Flight passenger attempts to steal upgraded seat as plane boards, sparking reactions on social media

A passenger on a flight apparently tried to take a seat 27 rows ahead of her assigned seat — and other travelers were not letting the bold move slide. 

A Reddit user recently took to the subreddit thread “r/AmericanAirlines” to discuss the moment which has people reacting. 

The user said in a post that although people try to pull “annoying” moves on flights often, this occasion on an American Airlines flight gave passengers a “great laugh.”

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The user told Fox News Digital that the Sept. 26 flight from Phoenix to Los Angeles was full — and someone tried to steal a nearby passenger’s seat. 

“Today I got a great laugh at a seat taker,” the user wrote in the Reddit post. “She got all comfy in seat 8D with her mom, I guess, so you would have thought it was her seat.”

The Reddit user added, “Well, lo and behold, the right seat owner comes up and, of course, says, ‘Excuse me, but you’re in my seat.’”

The user, who said they were sitting nearby, could hear the entire encounter from across the aisle. 

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The user continued, “The seat stealer then says, “Can you just move to my seat as I want to sit by my mother?’ The person who’s [seat it was] … asks, ‘What seat is it,’ and the seat stealer says 35B!”

The Reddit poster explained that the rightful seat owner blurted out, “Are you [f——] serious?” and joked that the passenger was “crazy.”

The user said that after a few passengers laughed, the “seat stealer” got up and walked back 27 rows to her assigned seat. 

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The user said the woman glared as she walked back to row 35, but it felt good to “put [a] seat stealer in her place.”

The Reddit post sparked reactions from users in the comment section, with many agreeing that the woman shouldn’t have tried to take a seat that wasn’t assigned to her.

“I’m an FA (not for this airline) and I LOVE kicking seat thieves back to their spot. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine,” one user wrote. 

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Another person commented, “Maybe next time mom will book seats together, even if it costs more. Some people are so entitled!”

“Did everyone clap? I would have clapped,” another wrote.

California-based etiquette expert Rosalinda Randall told Fox News Digital that “assigned seating does not come with an option to relocate to a preferred seat.”

“People are becoming bolder in taking what they want, or expecting others to back off,” she said, adding, “Civility requires a lot of self-control, listening and deep sighs of disbelief.”

If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, Randall recommended first double-checking your boarding pass to ensure you’re in the right place — then seek the assistance of fellow passengers or flight attendants if it escalates. 

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Randall said, on the opposing side, to never expect someone to “accept your story or reason for taking their seat.”

She added, “Faking that you don’t understand, will only delay the inevitable,” and, “Don’t fake being asleep. We’ll nudge you and ask you to move.”

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Randall also said to be cautious of how you handle a situation if you’re traveling with children who are paying attention. 

Fox News Digital reached out to American Airlines for comment, and to the Reddit user for further comment.