WNY Couple Refuses To Let People Sit On Flight

You probably think I’m going to talk about the baby that cries or the kid who kicks the back of your seat.

Nope. Not today.

This letter is to the older couple who boarded a full flight to Buffalo-Niagara airport, knowing it was full and yet choosing to be an absolute prude who wanted to have ample leg room, seating the two of them in three perfectly vacant chairs — with each chair being designed for one butt.

This couple didn’t see it that way.

The lady sat on the side closest to the aisle way, with her bags (and I assume her husband’s) perched comfortably in the middle seat. She was watching something on her iPad and had her earbuds in to ignore anyone (like me) who may ask her, “Excuse me, is anyone sitting there?”

Any intelligent person knows that when a flight attendant says, “This is a full flight headed to Buffalo-Niagara today,” that means yes, EVERY SEAT WILL BE FILLED.

That’s what a full flight is, though I’m sure you already know that.

As I board in Group C (the last group), I noticed that seats are running out, and since I’m traveling alone, I do not mind the middle seat. 

I approach the lady completely zoned into her iPad attempting to ignore me, “Excuse me, is anyone sitting there?” 

She ignores me, but the husband sitting closest to the window heard me, and his half-glance in my direction gave me a sliver of hope that perhaps this couple will allow me to sit down.

I asked again, and the lady rips out an earbud looking completely annoyed, and said, “YES! Someone is sitting here.”

A member of the Bills Mafia made room for me across the aisle, but I watched as more people continued to board this full flight to Buffalo-Niagara.

Eventually, it came down to one guy.

“Is anyone sitting there?” He asked the couple, except he didn’t allow them to respond.

“Please. There’s no other seats. I have to know if someone is sitting here.”

The couple looks to me across the aisle before admitting that, in fact, nobody is sitting there at all. They just wanted “more leg room.” 

Do not be these people.

These are the same people who were complaining about the flight crew working hard to get everyone seated so they could take off on the flight, when really they could have done their part by allowing someone to sit down.

These are the same people who think the rules do not apply to them. They only hear what they want to hear, and “full flight” does not matter to them.

This is the same couple that took a phone call right at take off, when yes, every device is supposed to be in airplane mode.

And yes, these are the same people who are critiquing the flight staff’s pre-take off safety checks (which by the way, don’t you want to live?)

Take a deep breath, have patience, and have empathy for the people around you.

A lot of people think the world revolves around them when in reality, it does not.

You’re not the only one on this plane, and you’re not the only one in this city, on this earth.
Put yourself in someone else's shoes and ask yourself, “Would I have responded the same?”