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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WWYD in this situation

43 replies

upstairsdownstairscardboardbox · 30/01/2026 14:48

I am curious about what would be considered normal/appropriate.

On a plane in the bulk overhead of economy. 2 women and a man in the middle. Another man boards and says that he has booked the mans seat, shows cabin crew his ticket. Other man refuses to move, says he needs to sit with wife and daughter. Man who booked seat takes a middle seat at the back. He is recognisably of a minority religious group which is strictly vegan.
Meal service starts and a vegan meal is brought to the seat by cabin crew (before other food as special order)

Would you, as a passenger sat adjacent, point out the meal the had been booked by the original seat booker?

YABU - I would not say anything
YANBU - I would say something

OP posts:
Original poster
upstairsdownstairscardboardbox · 30/01/2026 17:10

@JLou08 she did know, she made a specific point of telling Dad that she KNEW it was his vegan meal and was shocked the man stole his meal and has his own meal and the crew did nothing (they didn't know until the main meal service when he was offered meat and veggie pasta and asked for his meal)

DF was bemused, she seemed to expect praise for noticing or sympathising.
Its all the fault of the greedy entitled man, we all agree, I am just interested in opinions.

I think the first comment sums up why many would say nothing. Fear of being called nosey, being accused of having a "beak" etc is worse than letting something unpleasant happen to someone else. But even so why make a point of telling them? I suppose that, rather than the not saying anything is the oddest bit.

OP posts:
bestbefore · 30/01/2026 17:02

I would say something. As I would be fuming at the audacity of it all

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 30/01/2026 16:51

I’m so sorry for your DF! And a bit outraged on his behalf! Why did the cf man “need” to sit with his wife and child? Why hadn’t they booked the whole row if they’d gone to the trouble of booking two seats for the family?

If I’d been nearby and seen what was happening m, I’d have said something.

But I think it’s likely the woman nearby didn’t understand the full story until after the cf man had eaten the first meal and been given the second.

largeprintagathachristie · 30/01/2026 16:45

I’d have said something

JLou08 · 30/01/2026 16:43

upstairsdownstairscardboardbox · 30/01/2026 16:20

@SausageRoll2020 I wasn't there. He ate a chicken curry as well so not vegan.

My dad is the man who moved with no fuss and got no meal. When he got off the plane the woman who had been sat adjacent to his booked seat approached him at baggage collection and told him she was appalled that the man ate both his pre booked and his own meal from the regular meal service.

DF is not British and believes that it is a unique feature of Britishness to observe something like this, do nothing, and later report it all to the person who was effected, as if this is helpful and makes you a good person.

I disagreed and said I thought the average British woman would politely mention it if they noticed.

If the vegan food came out first the woman probably didn't realise the man had ate both his meal and the other man's meal until the vegan one was gone. I think by that point I wouldn't find it worth speaking up. If the second meal was the vegan one, I would.

wordler · 30/01/2026 16:42

I’d have said something - because I know they only have those special meals if you’ve booked them and they never have extras so I would have been aware that the man who moved probably wouldn’t be able to eat.

I don’t think everyone realizes that there aren’t spares available.

Original poster
upstairsdownstairscardboardbox · 30/01/2026 16:20

@SausageRoll2020 I wasn't there. He ate a chicken curry as well so not vegan.

My dad is the man who moved with no fuss and got no meal. When he got off the plane the woman who had been sat adjacent to his booked seat approached him at baggage collection and told him she was appalled that the man ate both his pre booked and his own meal from the regular meal service.

DF is not British and believes that it is a unique feature of Britishness to observe something like this, do nothing, and later report it all to the person who was effected, as if this is helpful and makes you a good person.

I disagreed and said I thought the average British woman would politely mention it if they noticed.

OP posts:
SausageRoll2020 · 30/01/2026 16:02

The man already in the wrong seat was incredibly rude and the cabin crew should have insisted he moved.

But there is a chance that he might have been vegan too and was actually receiving the correct meal (unless you overheard otherwise...?)

Original poster
upstairsdownstairscardboardbox · 30/01/2026 15:31

@NemesisInferior I agree, but the pre booked man moved with no fuss at all so the crew let him stay put

OP posts:
SeaToSki · 30/01/2026 15:27

I would say something the seat stealing cf would be unlikely to as he was a seat stealing cf and then the poor man who was made to move would not have anything to eat for the whole flight

ProfessorRedshoeblueshoe · 30/01/2026 15:25

NemesisInferior · 30/01/2026 15:00

What should have happened is that cabin crew made the cheeky fucker who didn't want to pay to book a seat move to his actual seat.

This

MissMoneyFairy · 30/01/2026 15:23

upstairsdownstairscardboardbox · 30/01/2026 15:05

@Alwaysontherun He didn't say anything and took the meal

Cf, you can't reason with stupid, poor man who didn't get his meal, maybe the crew should have special meals with the passenger name on.

chipsandpeas · 30/01/2026 15:20

id keep out of it

Original poster
upstairsdownstairscardboardbox · 30/01/2026 15:05

@Alwaysontherun He didn't say anything and took the meal

OP posts:
QuirkyHorse · 30/01/2026 15:03

If the ignoramus sat in the seat didn't say anything, I would.

NemesisInferior · 30/01/2026 15:00

What should have happened is that cabin crew made the cheeky fucker who didn't want to pay to book a seat move to his actual seat.

Alwaysontherun · 30/01/2026 14:54

I would have hoped the man in the seat would have pointed this out to whoever delivered the meal but if not it’s none of my business

Ablondiebutagoody · 30/01/2026 14:51

No. I would keep my beak out and let the cabin crew do their job.