We’ve discussed the practice and etiquette of switching airplane seats this week on Live and Let’s Fly and today I want to focus on one element of it: shaming. Is shaming ever appropriate when someone refuses to change seats? We’ll look at this in the context of Irish model Vogue Williams, who recently went on a rant when an “awful” man refused to swap seats for her family.
The Power Of Shame: Was A Man Really “Awful” For Initially Refusing To Swap Airplane Seats With Entitled Irish Model?
Williams boarded a flight from Gibraltar to London with her husband and three children and “realized that she had booked the wrong seat.” While I’m not sure how that happens, let’s assume for now the mistake was innocent. Williams with the infant and her two older children, three-year-old Theodore and two-year-old Gigi, were seated together in a row. Instead of being seated in the aisle seat right across from them, her husband was in the window seat across the aisle. He asked if the man seated in the aisle would mind switching with his wife in the window seat. The aisle passenger said he would mind.
Recounting what happened on her podcast, Spencer and Vogue, Williams lamented:
“The guy was sitting in the aisle seat and Spencer was like, ‘Would you mind doing window instead of aisle so we can be all together?’
“And he was like ‘Yes Spencer, I would mind.’”
“We were just like, ‘Oh, okay dude, that’s okay,’ and so anyway when he realized he was being an absolute t**t, he looked at me with a newborn baby and the two kids beside me, he was like ‘Okay, fine, fine I’ll do it.’
“Then literally the air hostess came down and I asked her ‘Would you have another aisle seat for this f**king particular piece of sh*t over here?’”
Williams ignited a fierce debate, but immediately sparked a backlash over her sense of entitlement. It’s not like the children were separated: the kids were seated with her. While it would have been nice to have dad even closer to help, this is very different than a child having to sit alone or a family totally separated.
The language used to describe the man is disgusting. I’m sure he chose the aisle seat for a reason…maybe he requires frequent trips to the lavatory or just likes to get up to stretch.
What interests me about this story is that he was shamed into moving – the anger of Williams apparently convinced him to move.
Williams later tried to backpedal her story, stating:
“Enough of this. I would never expect or demand that anyone swaps a seat with me. It was a joke that definitely didn’t land.”
But it was clear what she meant in her initial outburst.
And for our purposes, I’ll state again that I am generally open to moving seats if asked nicely and the new seat is not inferior, but there is no way I’d even consider moving if the passenger making the request curses me out for hesitating or initially refusing (for any number of valid reasons).
Let’s not forget that every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
CONCLUSION
When it comes to moving seats on airplanes, especially when children are involved, shame is a powerful tool. I’m not at all supportive of the way Willaims and her husband handled the issue on their flight to London, but I do recognize that shame plays a powerful role in directing others toward action.
How would you have handled this incident?
image: @voguewilliams / Instagram
Entitled woman. Probably got everything handed to her because she was hot and now got used to it.
Stand in line like the rest of the olden plebs.
“Williams boarded a flight from Gibraltar to London with her husband and three children ”
Sounds like we might have a candidate for castration.
That’s got to be a even dumber comment than hers to begin with.
Women in the West are entitled by birth. We should be happy the foid is at least attractive and not the fat pigs in yoga pants we see in the us.
Women in the west are NOT entitled as is validated by history and social sciences. They may have more rights than some of the oppressive societies in cultures in other parts of this world, but a generalization that they are entitled is not correct.
This person acted entitled and rude, as many men have as well. Your language spreads a dangerously false narrative that perpetuates a mindset that has been characteristic of a culture of violence and oppression.
Excuse you. I guess you’re one of the entitled ones too. You should be ashamed of yourself.
I don’t recall ever meeting a “Chaz” who wasn’t an entitled jerk. How’s that?
Invited k#nt plain an simple .
Just read another story of another intitled t@at who will never give up her seat because she is in the spectrum
Vogue? Her so-called name is Vogue?
