A 34-year-old woman currently working on her weight loss journey recently turned to the “Am I the A**hole?” forum to ask for feedback on an incident during a flight. Aware that she’s still overweight, she shared that she had booked an extra seat in advance for comfort during a cross-country Christmas trip to visit her brother and his husband.

Things took a turn after boarding

While boarding went smoothly, the situation changed once she got to her seat. A mother traveling with her toddler — about 18 months old — approached her and insisted that the woman only use one seat so her child could take the other.

The woman politely declined, explaining she had paid for both seats for her own comfort. The mother didn’t accept that and caused a scene, which led to a flight attendant getting involved. The woman showed her boarding passes to prove she had bought the second seat. Still, the flight attendant suggested she try squeezing into just one seat — a suggestion the woman firmly rejected, stating she had every right to use the space she had paid for.

After going back and forth for a while, the flight attendant decided to handle the situation differently.

In the end, she asked the mother to keep her child on her lap for the rest of the flight. Throughout the journey, the woman noticed judgmental looks and passive-aggressive remarks from the mother. Looking back, she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty, questioning whether she had overreacted to the toddler’s challenging behavior.

After the woman shared her story on Reddit, opinions were split.

Many backed her, saying she wasn’t at fault since she had paid for the extra seat, and blamed the mother for not buying one for her child. Some even urged her to file a complaint against the airline.

Others sided with the mother, suggesting the woman should’ve made room to avoid discomfort. A few questioned the need for two seats, especially if the flight was overbooked.

One user wrote: “She’s TA for not buying a seat for her son and hoping someone else would give one up. Classic case of you snooze, you lose.”

Another said: “100% NTA. You paid for your seat. That mom tried to get a free one for her kid. If she didn’t want him on her lap, she should’ve paid.”

Others criticized the airline staff, calling their support of the mother unacceptable and urging the woman to report them.

The majority favored the woman

In conclusion, most Reddit responses supported the woman, highlighting her entitlement to the paid seat and criticizing the mother for attempting to get a free seat for her child. The incident sparked a discussion on proper etiquette and consideration during air travel.

“How much room does a kid take up, seriously? Yeah the mum should’ve bought a seat but that doesn’t mean you have to be selfish and cause two people discomfort,” one person responded. Another added: “If you are so fat that you have to have more than one seat on an airplane then you are selfish. Flights overbook all the time, especially during the holidays – how can you justify having two seats to yourself?”