Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wake someone up on a day flight?

82 replies

hmwbele · 08/01/2026 13:33

I was recently on a 9 hour flight. It departed at 10am. Sat in economy in a row of three. I got allocated this seat and couldn’t change it.

I had the window seat and then two strangers next to me. After the lunch service, the person sat in the middle decided to have a nap. They slept about an hour before I decided I wanted to get up to stretch my legs and go speak to my friend who was sat somewhere else.

I like to get up every two hours to try and avoid leg issues.

After I woke them up and apologised and said I needed to stretch my legs they seemed annoyed and said it’s pretty selfish to wake someone up for that.
AIBU?

OP posts:
YellowPixie · 08/01/2026 13:45

It might have been a 10 am flight but you have no idea what their journey was before that flight. I am going to the US in about 6 weeks, the longhaul bit is Amsterdam - Seattle which leaves about 10am local time. BUT by the time I get on that plane I will have been up since about 3am to get to the airport for 4am for a 6am flight to Amsterdam to make that connection. I will be knackered and I will be sleeping!! I have booked a window seat though.

So he is not unreasonable to sleep and you are not unreasonable to wake him. But it is very annoying to be in the centre or aisle seat with someone who is up and down like a yo yo.

MagicStarrz · 08/01/2026 13:43

I don't think it matters that it was a day flight. I'm not sure if you were unreasonable as, in one sense, you didn't need to get up, but then you should be able to get up if you want to. then again, if you knew you were on a flight with a friend, not booked together, and likely to want to chat, you should have either booked together sit with them or booked an aisle seat.

JellyMouldJnr · 08/01/2026 13:42

YANBU. I like to sleep on flights whenever possible but they have to expect to be woken from time to time.

notimagain · 08/01/2026 13:42

This is one of those give and take things..

You're perfectly entitled to get out of your seat, the passengers inboard of you were perfectly entitled to grab some sleep, even though it was a day flight....

...but by them choosing aisle and middle they'd have to accept there was a risk the window occupant might need to disturb them.

Londonnight · 08/01/2026 13:40

This is why I always book an aisle seat!

purplecorkheart · 08/01/2026 13:40

I probably would have said that you need to use the bathroom rather than stretch your legs.

They probably were just grumpy being woken suddenly rather than it being anything personal. I wouldn't give it much headspace

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 08/01/2026 13:38

When I was younger and more agile, I used to climb over anyone asleep - by stepping on the armrests.

Nowadays I always book an aisle seat. Dh usually wants the window, so that often means someone in the middle who thinks it a bit weird that we don’t want to sit together! Sometimes we’ll be in different rows, but that doesn’t bother us.

Swipe left for the next trending thread