A Gen Z woman has been backed by viewers online after refusing to give up her pre-booked aisle seat on a flight for her friend’s fiancé, citing motion sickness and calling the request unreasonable.
The postshared to Reddit by the woman under u/emmenneffx, has received more than 1,300 upvotes and a flurry of comments. The woman detailed a dispute during a destination bachelorette trip that quickly escalated from a seating preference into a broader debate over boundaries.
“I was flying with my friend and her fiancé for her destination bachelorette trip,” the 26-year-old woman said. “I booked my ticket months ago and splurged on an aisle seat near the front because I get motion sickness.
“When we got to the airport, her fiancé pulled me aside and asked if I’d switch seats with him so he could sit with her. His seat was a middle one in the back of the plane.”
The poster explained that she refused, citing both comfort and health reasons, only to be met with backlash.
“He got snippy and said I was ‘selfish’ and ‘ruining the trip vibe.’ My friend backed him up, saying it wasn’t ‘a big deal’ to move,” she said.
The woman said she was then accused of being a “bad bridesmaid” and embarrassing the fiancé, prompting her to turn to Reddit for more opinions.
While the post divided some commenters on the platform, the overwhelming majority expressed support for the woman’s stance, with many applauding her for holding firm to her boundaries despite social pressure.
Among those backing the decision is etiquette expert Jo Hayes. She told Newsweek that the woman had every right to decline the unexpected request.
“This woman had every right to say no to this request,” Hayes said. “If the groom wanted to sit next to his future bride, he should have booked the seats together. Every adult knows this. It’s not hard.”
Hayes criticized what she described as an “entitlement mindset,” and placed blame squarely on the couple for how the situation unfolded.
“They cannot expect this girl to simply acquiesce to their demands,” she said. “If anybody is to be called selfish in this situation, it’s the marrieds-to-be, not the bridesmaid.”
Reddit commenters echoed that sentiment.
“The fiancé is just being entitled but I am also concerned about your girlfriend,” one viewer said. “You may need to reevaluate this.”
Their comment has been upvoted more than 600 times.
Newsweek reached out to u/emmenneffx for more information via Reddit.
Getty Images
Are you and your friend stuck in an argument? Let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
