Flight passenger says traveler sent $150 over Venmo in swap for aisle seat
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.
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"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.