Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

About my flight neighbour?

203 replies

ReasonablyIntelligent · 04/08/2019 21:24

Just boarded an 8 hour, overnight flight.
I'm flying solo and on the aisle seat.

I get to my row and find a strange man in my seat, the seat next to him (middle seat) is empty.
He initially tries (quite aggressively) to deny that the aisle seat is mine, but eventually relents and moves over to his spot.
He takes both blankets and both pillows with him.

I get seated and then ask if he could kindly pass my pillow and blanket (both stashed about his person). He denies having either and demands that I check my seat because I'm "clearly not looking properly".
Whilst I perform a polite seat sweep (God knows why, I can see the fucking pillow) he slides my pillow behind his back and then drops the blanket to the floor and kicks it under his seat Confused.

Having no idea why I've offended Strange Man, I decide to juts play dumb and ask an air steward for a new set. No bother, though they're super busy so I'll imagine they'll forget for better things to do.

Strange Man has now proceeded to man spread in such a way that my shoulder is at an odd angle from my seat and my legs are skew whiff.

I am not a ballsy person. In fact, I have a fairly strong social anxiety.

There are no other seats on the plane.

AIBU to silently seeth, or am I being a right wet blanket?

OP posts:
katewhinesalot · 05/08/2019 16:18

I had to sit next to a guy like this on a flight. He just took against me as soon as we boarded, for no reason I could identify. About halfway through the flight I had to (discreetly, not whapping out of mipples) breastfeed my baby and it tipped him over the edge, he asked to be moved.

The obvious reason was your baby Grin

I must admit I wouldn't be too happy if someone with a baby sat next to me. Of course I wouldn't show it though.

bemusedmoose · 05/08/2019 17:48

twat! Soon as he falls asleep - my hot coffee would be meeting his crotch!

Jeeperscreepers69 · 05/08/2019 17:51

Wet blanket. Wait till he goes to the loo then spreadeagle like a porn star and dont move!!!!! Plane games....

Shockers · 05/08/2019 18:04

OP must’ve landed by now! Hope the flight exceeded initial expectations.

DobbyTheHouseElk · 05/08/2019 18:10

I’m assuming there is no internet once airborne. Will the OP come back and tell us what happened?

@ReasonablyIntelligent

Yabbers · 05/08/2019 18:14

OP: there are no other seats
MN: ask/demand to be moved.

🙄

MyFlabberIsAghast · 05/08/2019 18:15

Some of these suggestions are awesome though...I will store them up for future flight arseholes

MyFlabberIsAghast · 05/08/2019 18:15

Some of these suggestions are awesome though...I will store them up for future flight arseholes

MyFlabberIsAghast · 05/08/2019 18:15

Some of these suggestions are awesome though...I will store them up for future flight arseholes

MyFlabberIsAghast · 05/08/2019 18:16

FFS apologies for multiple posts...MN kept saying it was unable to post Blush

MrsKittyFane1 · 05/08/2019 18:37

What did OP do?! Come back to us!

whatsleep · 05/08/2019 18:43

I sooooo hope you managed to get revenge on the complete and utter knobhead!

ThistleTits · 05/08/2019 18:46

Should have dropped your coffee on him

Mummyoflittledragon · 05/08/2019 18:48

Loving some of these anecdotes!

believinginangels · 05/08/2019 19:04

On a four-hour flight, I once had to (ever so politely) warn an arrogant large male with his seat all the way back in front of my pregnant daughter, that she was experiencing terrible nausea and it would be awful if she vomited over his head. He was soon quick to put his seat upright!

LadyRannaldini · 05/08/2019 19:05

Can't recall which airline - perhaps Qatar - have an unofficial policy of not placing lone female passengers next to men, because of situations like this

Sorry but that's incredibly sexist, it's saying that it's OK for a man to have to sit next to a nuisance so that the women can be comfortable. Imagine the outcry if they had a policy that said women had to be uncomfortable for the sake of the men!

EmmaLouisLou · 05/08/2019 19:05

My dh always has someone sitting in his seat, whole plane can be empty but there’ll be someone in his seat.

The last one was a woman sat in his aisle seat, the dc’s and I were other side of aisle. I’d booked 4 in a row with him on opposite side of aisle as he then helps when kids want to go to the loo as we take it in turns to accompany them. She was adamant she was sitting there as she wanted the seat as she needs the loo but my dh didn’t understand what she was on about, she meant to keep the seat for the whole flight so she could easily get up but that was the reason I’d booked it. I told her nope we’re a family group and booked 4 in a row for that reason. He thought she meant she needed the loo ‘now’ so had gone and spoken to the stewardess so she could use the loo 😂😂 he came back saying loudly ‘it’s fine you can use the loo now, they’ve said it’s ok’. She was so embarrassed explaining she didn’t actually need to go, then stewardess came over to loudly tell her loos were available and shepherd her along in that direction. She then had to admit she didn’t need the loo ‘right now’ to the stewardess. This was all while people were trying to move to their seats and stewardess was busy and stressed. She then meekly moved to her centre seat. So feigning misunderstanding and causing embarrassment works well in these situations 😂😂

user1486131602 · 05/08/2019 19:13

Wait til he wants a wee, then go to sleep in front of him! Or retrieve blanket and pillow....he can hardly ask for them back!😂
Is the window seat free? If so ask him if he’d like to have the aisle and you’ll happily move to window!
If all fails, ping the crew ask for the blanket again, and mention the gent....problem solved!
He only paid for one seat! Same as you

FelicisNox · 05/08/2019 19:28

He's a bully so you have three options:

  1. put up with it.
  2. ask him why he's being such a douche and remind him to shut his legs and to stay in his own personal space or you will complain to the crew.
  3. tell the crew about his behaviour, tell.them you feel intimidated and ask if there is a spare seat elsewhere you can move to.

Don't mention the social anxiety or they may assume you're a snowflake and not worth consideration.

colourlessgreenidea · 05/08/2019 19:32

The OP should definitely build a time machine and go back to 9:30pm yesterday to do all of those things, Felicis.

loltara · 05/08/2019 19:54

If you ask to be moved, he has achieved his obvious want ie all the seats. So, call him out on everything and tell crew you want HIM moved.

hiddeneverythin · 05/08/2019 20:24

So what happened?

thesnapandfartisinfallible · 05/08/2019 20:48

Do you have access to crisps and water? If so chew the crisps up, take a sip of water and fake vomit into a napkin, narrowly missing his knee. You will find yourself with ample space.

MaybeitsMaybelline · 05/08/2019 21:03

I will not allow manspreaders, I sit, legs akimbo at right angles with my elbows. If you are brave enough to sit, in your own space, and not give in, they will. Don’t take more than your share, just every single mm that is.

Trudij123 · 05/08/2019 21:06

OMG Angry

OP - please please PLEASE come back and let us know!!