Mother Requests Fellow Passenger Swap Her Window Seat for Tall Son's Middle Seat on Flight

A TikToker had an unpleasant flight experience and shared the story with her followers, wanting advice on whether she was wrong or not for how she handled the situation.

Traveling can lead to many interactions, some good and some not-so-pleasant. This TikToker with the username @surya_garg had an experience that had her turning to her followers for advice.

The woman seemed to have just walked off the plane and could not wait to share the story of the "worst" person she had just encountered. She mentioned an ongoing debate among TikTokers on traveling etiquette, especially when giving up a plane seat, although her rule of thumb is to give up a spot for a parent with small children.

Although Surya mentioned that it was also a sign of bad planning, she did not mind helping parents traveling with children because she had people do the same for her and her brother in the past and understood the thought behind the gesture.

However, she admitted it would take a bit more convincing to give up a window seat, especially since they are more expensive than the others.

In this case, the TikToker mentioned that she had a window seat but was approached by a mother to give it up because she wanted to be closer to her son, but Surya was reluctant to move.

Before deciding, she asked which seat she would be moved to, and the mother pointed at a middle seat a couple of rows back. Additionally, when Surya saw the son in question, she saw an extremely tall boy she suspected was at least 16 or 17. She also remembered him barely paying attention to anything as he was on the phone with his girlfriend throughout their boarding process.

Therefore, it was difficult for Surya to move to a middle seat for someone she believed was old enough to sit alone, so she decided to keep the seat she paid for. Surya thought the mother could have planned the flight better and did not think she was wrong for not moving. However, she still kindly apologized and told the woman that she had paid extra for the seat.

The mother was extremely angry and gave the TikToker crippling stares. Throughout the flight, Surya heard her mumbling insults, and after one of the "nastiest" looks she had seen, Surya could not help but wonder if she was wrong for refusing to give the teenager her seat. "Was I in the wrong here? I need someone to tell me," she asked at the end of the video.

Commenters stuck by Surya and assured her she was not wrong. One person said the mother's reaction was already a good enough reason not to give up her seat and applauded her for standing her ground.

Another expressed, "I'm thinking people are counting on 'the Good Samaritan' so they don't have to pay extra for a seat."

A mother also went into the comment section and told Surya she was right for not moving. She said she had 11 and 14-year-old daughters, but each time she traveled, she paid extra to have her girls sit next to her because she believed it was her responsibility.

Many more commenters agreed with Surya for not giving up her seat for the teenager and thought the mother's response was uncalled for. In fact, one TikToker believed moving from your seat always meant sacrificing it for one that is worse.

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