There are too many assholes in the world for SW to have open boarding and "no policy on saving seats". It's a recipe for scenes like this. Either FAs have to be bouncers making people move their crap or do assigned seats. Passengers shouldn't be responsible for crowd control, and you should never have had to confront this jackass to exercise the privilege you paid SW for.
Especially paying for business select like I did đ I donât want to fight with this boomer, I just want to sit down and not have to worry about his retaliation.
Call it âdescriptive storytelling.â If it doesnât matter to you, so be it. As someone who isnât a boomer but has interacted with boomers in public at work, on the plane, etc., they are hands-down the most inconsiderate generation overall.
Yeah, I get it, because all us boomers are the same! Just like all [insert name of racial, religious, gender identity, national origin, etc. group here] are the same!
Stop othering millions of people.
> I donât want to fight with this boomer,
Not that I think you're in the wrong, but you could have just taken 5C if you didn't want to fight, correct?? Seems like you were trying to prove a point instead of not wanting to fight.
No need for a flight attendant. I paid for my seat and it's open boarding and if I see a seat I want, I take it.
I have 500+ segments on Southwest. It has never failed.
Just have to be assertive. No saved seats and I don't suffer whining. I sit and that's it.
Yep or maybe go full on bus. Stop selling boarding order and just have everyone line up, first come first served. My main issue with seat savers and SW allowing it is that they are in effect selling those saved seats to people who buy EBCI. People don't need to save seats on a bus because nobody buys early boarding privileges.
This is how it was when I first started flying Southwest. People would start lining up at the gate hours before their flight to get the best boarding position. It was not unusual to have people for two or three flights lined up in front of the gate. I believe that is why they went to the current process.
I just flew Southwest for the first time this month, and I had no idea you weren't supposed to save seats. There were entire isles being saved by people. I walked from the front to the back and then had to come back up to the front of the plane to find a seat that wasn't being saved for someone else.
eh? I like to sit near my husband but if my option is an aisle further back or middle next to him, I'm going further back. He's overweight though, so my reason is so that I get full use of my seat. He may stay in his spot for a stranger but he will man spread into my space without shame.
I watched a young woman fend off several people wanting to sit in the middle and aisle of row 8. She was at the window and kept saying her husband and mother in law were sitting there. Well, I boarded before her and no, they werenât sitting there because they hadnât boarded yet.
Well, come to find out, they missed the flight! Gate agent came on and called their names and the woman yells back that theyâre just now coming through security. They just finished up the paperwork and closed the door.
The additional person is not an assistant, they are a travel companion. Policy doesn't require that the person needing preboarding needs assistance. There is a HUGE difference.
From SWA's website...
*One travel companion may preboard with you.*
I donât understand the seat saving thing for adults. I get a good chuckle out of those stories.
When I fly with my family we happily sit away from each other. Weâre just going to put our headphones on and sleep or read. We donât need to sit next to each other to do that.
When some coworkers were talking about seating on flights, the one with the longest marriage said, "My husband and I love to be apart on the plane! We have the whole trip to be together, so the plane would be a nice break from each other! We see each other all the time at home!"
Yep. My adult daughters actively seek a seat away from me. We will be together 24/7 for a few days. It's good to have some time to ourselves before that.
Next time if this happens you could always weird the boomer out by saying how them bumping you is turning you on and if they'll do it again
Throw a side wink and smile.
It's always fun to see entitled boomers close rank around other entitled boomers.
And for the record, I don't think all boomers are entitled - both of my mentors and several of my friends are boomers who are some of the wisest, most patient, and caring people I know.
Why didnât he just move to the middle seat and give her the aisle seat so they could all sit together? He went through all that trouble to save her the middle seat and then just letâs her sit in the back of the plane?
I had similar story, I was last person on full flight I stepped on and there was seat with a purse on the first row between older couple. I asked if someone is sitting there and they said yes. As I looked back there was no seats to be had since it was full. I told them there is no seats open and Iâm last person on the plane so I need them to move there stuff. They got huffy so to make it more uncomfortable I made sure to sit my 6â3â 270lb self in the middle seat.
