With the rise of flight passengers complaining about seat squatters, one traveler got creative by switching his seat without creating bad blood.
In the “r/delta” forum on Reddit, a person who said he or she was on a nonstop flight from New York to Austin captioned a post, “Someone paid me to swap my aisle seat for a middle.”
“While boarding, two guys came up to my row and asked if anyone in an aisle or window would swap so they could sit together; they both had the middle seats on opposite sides of the row and they offered $80,” the post said.
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The Reddit user said other passengers shot down the offer, and one of the men ended up sitting next to the Reddit user.
“The guy next to me asked if I would swap for $150. I thought about it and said yes. We swapped and his buddy venmo’d me before take off. Boom, easiest $150 I’ve ever made,” the user wrote.
When a flight attendant came by with a drink cart, the man offered to buy the user a drink, according to the Reddit post.
“I was confused and just wanted water but maybe I could have gotten a free glass of wine out of the deal too,” the post said. “I guess the lesson here is everyone has a price.”
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Redditors took to the comments section to share their own experiences and weigh in on the trade.
“Someone once paid me $100 to switch from an aisle to a window. No brainer for me,” one user shared.
“Seems like a win win for everyone, that’s how you request a seat swap,” another user commented.
“This is the way. If the flight isn’t too heinously long and you’re comfortable in a middle seat just throw out a price! Nothing to lose so why not,” said another.
One Redditor said, “I’m small enough to fit in the middle well. For $150 and a drink, I’d take this deal. Congratulations.”
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“I just paid $50 for a seat assignment for an upcoming 13 hour flight. I feel extremely lucky after reading this post,” added one.
“I have sat in a middle seat for free,” another traveler wrote.
“Offering something in exchange I feel like is a bit different than just asking and getting upset when someone says no. By offering something financial you’re at least recognizing that person does have a right to that seat,” suggested one user.
Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog “View From the Wing,” shared a similar sentiment with Fox News Digital.
“You need decent trade bait! Don’t offer a middle seat in the back in exchange for an extra legroom aisle,” said Leff.
“Have a compelling reason that will resonate with the person you’re asking, and have something decent to offer in return, so it isn’t as much of a hardship for the person to give you what you want.”
California-based etiquette expert Rosalinda Randall also told Fox News Digital that travelers looking to swap seats should be more thoughtful when posing a request to switch.
“Consider this: You may have more luck if a flight attendant makes the announcement or can offer to buy them a beverage or two, pay for airline extras, pay them cash/transfer funds,” Randall said.
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