From time to time, the great debate over seat swaps pops up on sites like Reddit and Facebook. Many stories involve families asking other passengers to exchange seats so that the family can sit together in a single row, or so their kids can have a window view.
Usually I don’t cover Reddit stories since some of them tend to be fabricated for upvotes, but I came across a viral video from December worth covering. The incident which occurred on a Gol Airlines flight features an irate mom filming another passenger after they refused to give up their window seat for her four-year-old child.
The mother goes on a rant, trying to get support from other passengers, and tell the female passenger, “you have no empathy for people, that’s disgusting. We’re in the 21st century and people have no empathy for children.”
However her rambling fell on deaf ears as the passenger seated near the window held her ground, refusing the give up the seat. The video which has since gained hundreds of thousands of views across Tiktok has left commenters divided.
For changing seats
In this situation, I would not have sacrificed my seat given how negatively the child’s mother reacted to the news. However if you’re dealing with more amicable parents, and you’re still willing to give up your seat, always trade up.
In this case, given that it’s a window seat, the passenger should offer another window seat (or maybe an aisle seat) in a part of the cabin with more convenience. For instance, I’ll give up a seat for another with more legroom or something closer to the front of the aircraft.
Against changing seats
I personally believe in keeping my assigned seat as I’ve traded in the past thinking I’ve gotten a better deal, only to realize that the supposedly better seat has some type of shortcoming (e.g. less legroom in a bulkhead seat).
In some cases, sitting in a window seat comes at a premium, and those asking for a swap usually aren’t willing to pay the fare difference, so why give up something you paid extra for?
Reading similar stories like this, many times the parents tend to react negatively, and even feel entitled to someone else’s seat, using the excuse that they are parents and that other passengers should be empathetic towards their kids.
While that may be, I think parents should plan ahead, booking their seats in advance to avoid situations like this. If they can’t get their desired seat, use it as a teaching moment to let their children know that life doesn’t always go their way.
I’d love to hear in the comments where you stand on situations like this.
Featured image: Bradley Wint/Gate Checked
