It was a 14-hour flight, so I paid for a premium economy seat because I wanted to be comfortable.
The person in the seat next to mine asked if I could switch seats with his wife as they had just gotten married and were on their honeymoon.
I congratulated him on his nuptials and asked where his wife was sitting. He pointed toward the back of the plane. In economy.
I declined to switch seats. He asked if there was any way to convince me. I offered to switch if he paid the difference between the seats, AU$1,000.
He smirked and refused. I congratulated him once again and put in my earbuds. From then on, he decided to spoil my flight. Suddenly, he started:
- coughing loudly;
- watching a movie without his headphones;
- dropping crumbly snacks on me;
- and finally, his wife literally sat on his knees, invading my space, arrogantly GRINNING.
I was FED UP, but decided to make a play.
Me: “Okay-okay, you won, I give up. Stewardess, please.”
The flight attendant arrived, a polite but firm woman who immediately noticed the situation. Before I could speak, the husband grinned and said, “Oh, he finally agreed to switch! My wife will take his seat.”
I smiled and shook my head. “No, I actually wanted to report a disturbance. I paid for this seat, and I expect to be able to use it without being harassed.”
The flight attendant raised an eyebrow and turned toward the couple. “Sir, ma’am, what exactly is going on here?”
His wife piped up, still sitting on his knees, “Oh, it’s just a little honeymoon inconvenience! We’re just trying to sit together. He’s being super unreasonable.”
I kept my tone calm and measured. “I said no, and he spent the last two hours coughing in my face, throwing food on me, and now they’re literally taking up part of my seat.”
The flight attendant’s eyes narrowed. “Sir, ma’am, please return to your assigned seats immediately.”
The husband scoffed. “Come on, it’s just a little fun!”
“Sir, if you don’t comply, I will have to escalate this matter.”
The wife sighed dramatically and stood up. “Fine! Ugh, people are so selfish!”
As she stomped away to her economy seat, the husband glared at me and muttered, “You just ruined our honeymoon. Hope you’re proud.”
I shrugged. “You ruined your own honeymoon.”
The rest of the flight was peaceful—for about an hour. Then, I noticed the wife whispering to a group of passengers at the back, glancing at me and giggling. Moments later, a flight attendant approached.
“Sir, a passenger at the back has a severe nut allergy, and we noticed you’ve been eating mixed nuts. We need to move you.”
I blinked. “I haven’t eaten any nuts.”
“They said they saw you eating them.”
I sighed and looked toward the back. The wife looked away quickly, suppressing a smile. The husband was suddenly deeply invested in his movie.
I took a deep breath. “Look, I know exactly what’s happening. They’re retaliating because I didn’t switch seats. Check my tray, my hands, my pockets—I haven’t eaten anything with nuts.”
The flight attendant frowned but checked anyway. Finding nothing, she sighed. “I’m so sorry for the inconvenience.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “But at this point, I would like to make a formal complaint.”
That changed everything.
Within fifteen minutes, a senior crew member came by, apologized profusely, and had a word with the couple. I couldn’t hear everything, but I did hear the phrase “final warning.” The husband mumbled something about “some people not having any heart.”
Just when I thought it was over, a loud announcement came through the speakers. “Due to repeated complaints and disruption of other passengers, a couple has been formally warned by the crew. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in making this a comfortable flight.”
The entire plane now knew. Heads turned. A few people chuckled. One guy even clapped.
The honeymooners were furious, but there was nothing they could do. The husband refused to look at me for the rest of the flight. The wife sulked.
When we landed, as I walked past the economy section, I saw the wife glaring at me. “I hope you have a miserable vacation.”
I smiled. “Oh, I will. In my premium hotel, just like my premium seat. Have fun in economy.”
Lesson learned? Entitlement won’t get you far. If you want something, be willing to pay for it—or at the very least, ask nicely without harassing others.