It never ceases to amaze me how passengers so rudely inconvenience others over seating, even on very short flights. A United flight from San Francisco to Las Vegas provides a prime case study.

Man Hassles Flight Attendant Over A Seat Swap For His Wife On A Short Flight. How Dense Can People Be?

A traveler shares of an unsavory incident that occurred on his United Airlines flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Las Vegas (LAS):

For short flights I usually prefer an aisle seat. This was a SFO to LAS flight. After the plane was nearly finished boarding I was excited that the middle seat next to me was empty. Then nope, a woman shows up next to me and doesn’t say anything but just looked kind of concerned and was staring at the empty middle seat next to me. I asked if this was her seat so I can get up to let her in. She said no, it was her travel companion’s seat (a man, I presume it was her husband). I get up and let him in, meanwhile she goes farther to back of plane.

I didn’t think much of it. Later, the FA is passing out earphones and was asking if anyone would like one. She’s handing them out row by row and was maybe two rows behind us. The man next to me asks for her attention, and she acknowledges and said she will be right there. He keeps trying to get her attention, and she repeatedly acknowledges… as if he was expecting her to drop what she’s doing and come to him. It was cringey to see.

Flight attendants have a special word for passengers like this: Philip. (“Passenger I’d Like to Punch”).

FA finally gets to our row and the man explains that his wife is seated away from him and asks if she could be moved NEXT to him.

Can you imagine me raising my eye brow and a worried look on my face?

The FA explained it is a full flight and there are no open seats and he would have to ask other passengers if they would be willing to move. I looked back to see where the wife is and she’s about 5 rows back and in a middle seat.

I might have considered it if he asked me nicely, but somehow with him flagging down a FA to make this request almost feels like a power move.

I decide to put on my earphones right away so I can act oblivious to the conversation happening. Needless to say, I did not offer my aisle seat to sit farther back in a middle seat.

This flight is blocked at 90 minutes and the time in the air is often less than an hour. Why would anyone inconvenience a flight attendant over this?

Apparently, the man did not like that the aisle passenger did not agree to swap seats with his wife (from an aisle to a middle).

Later the man was so impatient to get out of his seat when we were deplaning. He shoved past me as I was getting my belongings from the overhead bin. He was just like “let me out”. Quite rude. I think he was trying to get to his wife, but that’s going to be inconvenient because he is trying to get toward back of the plane while everyone else is will still be trying to get off the flight. I didn’t look back to see what drama that’s going to cause, because I’m going to be happy to never deal with him again.

Good for this guy for just letting it go. I’m to the point where I speak up…I’m not sure that is always wise or worth my breath. Just last night there was some guy at the gym who got out of the shower without a towel and left the floor around the lockers all wet. I pointed to the floor and told him to clean it up, which led to him raising his voice and cursing me out.

Yes…there is virtue to holding your tongue.

I just can’t believe people can be so rude or insensitive. Actually, I guess I can…but I’ll continue to call it out.