Lady Switches Seat Mid-Flight After Beign Paired With Plus-Sized Passengers, Gets Slammed For Promoting Fatphobia

This innocent in-flight seat swap has sparked a heated conversation on Fatphobia.

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• July 31, 2023

Air travel has undoubtedly revolutionized the way we connect with the world, making once-distant lands accessible with the simple purchase of a ticket. However, one aspect of this modern marvel that hasn't seen much improvement over the years is the size of airline seats.

Airline seats have gotten narrower over the years, with airlines attempting to maximize profits by fitting more seats into the same aircraft cabin. As a result, seat width and legroom have been significantly reduced.

While this may boost an airline's revenue, it comes at the cost of passenger comfort, leading to numerous complaints and grievances. Unfortunately, our narrator (OP) had a first-hand experience of what it's like to battle for leg space in an airplane that's supposed to provide seamless transportation for paying customers.

OP explained that her flight from Las Vegas to New York was anything but enjoyable, as she found herself sandwiched between two plus-sized passengers. As the flight progressed, the confined space left no room for comfort, with their shoulders and thighs uncomfortably pressed together.

In an attempt to address the issue, OP discreetly approached a flight attendant to inquire about the possibility of relocating to a more accommodating seat. Though she managed to find an alternative a few rows back, her attempt at easing her discomfort inadvertently caused offense to one of the plus-sized passengers.

By the time OP got off the plane, she was shocked to find the woman waiting to speak to her. Apparently, the woman felt embarrassed when OP left the seat—in her opinion, it made a public demonstration to everyone that plus-sized passengers are an “inconvenience.”

OP on the other hand argued that she changed her seat as quietly as possible, but admitted that her actions might have put the lady in the spotlight.

The question is: How best could she have handled such a situation?

The story in detail

A little background

OP ended up moving to a new seat mid-flight. But when she got down, she noticed that the woman she was previously seating with was waiting to talk to her

The woman essentially told OP that she had embarrassed her on the flight

Important edit

We gathered some interesting reactions from the Reddit community:

"NTA...You weren't comfortable and you discretely asked for another seat"

"She can go ahead and be mad at the airlines for not accommodating people of her size"

A big person has decided to chip in with their 2 cents

"What you did was find a solution that allowed everyone to sit comfortably and maintain dignity."

"The woman’s own issues with her body type were being projected onto you"

"I am sure everybody was more comfortable with you moving and making that middle seat empty."

"You bought a seat on a flight and she doesnt get to invade your area."

"This wasn't you fat shaming. This was you looking for comfort."

"NTA at all. You gave it a try, it did not work out, you moved."

The Reddit community doesn't see anything wrong with what OP did. In fact, they've applauded her for handling the situation in a quiet and respectable way.

Many commenters mentioned that the woman should've complained to the airline about their small seats. It's no news that modern airlines are designed with narrow seats and don't make accommodations for plus-sized people.

It's unfortunate that OP's actions put the plus-sized lady in the spotlight, but what more could she have done in that situation?

We'd love to know how you would have handled the situation if you were in OP's shoes. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Jesse