That says a lot right there. She is a brat. Period.
PS. “HOT model”? Here in South Beach, Miami, she would not get a glance- maybe a booking for a pizza shop. Sad for Ireland!
Or entitled husband… What about the husband switch seats with her and takes care of the children
I think it is ridiculous that people think they are entitled to treat people this way.People now days have no respect for people anymore.People need to grown up and quit thinking of only their self.People now days are very rude and bad mannered.People are being taught no respect for people now days.
I would have switched for a window. But this woman was rude and entitled. Families don’t get preference over a single person. I had a couple ask me to switch my seat in First Class because they like to do the crossword together. They were kind enough, so I gave up my window for an aisle. I don’t usually talk on flights, but the lady next to me was a Mormon librarian who was very interesting. I asked her if they had asked her to switch. She said yes, but I said no.
This is an instance, that sure, I would be fine moving. It’s what, a 2.5 hour flight? Not a big deal. But if she acted demanding and insisted before asking nice I might have said, “No.”
Agreed. In this instance my usual stance of “No, I’m not switching. End of story and stop talking me.” would not be upheld since it is a short flight and window or aisle isn’t a huge deal. But, I find it VERY hard to believe that her side of the story, painting her and/or her husband, as making a simple request is a completely accurate recounting given her language and a very apparent sense of DYKWIA. Especially when winging to her social media followers who are likely as silly/entitled as she is. Gotta go what you need to for the “likes”.
I am a pretty moderate traveler. When booking airfare, if you have the option to select seats, it is usually pretty clear which seats you selected. And, it is not only clear right then and there, it is clear when you check in. I select my seats for a reason. Sorry, but I would not switch in this situation. They knew which seats they purchased. I might have asked to move myself after that interaction with her so i would not have to be near her entitlement and ugly attitude. I dont reward dishonesty and entitlement. Plus, there are staff to help people figure out these issues before they board the plane. If the staff was not able to fix the situation, then the family were well aware that when they boarded the plan that they planned to ask someone to switch. The innocent mistake lie is not hardly believable. People have just become more and more brazen.
Same here. I react politely to people who are polite.
It’s all golden rule.
Who knows how the situation really played out – she probably drama-ed up the account for her post. Maybe the guy was rude, maybe she and her husband were. I don’t trust her posting at any rate.
I mean, here we are commenting on a L&LF story that means very little and has no effect on us. Posted for the “engagement.”
Few of us are innocent. 🙂
I don’t get why people who need to sit together don’t spend the money to reserve them. Everything on a plane has a price tag, and if you choose not to pay, then you should not expect someone else to give up what they selected.
Exactly. That is why I choose my seat. I double check it before purchase and you see it again before check in and when you check in. I do not switch seats that I pay for unless it is a step up. Window is not a step up for me. Shaming is manipulative and not to be rewarded.
She should be shamed for using that language in front of her children.
Also, from her own account, the guy was willing to move, so not sure why she felt the need to not be gracious and her and her husband just thank the man for doing her a favor.
I always pick the aisle unless flying with family due to my claustrophobia. It is ridiculous to shame a person who picked/paid for an aisle seat because it is ‘short’ or because she screwed up. The flight staff should have moved the guy to a higher class for the rudeness he had to endure.
If she is a model, why is she flying economy? No business or private? Guess she is not a good model. This family is a self entitled piece of crap and yes there is a big difference between an aisle and window seat…
I know people worth 20million who fly economy. It’s a 2.5h flight. no need for business on a short flight no matter how rich you are. Not everyone is spoiled.
Manipulative people try this all the time. Sit in aisle seat and pretend they made a mistake. Then won’t move until I persist. I’m 74 I get an aisle seat for a reason pee a lot. Don’t buy into this and it’s usually men who say you’ll be more comfortable by window b s
Jeez Matthew, you’re really in it for the outrage porn these last few articles. And you wonder why the comments section can get spicy.