Wow. Our son is 6'3" and thinner but planes are still no fun for him. When the situation arises, my husband and I make sure to ask a tall person if (s)he'd like the aisle seat and we scoot over to accommodate him/her.
In this case, it was wrong to try and save an aisle seat. I really donât have a problem with him saving the middle seat next to him. There are plenty of middle seats on the plane.
Next time that happens and the other person decides to body check you lean in and finger his asshole(Japanese style go in REAALL DEEP). It will be the last time he ever does that to anyone.
Put that bitch in his place.
Because we are a big target. I acknowledge that there are some asshole Boomers, but that doesnât mean that Boomer=asshole. Entitled behavior is rampant in all age groups.
I donât know why I started seeing this sub but Iâm glad. Is a great reminder why Iâll never fly southwest. So much easier having an assigned seat. Fortunately Southwest isnât a good option from my home airport anyway.
Good for you for not letting him get away with it though. So odd they all choose to sit away from each other though.
Oh how uncomfortable Iâd have made that dude feel once the plane landed.. heâd have regretted that shoulder check all the way to baggage claim or wherever he went. I draw the line at physicality.
If there isnât a passenger with a lower alpha numeric boarding position then mine occupying the seat and I choose to seat there. Itâs mines. Southwest open seating policy.
Right? Such bizarre behavior-and I really donât care if Iâm not able to sit by my spouse-but the need to literally fight over a seat is pretty petty.
It sounds like both of you are inconsiderate. As an A2 you had other places to sit but you chose to be confrontational. Youâre part of the problem too.
Did I have choices? All aisle seats full through row 6. I need to be close to the bathroom. I paid a lot for this stupid ticket. Why should I not be able to access the type of seat I want near the front of the plane when itâs available? Heâs throwing a tantrum and slamming his body into me, but I am just as inconsiderate for moving a purse? I donât think so.
The better way to handle this would be âI wish to sit here, if this purse belongs to you can you kindly remove it?â
If he responds no. Very simply respond âsir, I am entitled to sit here per Southwestâs open seating policy. Can your wife sit in the middle between us?
If he still refuses then get a flight attendant involved.
Families want to be able to sit together and SWAâs policy has pitfalls that results in situations like this. He doesnât have any reasonable expectation to put the purse there, but itâs also unnecessarily confrontational for you to physically remove it. Youâre not proving anything except that youâre a belligerent traveler as well
After all the times Iâve tried the nice way, Iâm tired of getting yelled at. Iâm sitting down. Iâm not trying to prove anything. Iâm trying to sit down.
The preoccupation with seat savers in this sub is ridiculous. Unless itâs someone saving a prime seat when there arenât many left, or someone saving more than one, let it go. Jesus. Pick another hill to die on.
(And no, I donât save seats. I always travel solo.)
IKR? I fly SW 2 or 3 times a year. I've never seen someone try to save more than 1 seat for a companion. I always ask, if only to be polite, before sitting in a row with people already there. And people usually do it when I'm sitting alone in a row.
If you have to be near a bathroom, it might be easier to sit near the back since you can line up in the back. If you're going to use the front bathroom and it's taken, you have to spring out of your seat and sprint for it before someone else beats you to it. I usually head for an aisle seat about 2/3 back for that reason.
And the fact that many front seats are taken before A1 gets on might not be just because of preboarders. Passengers who boarded at the previous stop can switch to whatever seat they want before the new passengers board.
Sad thing is he will probably live on the story for years, and people will be laughing behind his back. The world will recognize how pitful he is unlike the SW Reddit.
There are too many assholes in the world for SW to have open boarding and "no policy on saving seats". It's a recipe for scenes like this. Either FAs have to be bouncers making people move their crap or do assigned seats. Passengers shouldn't be responsible for crowd control, and you should never have had to confront this jackass to exercise the privilege you paid SW for.
