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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask someone to move their child out of my plane seat

1000 replies

kipperssippers · 13/01/2016 20:00

more of a WWYD then AIBU but...
i booked the seat by the window as i always do and when i got to my seat a child around 8 was in my seat with her mum beside her.
When i got there i told the mother that the window seat is my seat and she said her child wanted the window seat to look out, i then replied then you should of booked one.
I didnt want to cause a scene but the women made out i'm an arsehole for asking her kid to move as she had never been on a flight and wanted to look outside.
I did give in and stayed pissed off for 7 hours in my non window seat.

what would you of done in this situation?

OP posts:
AlisonWunderland · 13/01/2016 21:58

Is Joy the big sister of Baby Audacity?

TheCatsMeow · 13/01/2016 21:58

But this just seems like people being difficult for the sake of it

"I pre booked it so fuck you"

You both get to where you want, but it means more to the child than to the adult, so stop being deliberately stubborn

ilovesooty · 13/01/2016 21:58

If the mother didn't care enough for her child's joy to fork out for a prebooked seat I fail to see why a complete stranger should.

Eminado · 13/01/2016 21:58

"SoupDragon

transport turns people into arseholes for some reason

True. I mean look what the train did to you."

Grin
TheCatsMeow · 13/01/2016 21:58

I'm not being goady. I genuinely think people are being unfair

TheCatsMeow · 13/01/2016 21:59

If the mother didn't care enough for her child's joy to fork out for a prebooked seat I fail to see why a complete stranger should.

Because it's kind.

SuperFlyHigh · 13/01/2016 21:59

I hope and pray I never bump into someone of your ilk on a train TheCatsMeow thankfully I only go out of London a few times a season and rarely on weekdays during rush hour. So as not to inconvenience the parent and children travelling with buggies who obstruct doors.

StillStayingClassySanDiego · 13/01/2016 22:00

No , we're not being unfair.

TheCatsMeow · 13/01/2016 22:00

Super it wasn't me obstructing the doors, it was people in front of me and then people had gotten behind me.

If you'd bothered to read it instead of insulting me you'd know that

ilovesooty · 13/01/2016 22:00

No Cats you aren't getting it. It's not being difficult to want to sit in your prebooked and prepaid seat.

Roussette · 13/01/2016 22:00

I wish you'd answer why the mother couldn't have booked the seat for her child and paid for it. 7 hours is a long time on a place. To have to be nice to a stranger for that long when you were looking forward to a sleep with your head resting on the window is a bit much to give up don't you think?

You are portraying yourself as some sort of saint. Clearly not when you are quite happy to inconvenience lots of commuters on a train.

I love children, even other people's sometimes. I would have engaged the 8 yr old in conversation and shared the window. But I would not give up my seat for 7 hours.

ExitPursuedByABear · 13/01/2016 22:01

Seriously?

ilovesooty · 13/01/2016 22:01

I don't see why I should be kind as you put it when the mother pulls a stunt like that. No way.

TheCatsMeow · 13/01/2016 22:01

Roussette

The mother should have. But it's the child that loses out not the mother.

I don't think it's a long time to have to be nice to someone else. I don't think being nice is a chore

laylabelle · 13/01/2016 22:02

If she was that bothered she should've pre booked.The option is there it isn't a new thing.
Yeah been nice to give them a chance to look or whatever but still daft to expect someone else who has made the effort and pre booked and paid for it to not then sit in that seat and get annoyed when they want to.

HicDraconis · 13/01/2016 22:02

I would have politely insisted on sitting in the seat I had prebooked. I always choose the window seat (& pay for it) because on a long flight, you can put your pillow up against the window and doze more comfortably.

If PFMum was so keen, she should have paid to book a window seat, or taken her child up to the window by the galley & toilets to look out.

This is something that cabin staff have always been super helpful in resolving for me in the past though.

TheCatsMeow · 13/01/2016 22:02

I don't see why I should be kind as you put it when the mother pulls a stunt like that. No way.

Stunt like what? And it's not the mother it's the child

FinestGrundyTurkey · 13/01/2016 22:02

Letting a child sit in the seat you want

er - letting a child sit in the seat you booked & paid for???

how far would you be prepared to extend that privilege, CatsMeow?

OhforGodsake · 13/01/2016 22:03

You really treat others the same? Really? I'll wait to read a post from you when you've been on a train journey, complete with child, buggy, bags and friend but you couldn't get off the train because some selfish fecker had blocked the exits with their suitcases and you had to struggle through a whole carriage to get off. Consideration is a 2 way street.

Gileswithachainsaw · 13/01/2016 22:04

I think planes are different to buses and trains where your lucky to get a seat at all and we just have to get on with it and make judges accordingly as to where we sit ir stand ir whatever. on a bus or train I'd let the kids sit down as I feel.its safer for them and as an adult I'll take the hit

but plane seats are booked. often with good reason. to sit together or to get more leg room or sit by a window due to sickness or whatever. it is very unfair if someone to not pay their way and expect others to sacrifice their hard earned money fir no reason by giving up the seats they have booked and paid for.

the parent is responsible for booking their own seats and paying whatever they need to in order to ensure their own child's comfort. it's extremely rude and entitled to sit on someone else's pre paid seat and use your child to guilt them.into moving. if the parent doesn't care where their kid sits when booking, why should a stranger.

having said that I'd have probably moved. given I'd have been the one who looked the arse hole and the kid probably doesn't even know it's not their seat. and witg a parent like that the kid doesn't need any more hassle from.me.

but obviously a person should he able to sit in he seat they booked and paid fir. no question.

ilovesooty · 13/01/2016 22:04

Hic that's exactly why I pay to book a window seat. No way would I give it up just because an entitled mother can't be bothered to look after her child's requirements.

TheCatsMeow · 13/01/2016 22:04

Finest

most of the time I am happy to put myself out for others. There's the odd occasion where I'm not but I'd extend that to 90% of the time.

Pangurban1 · 13/01/2016 22:04

Her mother should absolutely have let her sit in the seat she wanted, by pre booking and paying the extra cost. It would, indeed, have been a nice thing for her mom to do for her. However, her mom, for whatever reason cost, didn't want to do that for her. How miserable to not have done that! But maybe from the way the mom was pressurising the op, mom believes in leaving it to others should do the nice things for her child. Not only did she not do anything nice for the op, but imposed on her, pressed her and deprived her of the full value of her ticket.

Bad luck, op, for having that sort of person interfering with ruining your flight, which you had carefully planned and paid extra in order to sit where you wanted.

Cloppysow · 13/01/2016 22:04

I'm really quite shocked by how much one person is being got at in this thread. Weird hive mind. Playground stuff.

thelouise · 13/01/2016 22:05

Shame the mother wasn't kind enough to book the window seat in the first plac, eh?

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