I skim Reddit constantly in the American, Delta, and United forums for story ideas…sometimes there are some real gems but so often the stories appear to be tall tales written by Chat GPT. What is it about that platform that attracts such pointless fiction?
The Fictional Tale Of The Entitled Delta Platinum Medallion Who Demanded Seat 27A – What’s The Point Of Making Up Such A Story?
Time is money and I hate wasting it with fake stories, even ones that are fairly humorous or clever. Life’s too complicated enough as it is… the truth is indeed stranger than fiction. Increasingly, I see stories like the one below, written about an “entitled” Delta Air Lines Platinum Medallion member who demanded his preferred economy last seat on a flight from Amsterdam (AMS) to Minneapolis (MSP):
This happened a few weeks ago on a flight from Schiphol to Minneapolis. I was in 27A—bulkhead window in main cabin.
The flight wasn’t even full, so I was already mentally settling in for a smooth ride.
Boarding’s nearly wrapped up when this guy stops at my row, looks at me like I’ve committed a grave offense, and says, “You’re in my seat.”
I glanced up and said, “27A?”
“Yeah. I’m Platinum. I always sit here. The airline usually handles it.”
I gave him a blank stare. “Well, this is my seat. 27A. I’m assigned here.”
He waves his hand like I’m just being unreasonable. “Come on, you can take mine. It’s a few rows back. I always sit bulkhead.”
I didn’t flinch. “Then you should’ve booked it. That’s not my problem.”
He kept going, “You’re really gonna make me sit in the back just because of a seat assignment?”
I said, “Yes. You’re really gonna make me explain to you that your status doesn’t affect my seat? I think we’re done here. Have a nice flight.”
At this point, I put on my headphones (in listen-through mode, because, of course, I was eavesdropping) and opened my book. He flagged down an FA.
“He’s refusing to move! I’m Platinum! I fly this route all the time! I always sit here. The airline has to accommodate me!”
She didn’t even look at me—just turned to him and said, “Sir, your seat is 34C. This passenger is in his assigned seat. You need to go to your seat.”
He didn’t back down. “But I’m Platinum! Doesn’t that count for something?”
She just gave him that perfect flight attendant smile—the one that says, “I’ll be polite, but I’m done with you.” “It doesn’t override his seat assignment.”
He wasn’t done, though. “You really can’t do anything about this?”
“I can ask you again to take your seat, but if you want to talk to a gate agent, we can delay the flight while you sort it out.”
At that, he muttered something about “loyalty not meaning anything anymore” and stomped off to row 34, clearly a shell of the Platinum status he thought entitled him to everything.
If there’s any moral lesson to this fable it is that such passengers should be pitied and ignored. Just put your headphones back on and hit the flight attendant call button if the disturbance continues.
But the story doesn’t pass my smell test…I mean, the only thing that is missing is everyone clapping as Mr. Platinum made the “walk of shame” back to his seat.
Nevertheless, I’m covering it not for the sake of discussion over the theoretical incident (because I would be surprised if a situation like this ever really would come up) but because I’m seeing more and more posts like this not only on Reddit, but on Flyertalk too…
Do people have that much time on their hands?
Are people so starved for attention that they make up stories in aviation forums just to see who reacts? Even when they are anonymous?
I’ll continue to cover stories I pull from Reddit…but certainly not any I believe to be created by AI. Here, I just wanted to see if any of you can help me understand what drives folks to create these stories.
image: Delta
Irony.
noun
the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
“Are people so starved for attention that they make up stories in aviation forums just to see who reacts? Even when they are anonymous?”
Obviously
I remember reading a Reddit thread ~2 years ago about someone who booked a “First Class” ticket/seat on… Frontier. IIRC, they claimed that F9’s F was what other airlines called Business Class. Oh, and both F9 and Spirit have F/J and fly widebodies. Total BS, but a lot of people seemed to think it was true (but a lot also called out the inconsistencies).
So why post about it here, Matthew?