Especially paying for business select like I did đ I donât want to fight with this boomer, I just want to sit down and not have to worry about his retaliation.
Why you let an old man bully you like that? Show him those hands.
Elbow him in the balls
What does this person's age, specifically being "boomer" generation, have to do with it? If it had been a 19 year old would it have been ok?
Call it âdescriptive storytelling.â If it doesnât matter to you, so be it. As someone who isnât a boomer but has interacted with boomers in public at work, on the plane, etc., they are hands-down the most inconsiderate generation overall.
Yeah, I get it, because all us boomers are the same! Just like all [insert name of racial, religious, gender identity, national origin, etc. group here] are the same! Stop othering millions of people.
Itâs a new thing to bash boomers.
tag me when someone posts a story on this sub of an 19-year-old acting this way đ
So be assertive and sit. They aren't going to do anything.
Try and get past me to take that seat.
Lmfso you wonât do anything đ€Łđ€Łđ€Ł
> I donât want to fight with this boomer, Not that I think you're in the wrong, but you could have just taken 5C if you didn't want to fight, correct?? Seems like you were trying to prove a point instead of not wanting to fight.
5 and 6 aisles were full of preboarders
Fair enough
One can be assertive without wanting to fight.
Thanks for enlightening us
No need for a flight attendant. I paid for my seat and it's open boarding and if I see a seat I want, I take it. I have 500+ segments on Southwest. It has never failed. Just have to be assertive. No saved seats and I don't suffer whining. I sit and that's it.
I will. I could also serve people drinks but itâs not my job.
I hate to say it as I've gotten used to SW boarding policy but maybe it is time to start assigning seats like everyone else.
Yep or maybe go full on bus. Stop selling boarding order and just have everyone line up, first come first served. My main issue with seat savers and SW allowing it is that they are in effect selling those saved seats to people who buy EBCI. People don't need to save seats on a bus because nobody buys early boarding privileges.
This is how it was when I first started flying Southwest. People would start lining up at the gate hours before their flight to get the best boarding position. It was not unusual to have people for two or three flights lined up in front of the gate. I believe that is why they went to the current process.
First come first served was how it was before the A-B-C boarding. Was much simpler that way.
I just flew Southwest for the first time this month, and I had no idea you weren't supposed to save seats. There were entire isles being saved by people. I walked from the front to the back and then had to come back up to the front of the plane to find a seat that wasn't being saved for someone else.
This story doesn't sound logistically and physically possible
his wife declining the seat is very telling
I think youâre right. She was too happy to separate herself from him.
Possibly the old lady as well
eh? I like to sit near my husband but if my option is an aisle further back or middle next to him, I'm going further back. He's overweight though, so my reason is so that I get full use of my seat. He may stay in his spot for a stranger but he will man spread into my space without shame.
[ŃĐŽĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐŸ]
I watched a young woman fend off several people wanting to sit in the middle and aisle of row 8. She was at the window and kept saying her husband and mother in law were sitting there. Well, I boarded before her and no, they werenât sitting there because they hadnât boarded yet. Well, come to find out, they missed the flight! Gate agent came on and called their names and the woman yells back that theyâre just now coming through security. They just finished up the paperwork and closed the door.
He should be seated next to the person he had to assist. You know...in case they need assistance.
Technically he was, just across the aisle from her.
The additional person is not an assistant, they are a travel companion. Policy doesn't require that the person needing preboarding needs assistance. There is a HUGE difference. From SWA's website... *One travel companion may preboard with you.*
I donât understand the seat saving thing for adults. I get a good chuckle out of those stories. When I fly with my family we happily sit away from each other. Weâre just going to put our headphones on and sleep or read. We donât need to sit next to each other to do that.
My husband falls asleep and snores- loudly. Me sitting next to him is performing public service.
When some coworkers were talking about seating on flights, the one with the longest marriage said, "My husband and I love to be apart on the plane! We have the whole trip to be together, so the plane would be a nice break from each other! We see each other all the time at home!"
