AITA: Airline passenger gets Internet support after refusing to give up window seat to appease child

An unnamed airline passenger has shared their story of getting unpleasant looks for refusing to yield to a child throwing tantrums for the window seat.

The person, under the username Safe_Ad_9314, posted on Reddit’s 'Am I The A*****e' (AITA) subreddit that they were on a domestic flight and booked the window seat in advance “because I love looking out at the view, it’s one of the few things I actually enjoy about flying.”

A few moments later, a family of three — a father, a mother, and their little girl, who appeared to be six years old — joined the flyer in the plane.

Flyer revealed child’s dad justified her actions by saying she’s ‘just a kid’

“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 Redditor shared.

Safe_Ad_9314 then revealed how the child began throwing tantrums and continuously said, “I want the window! I want the window!”

Despite her parents’ effort, the girl did not calm down and the father ultimately asked the flyer if they were willing to exchange seats. The father also asserted that “she’s just a kid.”

The passenger explained, “I politely explained that I had booked the window seat in advance because I really wanted to enjoy the view. The dad insisted, saying it would be ‘nice of me’ and that ‘it wouldn’t hurt’ to switch.”

But they did not change their mind and insisted that they “didn’t think his daughter’s tantrum was a valid reason for me to give up a seat I specifically reserved. He sighed and tried to push further, but I stood my ground.”

Flyer was called out for being heartless

Though the passenger did not change their seat, they could “feel parents throwing me judgmental looks, and when we landed, I overheard the mom muttering something like, ‘Some people just have no heart.’”

The whole incident left the flyer in a dilemma as they asked other Redditors, “I know kids can be a handful, but I also feel like giving in would’ve taught her that throwing a tantrum gets her what she wants. Still, I couldn’t shake off the guilt. So, AITA?”

Netizens support flyer while slamming the parents

People backed the flyer’s decision as one Reddit user wrote, “I am a mum of three. Kids get explained that they can’t have that seat as it’s already occupied, and of it. Time for a game.”

Another user commented, “As a mom of four: NTA. It's your seat. You booked a window seat for a reason. They could have done the same.”

“Absolutely not, the window seat is a luxury and not a right. Plus, giving in to a child's tantrum only reinforces bad behavior. Hold your ground, fellow aisle seat warrior,” one Redditor said.

“NTA You paid for your seat with a view. The child sounds spoiled and the father is enabling her behavior. She could still see out from her seat,” another user mentioned.

A comment read, “Lol NTA and the parents shouldn’t have even asked. giving in to tantrums is absurd. also why did they have her across the aisle when there were two seats together?”

Another comment read, “NTA i’m so tired of parents expecting strangers to give them to their child’s every whim.”

“NTA. There's often a fee (even small) to book a specific seat. But even free you shouldn’t have to give up anything you prepared for, for people who didn't prepare. Honestly I feel for that little girl because it doesn’t seem like she is capable of accepting and dealing with her frustration (and I imagine other emotions as well). I’d say her parents don’t have a heart for not raising her in a way that will teach her a healthy relationship with emotions and how to deal with them,” an individual added.

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