Yeah, that Cipriani review was pure click bait drama. 🙂
I usually skip fancy hotel reviews since I always go for the cheapest hostel whenever I can 😀
Then why are you reading this blog? You’re obviously too cheap to buy anything but an economy seat and this blog is for fancy pants travelers…..
The site is clearly called “Live and Let’s FLY” and I have actual interest in J and F fares, and aviation in general. Less so with fancy hotels.
Stay in your lane, your gatekeeping attempt has failed.
Probably would have moved so Dad could be closer & help Mom with the kids – if she was nice. This is one of the few circumstances where I would be willing to trade aisle for window in the same row/seat type in the main cabin. If her post is true (never know with social media) & she was being an entitled snot & swearing if front of her kids, I would have never felt a twinge of shame & told her to pound sand. Insert earbuds immediately.
If she really cared about her kids, she watch her filthy mouth. Kids don’t need to hear that kind of language. Failure to plan correctly on the parents part isn’t my problem.
Nope, Nope, and more NOPE! I get us often; I feel too claustrophobic sitting in middle or window …. I, frequently, BOOK flights that have aisle seats available … Lady, do NOT try that on me!
Disgraceful language in front of her children and strangers.
But then again, today’s so-called celebrities have dubious behaviours and upbringings.
If she can’t manage to book seats properly, that’sa shame, but not a reason for insults.
Poor thing, failed typing and still makes error booking seat assignment lol. Surprised she did not book Business Class however.. she maybe shrewed too. Simple way to remember seats? ABC isle DEF. On narrow body economy.
You pay MORE for isle or window seats, you pay more for seats where there is more legroom.
If she failed to reserve them, but I actually did ..I’m not moving.. it’s 2.5 hours they will survive…
Based on what was said – she was describe herself – PoS. She is totally the PoS.
This is a woman whose current television hosting project involves taking 50 nude photos of a willing member of the public, asking them what they’d change about their body, digitally altering their naked form, then asking other members of the public whether they’re now more “attractive”. You can tell from that that she just oozes class.
Disgusting hag felt the need to berate the man even AFTER he gave up his seat. This is why my answer will always be a loud resounding NO.
Is this woman out of her mind, posting her awful entitled and bad language? Her being rude and reaction to the guy saying no makes me dislike her even more! Sounds like Mnuchim’s entitled Scottish wife. Let them eat cake!
Wottatart. Who does she think she is?
You describe her as “entitled”
Why?
Just because she’s a model?
Big deal.
I am so sick of these overly demanding, so full of themselves nobodys.
If you want to sit together, book your seats accordingly, and don’t get arsenal if you demand a seat swap and get the reaction you deserve.
Numpty.
Mark the “entitled” label comes from her actions!
Have trouble with reading comprehension?
Just remember: car, tv, pencil, so you can pass the test…..
As the occupant of the left hand seat up the pointy end and therefore in charge of everything on board, I can tell you I hear of these pedantic outbursts all the time from cabin crew (and they seem to be on the increase and not always so called self appointed “celebs”)
The so called “model” has no more right to demand other pax move seats, than anyone else. By all means ask politely and swap after take off and back again before landing: if successful…great. If not, suck it up. The family should have made their case at check in, if not before.
Her disgusting foul mouthed outburst to crew should not have been tolerated; in the main they do a shite enough job on minimal pay as it is, and don’t deserve to be subjected to any sort of abuse from pax.
The woman is a disgrace and should be ashamed of herself…particularly for then bleating on about it on social media.
Oh, and Jorge……..I understood the printed context perfectly, but thank you for your “advice”
I always find it amazing when one makes an error when booking seats and gets upset when another is asked/shamed because they do not want to give up the seat they reserved/paid for in exchange for another seat. This type of issue seems to always come up when a family is involved.
I have an enlarged prostate. Don’t laugh, your day is coming my friend..