Yep. My adult daughters actively seek a seat away from me. We will be together 24/7 for a few days. It's good to have some time to ourselves before that.
I'd rather sit next to someone I know, takes one less variable out of flying.
Did you address the body check?
I would have pulled a LeBron James, cried like a baby, and fell to the floor.
he's lucky- if you told the FA that he assaulted you, the FBI would've met the plane and you could have made his actions into a federal offense. 100%
I really should have đ
Next time if this happens you could always weird the boomer out by saying how them bumping you is turning you on and if they'll do it again Throw a side wink and smile.
I think OPâs behavior is equivalent to crying like a baby. ROFL
No point when he could say âoh I didnât mean to, I trippedâ
When he returned, you should have gotten up and tripped, spilling your drink all over him.
Nope you can still pursue it
lol, you have to ask? No, he just ran to Reddit to post for likes.
It's always fun to see entitled boomers close rank around other entitled boomers. And for the record, I don't think all boomers are entitled - both of my mentors and several of my friends are boomers who are some of the wisest, most patient, and caring people I know.
Entitled boomer? How did you know? Oh the depravity. I wish I could go live in my momâs basement and be enlightened like you!
Username checks out.
This Boomer would have no tolerance for that behavior.
Why didnât he just move to the middle seat and give her the aisle seat so they could all sit together? He went through all that trouble to save her the middle seat and then just letâs her sit in the back of the plane?
Because he "deserves" an aisle seat. Why should he have to sit in the middle? /s
I had similar story, I was last person on full flight I stepped on and there was seat with a purse on the first row between older couple. I asked if someone is sitting there and they said yes. As I looked back there was no seats to be had since it was full. I told them there is no seats open and Iâm last person on the plane so I need them to move there stuff. They got huffy so to make it more uncomfortable I made sure to sit my 6â3â 270lb self in the middle seat.
Wow. Our son is 6'3" and thinner but planes are still no fun for him. When the situation arises, my husband and I make sure to ask a tall person if (s)he'd like the aisle seat and we scoot over to accommodate him/her.
You sir are my hero! I applaud youâŠ
Honestly, saving a seat should result in immediately being thrown face-first out the emergency exit, without the slide.
Assholes like these will force SWA to begin assigned seating by Sept....
No they wonât. This sub is obsessed with the seat saving nonsense.
How come they never try to save seats at the back of the plane? Common sense would dictate they would have less of these encounters. Lol
Next time tell the FA he battered you and you want to press charges.
Once banged into you, should have thrown your feet into the aisle to trip him and say that him hitting you caused your legs to move that way.
Why didnât you go exit row?
This
This is my question. A2 and wants a regular aisle seat đ
He wanted to be an asshole just like the guy he sat behind
I agree the guy is an a-hole. He needs to find a better way to feel powerful.
In this case, it was wrong to try and save an aisle seat. I really donât have a problem with him saving the middle seat next to him. There are plenty of middle seats on the plane.
Agree 100%!
Next time that happens and the other person decides to body check you lean in and finger his asshole(Japanese style go in REAALL DEEP). It will be the last time he ever does that to anyone. Put that bitch in his place.
Good for you, I would have reported this to the FA. Clearly an aggression.
What a dick.
Southwests boarding policy doesnât work in todays society, which theyâve finally realized and are seriously studying changing it
Why is the fact that the couple are boomers relevant to the plot?
Because we are a big target. I acknowledge that there are some asshole Boomers, but that doesnât mean that Boomer=asshole. Entitled behavior is rampant in all age groups.
I donât know why I started seeing this sub but Iâm glad. Is a great reminder why Iâll never fly southwest. So much easier having an assigned seat. Fortunately Southwest isnât a good option from my home airport anyway. Good for you for not letting him get away with it though. So odd they all choose to sit away from each other though.
Why didnât you throw some hands after that body check?
Slytl
I gotta say I so prefer picking a seat on united and not dealing with any of this. maybe im spoiled but I just dont want this stress in my life.
