Airplane passenger refuses to switch seats with child throwing a tantrum

An airplane passenger has refused to give up their seat on a flight for a child throwing a tantrum.

In a recent Reddit post shared to the popular “Am I The A**hole?” forum, the passenger shared that they had specifically booked a window seat because they enjoyed looking out at the view. After finding their seat, a family then boarded with their six-year-old daughter.

“The dad had an aisle seat, the mom was in the middle, and the kid was supposed to sit in the other aisle seat. Everything seemed fine until the girl realized she wasn’t sitting by the window,” the Reddit post read.

The child began to cry and complain about wanting the window seat, as her parents attempted to console her. “Her parents tried to calm her down, but she quickly escalated into a full-blown tantrum, crying and yelling about how she wanted my seat,” the post continued.

Her father then leaned over to the passenger to ask if his daughter could switch with them for the window seat. The passenger refused, pointing out they had booked the window seat to enjoy the view.

The child’s father replied that it “would be nice” of the passenger to switch seats and that it “wouldn’t hurt.” The passenger continued to refuse, explaining that the little girl’s tantrum was not a good enough reason to give up their reserved seat.

“The girl cried for about 10 more minutes before her mom managed to calm her down with a tablet,” the post read. “However, the tension lingered. Throughout the flight, I could feel the parents throwing me judgmental looks, and when we landed, I overheard the mom muttering something like, ‘Some people just have no heart.’”

Although the passenger believed they made the right decision by not giving up the seat, they still felt a sense of guilt.

Many people have since turned to the comments section to defend the passenger’s actions, and shared how they would’ve responded in the same situation.

“‘My window isn’t the only window on this plane, you could have paid extra like I did, and chosen any window available,’” read one commenter’s suggestion. “‘Your bad decisions do not determine my actions, and your bad parenting teaching your child they can take what they want by having a tantrum doesn’t work with me. If you would like to take this further please talk to one of the flight attendants.’”

Another commenter agreed, writing: “You paid for and intentionally booked the window seat because it mattered to you. It’s not your responsibility to accommodate someone else’s poor planning or their child’s tantrum.”

“Parents often face tough moments with kids, but teaching them that a tantrum can force others to give in isn’t a great lesson. You weren’t rude or dismissive; you just held your ground on something you had a right to.

“The parents could’ve booked a window seat for their child if it was so important to her. The fact that they made you feel guilty with passive-aggressive comments says more about their entitlement than your decision. You were under no obligation to switch.”