Woman sparks debate after refusing to switch plane seats so child, 7, could look out the window

A woman has ignited a debate online on whether she should have agreed to give up her plane seat so a child could look out of the window.

Plane etiquette is always a heated topic on social media. Opinions are always divided on whether passengers should give up their seat for parents who want to sit with their kids, or whether people should be mindful about reclining their seats.

The woman at the centre of the latest debate has shared her thoughts about the moment a dad asked her to switch seats during their flight.

The 27-year-old woman explained she has lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that happens when the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissues. She always makes sure to book a window seat because of her condition in order to make trips more comfortable.

Plane seats are a contentious topic (Constantine Johnny / Getty)

“I always pay extra for a window seat upfront so I don’t bother anyone and can sleep the whole time,” the anonymous woman shared on Reddit. “I have chronic pain and my pain meds make me sleepy."

Shortly after boarding the six-hour flight, the man sitting next to her asked if she’d be willing to swap seats so his seven-year-old son could sit by the window.

The dad explained it was his child’s first flight and he had been looking forward to watching the views. “I told him no and that I paid extra to have this specific seat. He said that it’s his son’s first airplane ride and that he would really like to look out the window.

"So I said; I’ll keep the window open for him then as I have an eye mask I can wear," she wrote. "He said I was being difficult and to just let him switch my seats. So I asked if he would pay the price I did and he said I’m being ridiculous. I put my headphones in and ignored the father."

The child was promised a window seat by his dad (canelson.com.ar / Getty)

The child spent the entire six-hour flight complaining about not being able to swap seats. She was repeatedly asked to swap, but she said no each time. “It became such an issue the flight attendant came over. She even asked me to switch seats to keep peace but I stuck to my guns.”

She added: “I told a couple of my friends with kids this story and they said I was unreasonable.”

Responses on Reddit were a mixed bag. "Anytime somebody starts badgering you about seat switching, immediately hit your flight attendant call button,” one user said.

“Make it clear to the flight attendant that you will be sitting in the seat that you paid for and you need them to intervene with the passenger harassing you about that.”

Another Reddit user, who said they were a parent, declared that the woman was not in the wrong. `’If he promised his kid a window seat, then he should have booked one.”

And a third person called the dad ‘entitled’ and wrote: “You also don’t need to qualify why you wanted that seat. You chose it and you paid for it - and the reason is nobody’s business but yours.”