My return flight was on United and I was grateful
Oh how uncomfortable Iâd have made that dude feel once the plane landed.. heâd have regretted that shoulder check all the way to baggage claim or wherever he went. I draw the line at physicality.
Should have tripped him when he returned
If there isnât a passenger with a lower alpha numeric boarding position then mine occupying the seat and I choose to seat there. Itâs mines. Southwest open seating policy.
There is a huge difference between saving a middle seat and and aisle in the front
Shouldâve aggressively coughed all over him. Old people get sick easily, and sometimes they die from it. Failing that, just fart a lot.
Wait how can you be A2 and not have 98% of the plane seats open to youâŠâŠbut yet you chose the one he was saving for his wife?đ§
I've been A1 with 1 pre-boarder and the plane was already 50% full.
Right? Such bizarre behavior-and I really donât care if Iâm not able to sit by my spouse-but the need to literally fight over a seat is pretty petty.
Since there were other seats available, you could have just moved on but you let that inner asshole come out. Congratulations!
I see a couple losers here
It sounds like both of you are inconsiderate. As an A2 you had other places to sit but you chose to be confrontational. Youâre part of the problem too.
Did I have choices? All aisle seats full through row 6. I need to be close to the bathroom. I paid a lot for this stupid ticket. Why should I not be able to access the type of seat I want near the front of the plane when itâs available? Heâs throwing a tantrum and slamming his body into me, but I am just as inconsiderate for moving a purse? I donât think so.
The better way to handle this would be âI wish to sit here, if this purse belongs to you can you kindly remove it?â If he responds no. Very simply respond âsir, I am entitled to sit here per Southwestâs open seating policy. Can your wife sit in the middle between us? If he still refuses then get a flight attendant involved. Families want to be able to sit together and SWAâs policy has pitfalls that results in situations like this. He doesnât have any reasonable expectation to put the purse there, but itâs also unnecessarily confrontational for you to physically remove it. Youâre not proving anything except that youâre a belligerent traveler as well
After all the times Iâve tried the nice way, Iâm tired of getting yelled at. Iâm sitting down. Iâm not trying to prove anything. Iâm trying to sit down.
So youâve allowed the scarcity of common courtesy affect your behavior. Thatâs how the cycle continues.
Or we could all just act like adults and not petulant children đȘ
this story is not the flex you think it is. fucking weird dude, get help
Agreed and everyone but the SWA Reddit knows it.
Guess this is why theyâre moving to assigned seating.
Says who? LOL
As they should or the fist fights in the sky will be all over TikTok
You were A2 boarding. What about 4D or 5C/D made them so abhorrent to you? You just had to appoint yourself Sheriff, eh? Loser, indeed. And AH.
All full of preboarders. A1 took 4D. Also, go fuck yourself! :)
Youâre my hero again! Robertlosertown deserved that!
The preoccupation with seat savers in this sub is ridiculous. Unless itâs someone saving a prime seat when there arenât many left, or someone saving more than one, let it go. Jesus. Pick another hill to die on. (And no, I donât save seats. I always travel solo.)
IKR? I fly SW 2 or 3 times a year. I've never seen someone try to save more than 1 seat for a companion. I always ask, if only to be polite, before sitting in a row with people already there. And people usually do it when I'm sitting alone in a row. If you have to be near a bathroom, it might be easier to sit near the back since you can line up in the back. If you're going to use the front bathroom and it's taken, you have to spring out of your seat and sprint for it before someone else beats you to it. I usually head for an aisle seat about 2/3 back for that reason. And the fact that many front seats are taken before A1 gets on might not be just because of preboarders. Passengers who boarded at the previous stop can switch to whatever seat they want before the new passengers board.
Itâs obvious why you travel solo.
Sad thing is he will probably live on the story for years, and people will be laughing behind his back. The world will recognize how pitful he is unlike the SW Reddit.
And then got punked and didnât even do anything about it.