As such, an aisle seat is important to me. Usually sit on the last few rows on single aisle jets near double bathrooms . If aisle seat is not available in economy, I will keep working my way forward to 1st class if need be when I purchase my ticket(s).
Therefore, don’t be surprised if I refuse your request to move to a window or middle seat. Don’t try to shame me, don’t try to make me feel guilty, and I’m not swayed by your drama.
And if you call me an “asshole” , my response will be:
“Honey, all men are assholes, that why God loves us …….more than women!!”
Remember, I’m in my mid 60’s, I’m retired, and I can get away with such grandpa comments.
How does one make an error booking a seat? Seat maps are pretty self-explanatory. Seems like a made up excuse.
People w/children ARE NOT special. Read all the time about parents requesting special treatment because they have children & others are expected to cater to these people & when they don’t get what they want the other person is the AH…
There are indications that this woman is a bad mother and a bully.
Karens like this give Mothers a bad name. Stop acting so Entitled!
I would have told her discreetly to bite me.
Let’s flip this. Imagine a male using language like that at a female who refused to accept such an order. The police would have been called.
Bingo! Go past go, collect $200!
I would have called her a dislexic c**t and felt bad that those kids are being raised by a POS. I should not have to be flexible for your mistake but a poor attitude is not going to ever help.
Aisle for window on a 2.5 hour flight? NFW. I’m generally sympathetic to families if young children are split up solo from a parent but that wasn’t the case here, kiddies were safely in a row with mamma bitch.
Better course would have been (after the initial no) to politely ask if he would switch for another aisle seat, then find someone else who wouldn’t mind. Cussing him out is a surefire way to carve the NO into stone.
Divorce court is my prediction here.
Boraxo! It’s a floor wax AND a dessert topping!
New Shimmer Floor Wax
I don’t change seats. EVER. This woman not having the seat she wants is HER problem, not mine.
My gut tells me that she’s a self important, self centered, pompous person and probably demanded that he move. I don’t believe for one second that she asked the aisle seat passenger if he would mind moving in a kind way. I would have said no too. She was with her children, it wasn’t as though they were my themselves in the row with the aisle seat passenger. Furthermore, the way she spoke to the Flight Attendant about the man and situation would have cemented me in my seat.
I’ve had this happen a few times. I always choose and pay for an aisle seat. I’ve had persons next to me in the middle of a 3/3 ask to me to switch to a middle occupied by their friend so they could sit next to their travel companion (obviously both took their chances and ended up with middle seats on a full plane). Always said no. Only once have gotten any pushback. I offered to give up my seat if they reimbursed me for what ai paid for the aisle. They declined.
This “debate” is hilarious on so many levels! She wanted clicks/attention? Did she not realize (of course she didn’t!) most of that attention would be negative? And her language! Ugh!
Start laying down the Benjamin’s sweetie, THEN we have something to talk about!
I usually tell these entitled bimbos NO for any extra request. They’ve had life too easy. Time for some hard knocks…..
I always pick an aisle seat because it is more comfortable. She is a model and probably some sort of internet important person. Therefore the world owes her a living. Tough on her.
These are all good comments. And this woman is NOT ENTITLED. SUFFER a little bit or buy your business class ticket.
Vogue? Gigi? Theodore? FFS! This woman screams “entitled t##t”” even before you ‘like’ read the story. As cabin crew I would suggest something along the lines of….”excuse me, would you mind swapping seats? please don’t feel compelled to, perhaps I could buy you a drink from the bar for your trouble,?”. If she’s not prepared to act like a decent human being, I wouldn’t swap either – a short “no”off usually suffices, she doesn’t deserve a reason. Like.
If she is a model why not fly business class! And for 2hr flight?! Wtf entitled b***h maybe air staff should have kicked her out t**t. Mistake of booking wrong seat? More like I’m an idiot and booked wrong seat because I can’t read or write idiot
JUST ANOTHER FEMALE THAT THINKS SHE IS ENTITLED……..AND ISN’T…..
