A woman chronicled her frustrations in having to deal with a fellow airline passenger’s seat-swapping request. Travise Davis (@travislikedavis) posted a TikTok on the subject, which spawned responses from similarly aggrieved fliers.
Davis begins her video by recording herself looking into the lens of her camera. She sits in an airplane seat with one of her hands covering her face, looking unamused. A text overlay in the video further explains the situation aboard the plane. It reads, “This grown woman about to cry because no one will trade seats with her to sit by her husband.”
The TikToker continues, “She on 10b he in 9b.” She also indicates why she and others are probably not in the mood to deal with such requests. They’re traveling on a “5 hour red eye flight.”
More seat switch drama
Davis is far from the only person to deal with drama surrounding airplane seating arrangements. The Daily Dot previously reported on one TikToker’s ordeal involving a father who requested a seating arrangement change. According to the influencer, they weren’t interested in swapping chairs because they were tired. They explained to the man that they’d rather stay put and try and doze off on the flight.
However, the dad in question wouldn’t take no for an answer. When the TikToker remained steadfast in their desire to stay seated, the man became aggressive.
Oftentimes, switching seats isn’t a big deal on airplanes. The only time it becomes an issue is if one passenger is seated in an emergency row. Problems can arise if flight attendants feel as if a passenger is incapable of assisting in this emergency exit row.
Scammers
It’s worth mentioning that sometimes con artists attempt to use seat-switching scams to their benefit. They will purchase less desirable seats, sometimes those located at the back of a plane. Or chairs plopped in the middle of a row, and then attempt to swap arrangements with those with more capacious seating.
A lot of times they’ll sell a sob story about wanting to sit with family members. Explore notes that in many of these instances, these folks may become aggressive when denied.
If someone requests you switch your seat, involve a flight attendant in the matter. At the end of the day, if you paid for that specific seat, then it’s yours. You shouldn’t have to feel bad about not wanting to switch just because someone else asked you to.
Seat upgrade tips
Furthermore, if you’re looking to get an upgraded seat without breaking the bank, there are some “hacks” you can try.
If you’re boarding a flight that isn’t fully booked, hang around in the waiting area until you’re the last person to board. Oftentimes, folks desperate to secure overhead storage space will scurry onto the plane. Consequently, they will pack into the plane well before takeoff and plunk down in their designated seats. In unfilled planes, premium chairs can be left open by those not wanting to fork over up-charge fees. So, if you’re one of the last on the plane, you can scan the flight’s seating arrangements for open chairs. Upon boarding, if one of these is left open, you may be able to ask to sit in one of these seats without issue.
Again, this trick works best, however, if you don’t have any carry-on luggage that needs to be put in an overhead storage bin.
Entitlement?
Viewers could empathize with the TikToker’s experience.
“Was just on a flight where a woman was trying to play musical seats so her family could be together. I love when people said ‘No, I bought these seats to sit with my family.’ She was appalled,” one shared.
“Their lack of planning isn’t anyone else’s emergency,” another argued. This seemed to be the common sentiment among viewers.
“2 middle seats? They know what they’re doing. No one is giving up comfort so that 2 adults can sit together!” another exclaimed.
@traviselikedavis This grown woman about to cry cause no one will trade seats with her to sit by her husband. She on 10b he in 9b- 5 hour red eye flight. #fyp #fypage #sitdown @American Airlines #clt #sfo ♬ original sound – ♱
The Daily Dot has reached out to Davis via TikTok comment for further information.
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