A male passenger on a recent commercial airline flight has been praised online for refusing to give up his seat for a pregnant woman who wanted to have easier access to the toilet.
The man posted about his experience on Reddit, where commenters largely applauded his actions, saying the woman should have pre-booked a specific seat if she wanted it.
Flight etiquette has been hotly debated online over the past few years, with the topic of when one should and should not give up their seat for another passenger often a point of contention.
On the popular 'Am I The Asshole?' subreddit, user michaeldonelly said he was on a flight that was over five hours in duration and had pre-paid for an aisle seat in the second-to-last row because of a medical issue that means he needs easy access to a toilet.
"Right before boarding, a woman asked me to give up my seat so she could sit closer to the bathroom," he wrote.
"She was pregnant but did not seem distressed. While I felt for her situation, as someone with a medical condition, I did not feel it was fair to demand I move from the seat I planned for and paid for, especially since she apparently had not booked an aisle seat herself in advance."
The man said the woman insisted on taking his seat and that cabin crew would not mediate the situation.
"My family says I should have inconvenienced myself and given up my seat. I disagree though - I think she and the flight crew were unfairly targeting me instead of handling it through proper channels."
The man did not say where he was flying or on which airline.
The post has racked up nearly 4000 comments, the vast majority of which say the man is "not the asshole", with many condemning the pregnant lady, the cabin crew and the man's family for their comments.
"As someone who will be flying for Christmas at seven months pregnant, this lady is an ass. A polite 'No thank you, I booked this seat specifically' followed by breaking eye contact and putting your headphones in is all that is needed from you," reads one comment.
"Not the asshole, and I say this as someone who has been pregnant and has flown solo with a toddler. Every passenger has equal opportunity to pre-book seats based on their needs and preferences," said another.
Another Reddit user said: "She should have booked the seat she wanted herself or not gone on the flight. Seems she just assumed she wouldn't have to pay for it, since some sucker was going to move."
"As a frequent flier I see this a lot - entitled people thinking they can have whatever seat they want. Nope. If you paid to select your seat, that's your seat, end of story. Your lack of planning or decision to be cheap is not my fault nor my obligation to remedy," stated another.
Another wrote: "I am so sick of this constant idea that people are jerks if they don't give up a seat that they paid for. I don't care if you're pregnant or a family trying to be together or whatever! If you know that you need a specific seat, pay for it or deal with the consequences."
