Seat squatting as New Year starts annoys flight passengers: ‘Couldn’t believe’ it

The “seat squatter” pattern might have dominated journey experiences in 2024 — however it does not appear to be going away any time quickly on this New Year of 2025. 

Travelers proceed to disclose their “seat-squatting” encounters on social media as commenters chime in and debate the recent subject.

An expertise shared on Reddit within the “r/delta” discussion board with the caption, “Seat squatter caught and rude entire flight,” has continued to spark dialogue.

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The time period “seat squatters” has been used to seek advice from those that rob the seats that had been chosen and paid for by different vacationers.

Discussing a flight from Cancún, Mexico, to Los Angeles, California, the traveler posted, “I couldn’t even believe my eyes after seeing all the seat squatter posts.”

The individual added, “We’re finally boarding and this couple about our age (late 20s/early 30s) is in our row, which can’t be right because we’re [in] the middle and aisle [seats]. I tell them they’re in my seat … and they oddly start fumbling around and mentioning they have a dog with them.”

The person stated she responded that she was allergic to canine — and that she paid for the seats.

He positioned his arm over the armrest, making use of strain to her arm, she stated.

“They both start fumbling around more and [the] female, who was originally in the window seat [that] I presume they did actually book, and [the] male who was sitting in my seat, both get out of the row so the female and dog can go to the window seat behind us,” she added.

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The man, for his half, then moved to the window seat in her row, she stated. 

He positioned his arm over the armrest, making use of strain to her arm — which prompted her to modify seats along with her fiancé within the row, she stated.

“Once we finally get off the plane … my fiancé tells me this guy silently fought with him over the armrest the same way he did with me for the entire flight,” she wrote in her submit.

A person shared a narrative about “squatters” stealing airplane seats as an etiquette knowledgeable weighed in on the recent journey pattern, providing sage recommendation. (iStock)

“I cannot rationalize how or why this man did this when we did absolutely nothing to him other than ask to sit in our own seats,” the poster added in her story.

Reddit customers took to the remark part to evaluate the scenario and share their very own experiences with “seat squatters.”

“I doubt people that are already OK with breaking the rules are going to be great people.”

“It’s only happened to me once, thankfully. But my rule of thumb is that I’ll be polite on the initial interaction in case it’s a legitimate unintentional mistake [that] they’re sitting in my seat. In that case, they’ll get up and move and there’s no harm, no foul,” stated one.

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Another added, “Omg, it sounds like you were flying with a bunch of bratty teenagers.”

“I doubt people that are already OK with breaking the rules are going to be great people, unfortunately,” commented one more person.

Some customers debated the notion of which passenger will get the armrests within the center seat.

Flight passengers’ encounters with “seat squatters” are circulating on social media, with some flyers (not pictured) taking seats not assigned to them. (iStock)

“The ‘middle seat gets both armrests’ thing is entirely an online knowledge thing. Yes, it’s courteous & makes sense if you think about it, but the average [person who] flies once/twice per year … likely doesn’t know or think about it,” commented one person.

Another acknowledged, “Everyone knows the middle seat gets both arm rests.”

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“The middle person does not in fact get both arm rests,” one other person stated. “That’s a made-up rule and you can’t get mad at someone who doesn’t follow that.”

Gary Leff, a Texas-based journey business knowledgeable and writer of the weblog “View From the Wing,” instructed Fox News Digital that the individual holding the seat task on their boarding go is entitled to that seat.

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“[Flyers] may not be able to get what they want from the airline when reserving seats, or the airline may want a fee for the seats they want and the passenger doesn’t want to pay — so they’ll try their luck on board,” stated Leff.

Flight attendants could possibly step in if a traveler encounters a so-called “seat squatter.” (iStock)

Leff urged that as an alternative of stealing seats, flyers can strive asking others on to swap seats with them.

California-based etiquette knowledgeable Rosalinda Randall instructed Fox News Digital that “it is never OK to seat-squat once on board. Eventually, the passenger with that seat assignment will claim it.”

“Immediately request assistance from the flight attendant.”

Randall stated when coping with a seat squatter, it is greatest to deal with the scenario calmly and in good religion.

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“If the seat squatter refuses to move, do not engage; do not recruit other passengers to rally,” she stated.

Rather, “immediately request assistance from the flight attendant.”