Given the circumstances, modern airlines often seem to overcharge. After all, are you really going to drive across the ocean? They set up bizarre seating arrangements, overbook flights, and charge for average-sized luggage.
A concerned woman wondered if it was wise to keep her first-class upgrade after seeing a situation posted online. The airline offered her a free upgrade to first class on a long flight because she had accumulated travel points. However, a flight attendant approached her a few minutes into the journey, asking if she would mind downgrading her seat.
Even flying first class comes with unique challenges.
**AITA for not replacing my first-class seat with a 10-year-old boy’s economy seat so he could sit with his family?** a woman asked, wondering if she was wrong for refusing to give up her seat so a family could sit together.
Here’s the background: I (23F) had reserved my tickets a year in advance and had been planning a vacation to San Francisco for over a year.
The airline called me a month or two before the trip, informing me that they wanted to upgrade me to first class because of my points and membership.
To say I was thrilled with my first-class flight would be an understatement.
I made sure to use the lounge as much as possible before departure and was greeted with a wonderfully cozy environment for the 13-hour journey.
An hour or so into the journey, a flight attendant approached me and asked if I would be willing to switch seats with a 10-year-old child in economy so he could sit with his family.
Apparently, the parents were members who had also gotten upgrades without realizing their son was not eligible for one with them. They were given first-class tickets, but he was left in economy.
The flight attendant started offering alternatives, acting as though I had to change, with options including a full refund for the ticket or another complimentary upgrade on a different flight. Since the two parents and I were the only upgraded passengers on the flight and there were no other first-class seats available, I asked her if I could stay in my seat because I honestly thought I was being kicked out. She replied that if there was any chance the boy could sit with his family, it would only make sense for him to take my seat.
I received this upgrade because of how frequently I fly with the airline. It would have been a different scenario if there had been an overbooking in first class and the child had bought a ticket. If the parents had purchased their tickets, I might have considered it, but they hadn’t. I was respectful and courteous to the flight attendant—she handled the situation with grace. She kindly accepted my decision, assuring me that everything would work out.
I never saw the parents; they were seated far away. An elderly woman sitting next to me did make fun of me for forcing a child to sit alone for thirteen hours. The troubling thing is taking a child on a 13-hour flight by themselves, but it wasn’t like he was alone because I saw him walking up and down the aisles almost every hour to see his parents.
So, AITA, since this is allegedly what a loser would do?
