A retired flight attendant revealed on social media that families have skirted around paying to sit together by targeting young women who are more likely to swap seats with them.
Toni Vitanza wrote on X that she previously worked as a flight attendant and continues to travel since retiring.
‘There are “cheap family travel blogs” that COACH parents how to skip out on the seat selection fee EVERYONE has to pay (if they want anything particular),’ Vitanza wrote in the viral thread.
‘One of the tips is: Choose a woman, preferably a young (inexperienced) traveler to solicit for a seat swap. It’s the STRATEGY,’ she added.
Seat swapping has become an age-old debate in airplane etiquette. A majority of airlines offer passengers the option to pick their seats for an extra cost.
Etiquette expert Laura Windsor previously told Metro: ‘Questions like “can I sit here” or “is it okay if we switch seats” should be redundant today.
‘If people want to sit together, they should have booked accordingly. Someone’s holiday shouldn’t be ruined because certain people don’t have manners.
‘People shouldn’t feel as though they can do whatever they want. Also, people shouldn’t really have mixed opinions about this. It’s incredibly clear.’
A retired flight attendant revealed on social media that some families will target young women traveling alone to swap seats to sit next to their children (file photo)
Since airlines charge a fee for seat selection, some families try to save money by just asking other passengers to swap with them (file photo)
Some social media users have shared similar experiences of being asked to move for a family when traveling alone.
One traveler wrote on Reddit that they never have issues traveling with their partner but consistently have a ‘horrible experience’ when traveling alone.
‘On the way home, I was boarding in economy and overheard someone go “whoever is in 15C is gonna need to move” (my seat),’ they wrote.
‘Of course I get to my seat and a family is already posted up, one of the children in my seat.
‘I stared blankly at the parent until they said “can you sit over there” in a window seat, when I had specifically picked an aisle seat bc it was a daytime flight and I use the restroom frequently.’
The poster said that the family did not give them a choice and were forced to sit in an unassigned seat. They added that they used a coupon to pay for the $90 seat selection fee.
Swapping seats for families to sit next to one another has become a hotly contested debate online (file photo)
‘Yes, I think kids should get to sit by their family. However, that’s not MY responsibility… that’s yours as the parent. Do better. Your poor planning should not be at the expense of my comfort,’ they concluded.
Users sounded off in the comments about the situation, with one writing, ‘Politely asking is fine, not taking “no” for an answer is not.’
‘As a parent I HATE when people expect me to bend for their kid. It doesn’t make them any more special than anyone else,’ another added.
‘It’s fine to ask someone to switch seats. Sometimes there are equipment changes or any other number of reasons that negate the “if they wanted that seat they should have chosen it!” complaint. But if you don’t want to switch, say no. You’re an adult. Use your words. If you agree to a switch you can’t complain about it afterwards,’ a third weighed in.
