Throwaway because this was such a bizarre situation.
I (29F) was flying home after a long work trip. I had specifically paid extra to choose an aisle seat because I get anxious being stuck in the middle, and I like being able to get up when I need to.
When I got to my row, a woman (mid-30s maybe) was already sitting in my seat. I politely told her I thought she might be in the wrong place.
She smiled and said, “Oh, I was hoping you wouldn’t mind switching. I’m sitting a few rows back in a middle seat, but I’d really like to sit here.”
I asked where her seat was, and she pointed toward the back. Middle seat, last section.
I said, “Sorry, I specifically paid for this seat,” trying to keep it polite.
She sighed and said, “It would really mean a lot. I don’t fly well.”
I felt a bit bad, but I still said no. I explained that I also get anxious, which is why I picked this seat in advance.
She didn’t argue more, but she was clearly annoyed. Eventually she got up so I could sit down, though she kept giving me looks.
Then things got… weird.
About 10 minutes later, after boarding finished, a flight attendant came over and quietly asked if I’d consider switching because the woman was “having a difficult time.”
Before I could answer, I overheard the woman talking to the person next to her.
She said, “I just can’t sit back there. I had a dream last week that I was in that exact seat and the plane crashed. It felt so real, I woke up shaking. I’m not risking it.”
I honestly froze for a second because… what?
So it wasn’t about anxiety in general. She genuinely believed that sitting in that specific seat would somehow cause a crash.
That completely changed how I felt about the situation.
The flight attendant was still waiting for my answer, and I just said, “I’m sorry, but I’m going to stay in the seat I paid for.”
The woman heard me and rolled her eyes, muttering something about people having “no compassion.”
The rest of the flight was awkward. When we landed, she brushed past me and said, “Hope your seat was worth it.”
Now I’m second-guessing myself a bit. Part of me wonders if I should’ve just switched to ease her mind, even if the reason sounded irrational.
But at the same time, I paid extra for that seat, and she wasn’t upfront about why she wanted it.
So… AITA for refusing to switch seats?