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Whether friend or foe, flyers might be unsure who they can trust when it comes to getting their seat stolen on a plane.
One passenger heading from Chicago to New York City took to Reddit to share a “seat stealer” story.
In the forum “r/delta,” the user said that they went to an Irish bar in the Chicago Midway International Airport for a drink and began chatting with a fellow patron.
“Joked around with the guy next to me about his weak-looking old-fashioned, to which he rolled his eyes and agreed with me, also showing his $30 tab for said poor drink. He left for the lounge after getting [a] notification,” the person wrote.
The user said they and their spouse had been upgraded to first class.
“Got on the plane and my bar buddy was in our seat. I showed him my ticket and he moved aside. I said, nooo sorry we have both seats. He mumbled and moved back to the first row of comfort plus,” the user wrote in the post.
“He wasn’t rude, but it was so awkward. I’m like, bro I thought we were friends,” the post concluded.
Reddit users took to the comments section to discuss the encounter.
“You aren’t friends. He’s a seat stealer. Don’t call a seat stealer a friend,” commented one blunt user.
Another user added, “It astounds me the people who think they can get away with sneaking into an entirely different class of service like that.”
“I bet this wasn’t his first time. People do this because they know they can get away with it or have to sit in their assigned seat at worst,” said one Redditor.
Read more about airplane seat squatters
“Sounds like homeboy was a bit tipsy. Surprised he was able to board,” another person wrote.
“Small world,” a user commented.
“Who steals seats, knowing it can just be shown that it’s not their seat and they’d be told to move. It’s wild,” added a user.
“I don’t understand why these people think the FAs [flight attendants] won’t notice someone in an FC seat that isn’t supposed to be there,” said another.
Brandon Blewett, Texas-based author of the book “How to Avoid Strangers on Airplanes,” told Fox News Digital that he sees more people encountering airplane seat squatters.
“Let the flight attendant handle it. Nobody wants to go viral in a reel titled, ‘Passenger meltdown at 30,000 feet,’” Blewett advised.
He said sitting in someone else’s seat can cause disruptions to an entire flight.
“[Squatter] encounters often lead to delays that often cascade, leading to missed connections and frustrated passengers throughout the cabin,” Blewett added.
