if I had agreed, they would have reimbursed me for the extra cost via voucher, so that my ticket would have been the cost of a normal economy ticket.
I’m not certain if the pregnant lady would have had to pay extra to switch with me because I just politely declined a few times and we didn’t get into that level of detail. But I was so excited for the vacation, and I’m 6’4" and really need the legroom.
Here are the top comments:
Whatfforreal says:
I’m only 6’1” and fly to Asia often. It sucks, hard. Hell, flying anywhere sucks and I also have back issues. I know you feel bad but you did the right thing. She wanted a free upgrade and wanted to guilt the person she thought would acquiesce. If it’s any consolation, I would still be feeling terrible, too.
OP responded:
That flight to Asia is no joke. I flew to Shanghai before with normal economy seats and felt like I had to relearn how to walk again.
Tishers says:
NTA (Not the A^&@ole). She had the option of purchasing a more comfortable seat. Unless Delta was willing to compensate you for the seat-swap I would not expect you to just 'gift' her your seat. I had done seat swaps before and United always took care of me. I pay extra for the better seats and do not want to be crunched in to some cubbyhole for twelve hours.
princessgirl069 says:
NTA. You paid for that seat, and she paid for hers. She could have booked a different class if she wanted to. Most likely she knew she would be this pregnant when she booked the flight. It is unfortunate the situation she is in, truly, but unless a medical emergency were happening I’m not sure why you would be expected to give up your seat.
Snackinpenguin says:
NTA. Many a pregnant women have survived economy class. If she had wanted the extra space, she also could have paid for it like you did. The other people could have also switched. But didn’t. This isn’t on you.
What do you think?