Planes

A man who refused to move from a plane seat he had paid extra for shared details of the encounter, with people online backing his decision

Taking a long-haul flight can be deeply uncomfortable, but securing a decent seat has the power to transform the entire journey.

For those unable to afford the indulgence of first class, extra legroom in economy is arguably the closest alternative.

After shelling out extra cash for additional legroom on a gruelling 12-hour flight, one man stood his ground and refused to swap seats for an elderly couple who attempted to claim his spot.

Sharing his experience on popular forum Reddit, the man admitted he endured dirty looks from fellow passengers after declining to budge from the seat he’d paid for.

Titling the post, the Reddit user wrote: “Old couple try to take our seats on a plane.”

The man detailed: “Saw a few plane seat-related posts so I thought I would add my story.

“A few years ago my significant other and I planned a three-month trip around the world. Our first flight was from New Zealand-LA. 12-13 hours.”

“We booked and paid for our flights and I added the premium economy seats as I’m 6’3 and wanted the extra legroom. Cost an extra $60 (£50).

“This flight was with Air New Zealand, the screen has your name on it when you get to your seat.

“We get on the plane. Find our seats and there is this older couple sitting there (mid 70s). I ask them if they got confused with their seat numbers. They hadn’t.

“I show them my ticket and seat number and point to my name on the screen. They then ask me just sit in their seats which were ten rows back. No leg room.”

After the elderly pair refused to budge from the seats, the man insisted they return to their allocated places as he had “paid extra”.

The man eplained the exchange: “Me: You want me to sit in your seats?”.

“OP(old people): Yes, that would be nice thank you.

“Me: I paid extra for these seats and would like to sit in them. Please move to your seats.

“OP: Oh, it’s not that bad there’s plenty of legroom.

“Me: Yeah, there’s plenty of legroom in my seats because I paid for it. I’ll help move your bag if you need.”

During their discussion, a flight attendant intervened to find out what was happening as a lengthy queue had formed down the aisle.

The exchange continued: “OP: This man wants us to move seats!”.

“Flight attendant: Sir, please go to your allocated seats.

“Me: Here is my ticket, these people are sitting in my seats. I paid extra because I need the legroom.

“FA to old people: Excuse me, you will have to move to your own seats as you have not paid for these seats.

“Old people: Well, can we please have an upgrade?”.

“FA: Sorry, this is a full flight so that’s not possible.”

The man said: “I got some stink eyes from other people on the flight. I paid for the extra legroom and I need it.”

Taking to the comments section, Reddit users weighed in on the contentious incident.

One said: “I have no idea why the other people who paid extra for legroom would glare at this guy.”

Meanwhile, another person added: “This isn’t a two hour flight where you buck up for the good of old people, which is still not right given the social experience that is flying – I wouldn’t care if it was a two hour flight there is still the principle of the matter, but I may cave depending on my mood.”

They said: “12-13 hours is no joke though – there is no giving in. You move those people or the plane doesn’t take off!”.

Passengers on a busy British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Jamaica divided opinion with their behaviour, which some described as “inconsiderate” and “rude”

Some British Airways passengers divided opinion online after footage emerged of them chanting and preaching during a flight.

Clips posted on social media show a woman standing in the aisle and singing while waving and shouting at fellow passengers until they join in and clap along during the journey from London Heathrow to Jamaica this month. Further footage captures a man loudly preaching while standing at his seat until staff announce the seat belt signs have been turned on and he sits back down.

Maxine Munroe, who was on the flight and shared a clip on TikTok, described her bizarre experience as “almost like being in church,” and fierce debate followed on the social media platform. Maxine, a 56-year-old nurse, said the antics early into the flight and continued for nearly three hours.

“It was almost like we were at church…. I think I was just surprised that this was happening 40,000ft in the air. At some point I was thinking we need to settle down and we need to rest. There were a lot of people (online) who say they don’t think they could cope on a flight like that,” Maxine, who is from Croydon, south London, said.

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Indeed, some online who blasted the behaviour, describing it as “inconsiderate” and “rude”. One Tiktoker posted: “I’d have found this so rude, they’re making a show of themselves and not thinking of others at all.” Another said: “As a nervous flyer this would send me over the edge.”

The clips show no obvious backlash from other passengers onboard the flight. Maxine, who regularly visits family in Jamaica, continued: “You will be on flights and people will pray before the flight takes off or if there’s turbulence you might hear somebody pray but not to that scale… It was fine while it lasted but it’s got its limit and I can understand when someone says that it is too much.

“I did think how long it would be until the crew had had enough. They need to be able to do their job and have the flight under control and it was a bit of an obstacle.

“A lot of people thought alcohol was related and actually there was no alcohol involved. It was more high on the godly spirit than they were on the alcohol, which is why I don’t think it affected the flight attendants as much as people drinking and being rowdy.”

British Airways has not faced direct criticism online following the emergence of the videos. Social media users were, though, angry at the passengers themselves for their decisions. One said: “Looks a nightmare.” Another stated: “It’s inconsiderate. I would’ve been so cross.”

But others were entertained and applauded the joyful tourists. One TikToker posted: “It was a lovely thing to see and f**k what anyone else says.” Another shared: “This would be the best flight. I like it when people are happy.” The Mirror has contacted British Airways for comment.

A flight attendant has shared the tell-tale signs that a passenger is a nightmare aboard the aircraft

The role of a flight attendant appears simple and glamorous – jetting off to exotic locations, while their main duty involves upholding health and safety standards and providing top-notch service. However, cabin crew frequently deal with entitled and discourteous passengers.

In an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, an anonymous British flight attendant revealed how certain passengers’ disruptive behaviour would disrupt operations and cause problems for staff. This specific type of traveller would be identified using a simple code word.

The cabin crew member explained: “There are a lot of things and icks from passengers that we can overlook, but if we say the word ‘precious’ it generally means that they’re acting like a ****.”

The “precious” passenger will be identified among the entire crew, which may affect the level of service that the individual receives.

However, the anonymous employee stressed that alternative codes might exist across different airlines that she’s never used with her colleagues.

For instance, speaking to The Sun, one flight attendant disclosed: “If you’re labelled a ‘Philip’ then you’ve done something wrong and should probably expect to get bad service for the rest of the flight.

“That name originated from the term PILP – Passenger I’d Like to Punch – but has changed over time to become slightly more subtle.”

Another discreet signal concerns crew members noticing an attractive passenger. The flight attendant, who boasts two years’ experience, disclosed: “This is an old one I’ve heard, but if we find you attractive, we would say ‘cheerio’ when you’re leaving instead of goodbye.

“Obviously, we have to be discreet and can not outwardly be like ‘hey, you’re hot’, but that’s a fun way to secretly flirt.”

The cabin crew member explains that countless codes exist chiefly for operational efficiency. While there are different ways to identify passengers for various reasons, staff will never refer to you by your real name.

She clarified: “If we are referring to passengers, we do not use your name; we use your seat number. So if someone wanted something, we wouldn’t say ‘Mary, sat in row 50, wants a coffee’. We would say, ’50 Delta, 50 Kilo or 50 Charlie’. We use seat numbers and the phonetic alphabet; it’s just easier.”

This shouldn’t spark any concern or intrigue, as cabin crew are simply working out how best to assist you without causing any commotion or gossip. However, do pay attention if you’re being branded a “precious Philip” – you might want to apologise for your behaviour.