My question exactly…he asks if people have too much time, yet he has added to the waste of time for those of us who read his blog…albeit less and less. Anyway it’s his blog. I stopped reading some other blogs that thrive on tabloid-like stories and useless fables, but I understand it drives up readership
In this case, it was just to comment on the absurdity of it.
Now I’ve made that point, so hold me accountable that I don’t post these stories again if I don’t think they are true.
Every word that comes out of every member of the US Government every time they speak is a lie, so why should us underlings behave any differently? Reality is so 2000 and LATE!
There have been a bunch of unruly passenger videos going around on Instagram using clearly fake aircraft cabin sets. I really don’t understand how people are actually spending money to make content like this.
Times change, 50 years ago we didn’t think chicks with d#cks would think they could go in women’s bathrooms or play in their sports. Now we have the former political party of the middle class and union workers fighting for them.
The only thing that didn’t change is grifters will always look for the easy bucks instead of working for a living. This story proves it in multiple ways.
Ah, good ole Douchebag Dave Edwards, always the vile, racist, bigoted, narrow minded, last century comment. You write as though you’re an expert on “chicks with dicks” and grifters, probably because “it takes one to know one”, kinda like years ago that rapidly anti-gay politician from the Northwest who was caught and videotaped soliciting a gay partner in a public restroom.
rabidly
This is on the home page of Bored Panda. Remember an age where fiction was a book category?
YouTube ones waste even more time.
Homeless billionaire.
Keanu Reeves sad stories
Pawn Stars got jailed.
These are even worse at wasting time than weight loss or bogus get rich seminars.
@Matthew why is this so implausible?
There are some pretty pathetic people out there who need to feel validated because of low self-esteem and they do or write ridiculous things to try to puff themselves up by insulting people, displaying racism, sexism, tribalism, homophobia, etc.
I actually find this post far more telling to the world than your treatise on blogging, Matthew. In essence, it is the root of everything you endure in your work and the questions you are facing with your take on media today.
Years from now studies will reveal the how and why we started hating each other. The truth will be frightening. Or, in the case of reflection years from now, the question of how we didn’t see it clearly will be at the forefront. The answer is probably right in front of us.
It won’t be for one reason. But many. Boredom, loneliness, entitlement, lack of education just a few. All of those factors allowing for targeted attacks on society that are so easy from within and abroad. America is low hanging fruit.
I know that people are inherently good. I see it every day. Everywhere in the world. This post is a wake up call to question how much of our hatred is based on fiction rather than reality. With that, our revolting against the lies. No, it’s not easy when your own “leaders” have bought in to those lies, or are creating them. Yet, at some point we need to stop randomly believing what others tell us and facing towards an honest path. Even if it takes a civil war to achieve. Which it just might.
So a Platinum flyer doesn’t understand seat assignments? OK then…
Matthew: The Reddit post may NOT be entirely fiction. 1, truth is stranger than fiction, or if it sounds too strange and made-up to be true, it probably is. 2, there’s a reason these memes get started, ultimately they’re all based in reality. 3, there are many people out there, and many of them, perhaps particularly some airline elite status holders, are schmucks. Or, as I like to think, and invariably witness within a minute or two, when I’m occasionally driving overly-aggressively, “there’s always a bigger anal sphincter on the road than I am.“ 4, there are many many accounts (experiences) very similar to this one, this account doesn’t approach the most strange or the most unbelievable.
You could be right…I would not be surprised, but it still doesn’t pass the smell test and I don’t know why someone would make up the story…
Must have not spent some time on Reddit.
Reddit is full of fictional drama queen looking for attention. They were never Platinums. That’s why story doesn’t add up.
As to why, I’d suggest you look at your new refugee poster for reasons.
I agree with you Matthew…but look how much attention it generated? For many, that is all it comes down to.
But what ‘platinum’ would always sit in ’27a’? Of all the seats on a plane…..
Now that the current administration has re-legalized the use of the word retard, reddit can rename itself redardit, a much better description of its user base.
Even Diamond Medallion does not count…You have to have DELTA 360 status to really get elite treatment. As several Gate agents and FA’s have told me Diamond Medallion does not really count anymore!!!