One of the hallmarks of American culture is passive aggressiveness and it was on full display in a rather comical way involving a “stolen” exit row seat on a recent United Airlines flight.
Seatmate Rats Out Exit Row Poacher on United Flight, Then Claims She Was Trying To Help Her Avoid Fee…
Travel blogger Ariana Arghandewal, who runs Pointschaser, posted about a recent experience she had on United Airlines. I’ll summarize it:
- Arghandewal was seated in the exit row in an aisle seat, with the middle and window seats empty
- Toward the end of the boarding process, a woman boarded, stopped at the row, and asked Arghandewal if she could sit there, explaining, “I need a little extra space.”
- Another woman sitting across the aisle piped in that flight attendants had announced there was a $100 fee to upgrade to EconomyPlus, United’s extra-legroom economy section, but added, “Maybe they won’t charge you?”
- The “seat poacher” decided to remain in the exit row, justifying it by saying that she was one of the last to board
- Oddly, she plopped herself down in the middle seat instead of the exit row seat (and this was not one of those rows where the slide storage protrudes into the cabin and makes the window seat uncomfortable)
- A minute later, a flight attendant walked by and the woman across the aisle stopped the FA and asked, “Is there a charge for upgrading to this row? Because this woman did and I don’t want her to get charged.”
- A confused look spread across the FA’s face and the poacher mumbled, “You just messed up my whole thing!”
- The FA actually just began to walk away, but the woman across the aisle piped up again, stating, “She didn’t pay for her upgrade and you guys will charge her right?”
- The FA then told the seat poacher to move back to her assigned seat
- But the poacher explained, “Well the FA by the door told me to sit anywhere I wanted. I’m in 30 and don’t wanna sit that far.”
- The lady across the aisle said, “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to get you in trouble.”
- The poacher responded, “Yeah well you knew this would be the outcome if you had a brain.”
- Now upset, the poacher got up to gather her things
- The lady across the aisle said, “I just didn’t want you to get charged” to which the poacher responded, “Well if I got charged I’d pay for it. I have money
- She started to make her way out of the row, mumbling, “Now I know why people go crazy on planes sometimes.”
- Then the FA who was at the boarding door showed up and told the poacher, “I told you to sit at your designated seat and if anything else was available, we’d let you move. I didn’t say you can sit anywhere.”
- The poacher responded, “Well you said only one other person is boarding the flight! With so much space why can’t I just sit wherever I want?!”
- She was told she could sit anywhere within the economy class cabin, but not upgrade to “premium economy” (the FA meant extra-legroom economy)
- So the poacher grabbed her stuff in a huff and walked down the aisle, saying, “I’ll Just move to the poor people’s economy section and be uncomfortable.”
- Apparently, the poacher cried during the flight…
- Meanwhile, the woman across the aisle stuck her bare feet up on the armrests of the seat in front of her.
- Arghandewal considered asking an FA, “Is she allowed to have her bare feet on the armrests like that? I don’t want her to be charged a cleaning
fee.”
LOL.
To answer her question, I am of the opinion that both were Karens…or to put it more nicely to all the decent Karens out there, both women were jerks. I tend to be more sympathetic to the poacher than the woman across the aisle…we all need to mind our own business better. I can also understand why the poacher thought she could take any leftover seat.
But if you want extra legroom, pay for it…don’t steal it and then cry when you are called out for it. And just a common courtesy tip: if you poach a seat and there is a window and middle open, take the window so you don’t bother the person in the aisle.
What do you think about this?
By the poacher’s logic, I guess I’ll just sit in Business Class next time I board. You want something, pay for it. Pure and simple. Sounds like the other female handled it well.
I thought Ariana had retired. It’s great to know that she’s still blogging.
jesus mcchrist. There is a thing called spellcheck, Karen. Why don’t you proof your shoddy journalism?
Obviously bare foot was playing a passive-aggressive game, and the bare feet says a lot. I would consider doing the same snitching. However, I’d do it because I figured exit-row-aisle didn’t want poacher sitting in the middle, but was afraid to say something. Never going to be an issue for me, since I buy F and there are never F seats to poach on my flights.
Well done. I am tired of people playing stupid. Get your ass on the seat you paid.
The poacher was attempting theft. Her intention was to take a seat that costs more and she wasn’t willing to pay for when purchasing. And the nerve to take a seat directly next to someone who had an empty.
The accuser’s “so you don’t have to pay” was a lie. Just straight out point it out to the FA, quietly if needed.
Arianna is more patient than most, putting up with someone poaching and taking up her arm rest when another seat was available adjacent.
The analogy I use is you cannot buy a seat in the nosebleeds then move down to field level. Years ago you could get away with it but no more.
LOL. Yes, I have fond memoriess of doing exactly that at Dodger Stadium…20 years ago.
I took a friend to National Stadium and snuck into the lower seats easily after a few innings. They don’t check tickets for most places after a bit.
That being said, I don’t pity the poachers but also find the Karen’s “kindness” to be annoying. Man (woman) up and simply say that you don’t want people stealing seats in a section you paid for. Done.
do we really need to review limitless passenger behavior issues here? Hopefully there are more rewarding things to report.
What I think is that you should stop using this ridiculous Karen business which is very insulting to women who happen to be named Karen.
Calm down, Karen.
I agree Sari. I know a wonderful kind smart woman named Karen. Using a woman’s name in a derogatory way isn’t kind or respectful. It’s just inconsiderate.
The writer needs how to spell. Tons of errors in this article.
invovling
remian
herslef
ws
portrudes
assinged
respodned
ugprade
underastnd
Sorry, clearly a spell check malfunction.
I’d rather sit by a seat poacher than a barefoot tattletale.
They both have cattiness stink.
Both should be sent to the bad part of hell.
Cmom. The women tried to get away of using something she didn’t pay for. That’s called STEALING. Period
I don’t even want to see pictures of feet on armrests/seatbacks let alone the actual things when I am on a plane. People” keep your butts in the seat you paid for and keep your ugly-ass deformed feet from deflecting any sort of light into my eyeballs.
100% the woman across the aisle was a hero. Doing the Lord’s work. Seat poachers are base scum.
“See something, say something.”