WHAT A BITCH……..
If I wanted a window seat, I would have booked one. I might have changed for another aisle seat but not a window or middle seat. Obviously, this is a case of an entitled bitch who thinks the world revolves around her. Judging by her rants, she is a terrible person. Maybe it’s time she loses some bookings based on what she wore. Shameful! Unfortunately, she’s probably breeding a bunch of fte assholes just like herself.
First, I personally would mot mind as it is a short trip. But..if she talked to me in a condescending and insulting way..then we have a problem. I let your fantasies imagine the outcome.
Tha is why I research and only book seats which suit my preferences..to avoid any of these human disgraceful outburts! Model or not, Beautiful or ugly…it is still about decency and breeding!
So called model with a smart mouth hiding behind her children would have gotten her face smashed had she spoken to me as she had .
I always answer in my mother tongue, if asked to move in a foreign language like English.
(There are probably more employees at Wallmart, then speaking my language).
Making it obviously clear wih gestures, that I don’t have a clue about what they are trying to communicate.
Problem solved.
The thing that’s starting to stand out to me in these stories is the idea that it’s very easy to book the wrong seat. I don’t really get that. We’re supposed to look past the idea that a person traveling with three kids under the age of 4, one of them a lap infant, just didn’t pay attention when booking seats.
To me, that’s ridiculous. When traveling with littles, messing up a detail like that can mean disaster. Traveling with small kids and reserved seats- I probably look at the seat assignments half a dozen times before the day of travel, at minimum. And how hard is it anyway– there’s a diagram of the seats with markers indicating which seats your butts will be in… Spend a little more time playing connect 4 and a little less time on instagram and this might work out for you.
Also, I try, when possible to put us in the same seats on connecting flights– if we’re seats 8A-8D on leg 1, try to do 8A-8D on leg 2, just so everyone can remember their spot. When boarding a plane with an infant in one arm and a carry on bag in the other hand, I don’t want to have to pull out a paper boarding pass, or worse a cell phone (cell phone often takes 2 hands) to confirm our seat assignment. And anyone who has done it knows that the moment you get to the entrance of the plane, your child will hand you something to carry for them.
This is what travel with little kids is like, plan accordingly.
This is a very common occurrence. The kids have an unexpected photo shot in Gibraltar. Purchased tickets at the last minute. Husband decide to come. No more seats across the aisle. Bully your neighbor. SHAME!
But this doesn’t make sense.Looke like this was a 3-3 seats plane.Assume she seated in 28A 2-year-old seated in 28B 3-year-old seated in 28C.The gentleman seated in 28D.He seated in 28F.And he asked the gentleman “switching with his wife in the window seat” to 28A so the family can seat one by one?How could this be?
First class
Um if it were aisle for aisle I would understand, but to think someone should give up their aisle for a window is batshit crazy. F her
I can’t believe how entitled this woman is!!! I’ve traveled many times with my husband and two children and many times we’ve been seated 3 in one row and 1 in another and I never asked someone to switch so that we could all be together and still never would. Also, I’m claustrophobic and sitting in a window seat gives my anxiety. I just can’t believe how entitled some people are!
I am a mother who frequently traveled with three young kids without my deployed husband at all. She had all the kids seated with her, and her husband was a couple seats and an aisle away. Pretty entitled to me.
And when I PAY extra to reserve a specific seat, I expect to have that seat. Not to sound unkind, but barring the requestor enduring an emergency that made it impossible to sit with her very young kids, I would expect to be reimbursed for my extra payment. My most recent flight a couple weeks ago from Miami to London, I paid $83 more to reserve the exact seat I wanted. As far as I’m concerned, asking someone who paid extra for a specific seat without offering to pay them back is extremely rude, at best.
