Passenger furious after airline forces him to swap legroom seat so couple can sit together – but people say it’s common
A PASSENGER was left “humiliated” after he was asked to leave his extra legroom seat – so a couple could sit next to each other.
Todd Plummer was travelling from Istanbul to Kilimanjaro with Turkish Airlines.
He had booked a normal flight ticket, and was given 11D – which ended up being an exit row so came with extra legroom.
Being 6″2, he said he was “delighted” to get the seat.
However, he said after he sat in the seat, the gate agent “stormed up” to his seat – only to tell him it had been double booked with a couple.
He explained on CN Traveler: “The gate agent said that I needed to move to 9D to accommodate the pair despite being settled into my seat already.”
He said he was happy in his seat and would stay there, only to be told that the plane was “very full” by the airline agent.
After a long awkward silence, Mr Plummer said he “caved” and ended up moving to let the pair sit next to each other, rather than separated between an aisle.
He added: ” If this was a medical emergency or a child that needed to be seated with their parent, I would have moved to a seat of equal or greater value – I’m an understanding person.
“Alas, for over seven hours, I seethed with quiet rage as my knees knocked the seat in front of me and my legs cramped.”
He added he wasn’t even offered anything as a thank you for moving, and was “disappointing, irritating and downright humiliating”.
Mr Plummer said it suggested couples are “more deserving of a superior seat on an airplane”.
His anger over this prompted a huge debate on social media, with other solo passengers saying they had experienced similar problems.
One woman said she was asked to switch seats in the front of a cabin by another woman wanting to sit with her husband. and felt “shamed” so wouldn’t say no.
And another passenger said he had been bumped from his business class seat twice to accommodate couples traveling together – being told to move to economy or take a different flight.
Other travellers have shared their horror stories in recent years.
A man sparked debate after a passenger was sat between him and his girlfriend – and refused to move.
Passenger Zac was sat in the aisle seat while his girlfriend was in the window seat – but had a stranger in between them who remained there the whole flight.
Couples often try this ‘hack’ to get a whole row to themselves, where they book aisle and window seats as most people will avoid that middle seat.
However, this can backfire – if the person in the middle refuses to move.
Last year, a woman refused to move plane seats after a couple asked her to move – so they could sit with their cat.
She said they hadn’t booked an appropriate seat to fly with their pet, who needed to be placed underneath a seat in front.
And one couple has revealed why you should never book plane seats next to each other.