Photo: asiandelight / Getty Images
A debate about plane etiquette has gone viral: Should someone traveling alone have to give up their assigned seat to accommodate a family who is seated separately moving to be together?
Today’spost wasbased on a viral TikTok, in which a lone flyer recounted their experience where a mom of two was already sitting in her assigned window seat when she boarded the plane. The mom immediately asked the solo flier to switch to a middle seat so the family could sit together.
So, what’s the proper etiquette to follow in a situation like this? PEOPLE asked travel expert, advisor and writerNicole Campoy Jacksonof Fora Travel to share her tips for handling a similar situation.
Who is in the right?
“In this particular case [of the Tiktoker], I understand why she didn’t want to move. A window seat, especially one pre-booked as such, is very much not the same thing as a middle seat,” Jackson says.
The official practices of individual airlines and their regulating bodies are typically in agreement with Jackson. Passengers should always check the seating policies of their airlinebeforebooking..
How do you prevent this situation?
“As much as it’s possible, passengers should be choosing their seats ahead of time for this exact reason,” she advises. “I don’t think that you can board a plane with the expectation of someone leaving their seat for you.”
With a few exceptions, airlines offer seat selection as part of the booking process, which passengers can utilize to ensure their party is seated next to, or near, one another.
However, some airlines charge extra for the privilege of choosing your exact seat, creating a barrier for some flyers.
Want more chances to win trips? Findvacations in the United Statesorchances to win trips abroadto find more sweepstakes like this one.Hero Images / Getty Images
Whose responsibility is a last-minute seating switch?
Not the displaced passenger’s, says Jackson.
It’s really up to the airline and flight attendants to offer customer service for the family if someone declines to switch seats, she says. When there’s a conflict, “It’s no longer that one passenger’s responsibility,"
Should anyone expect special treatment?
“Generally speaking, don’t board a plane expecting passengers to shift for you,” says Jackson, “especially if your seat is not as comfortable as (or more than) theirs.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“Think it’s as okay to ask as it is okay to say no,” the commenter wrote. “We need to accept as a society that saying ‘no’ to something isn’t offensive, and that asking for something isn’t rude.”
source: people.com