I think all of you are insane. Let’s be grateful for the fact thsf there are few accidents in aircraft, but how in G-ds name was she supposed to get all three of those kids off the plane by herself in an emergency? Then her husband, rather then being right next to her to help, would have been rows behind and would have fought like hell to get to her to help.
If I were in this situation and he said no to switching I would then ask him to help in the event of an emergency. Which is what I always did when flying with multiple young kids when I flew alone.
Let’s also assume that he said no, and they said fine. Now let’s be real. That Dad should be up in the aisle about every 5 minutes helping mom with the kids. Taking the baby, taking kids to the potty, etc.
I get why you need an aisle. And it might have been best to ask around to see if another aisle could be found for him.
Her cursing was uncalled for, and I’m sure I’ll get a bunch of hate for thinking that it’s safer for them to be together. But the truth is that it is.
“but how in G-ds name was she supposed to get all three of those kids off the plane by herself in an emergency?”
That’s HER damn problem. They’re HER kids, not somebody else’s.
Mention three emergencies during flight that are supported by data and required a husband to be fixed. NONE. If she was worried about this issue, why she didn’t seat in the window and let the husband deal with the children (that would be more husbandry correct, don’t you think?, not to disturb your neighbor). Bullying, indeed.
go to Flyertalk Alaska Air forum….that’s where the first post on this seat switching thing started a few weeks ago…until it was shut down…today. Yeah….I’m the one who posted it. Nice to see Matthew calling out SHAME. FT mod deleted my phrasing on that.
The poor Irish model needs to do more travelling so she can understand why lots of pax would not trade an aisle seat for a window seat. Yup, go on a rant, then say it was a joke when the backlash hits. What a dope. We’re all not as stupid as she is.
Could her booking error have actually been a plan? Perhaps. I find it suspect. Why would you want to make such a media fuss about your foolish behavior? It seems we are seeing a rise of influencers, minor celebs using any publicity to get more followers or simply your name out there. Ugh. I may be done with this type of drama. And no, in this case I would not have moved. Lock the seatbelt & put in the headphones!
Asking for a favor? It can be granted or denied – it’s that simple abd accept it. Increase your chance by asking very, very nicely. Acting and talking entitled won’t cut it.
I would not switch an isle for a window. Given I have knee issue I need to extend my leg into aisle and could not do that in a window seat.
The last time I was asked to do a switch was on a flight to Mexico from CA. I made my reservation months ahead and this family traveling together made theirs the day before flight.
I for one am an older gentleman who cherishes the aisle seat for visits to the lavatory. I have flown frequently and have always attempted to secure a particular seat when available and yet have been thankful at times to sit anywhere.
A family of five with small children should be more attentive when booking flights and seats. The shaming was unnecessary as well as rude.
“entitled”?????????
She had it all backwards. SHE was the “f***ing piece of s**t.”
My rules are clear, I will not exchange my seat unless is equivalent (I only fly aisle) AND the person requesting has a limitations or older than I am (65 years). Those little brads, millennials, and other generations bellow genexes need to learn to respect their elders. Period.
This is definitely an episode for Curb your Enthusiasm
It depends on many things. If there is a particular reason why I chose that seat I might hesitate. If the new seat is less desirable I might hesitate. If the parents are two men or two women I certainly wouldn’t agree. Otherwise I would move. The way that this woman behaved was unacceptable, she’s certainly no model.
Another meanspirited, empty-headed, pretty girl used to getting everything she wants. Stuff her in a dog crate and put her in the cargo hold.
Just because you can breed doesn’t mean I have to accommodate your family! NO – I won’t give up the aisle seat that I paid for and booked in advance to make sure I sit where I am comfortable. And her response just proves why I would never do it! ENTITLED Bi&%H
I was going to trot out the woke tropes, but the zombies beat me to it. One said, “Your language spreads a dangerously false narrative that perpetuates a mindset that has been characteristic of a culture of violence and oppression.”
You just can’t pen a sentence like that without at least four years in a humanities course at a western school.