Airline passenger says woman stole flyer's seat before offering to swap near a baby
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Traveler says flyer negotiates 'rude' airplane seat swap request, triggering reactions on social media
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By  

Published March 3, 2025 3:02pm EST

[](https://www.foxnews.com/video/6362680239112)

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A woman became frustrated on a recent flight to Germany when the passenger seated next to her continuously stretched his arm out to take photos near the window. The video has gone viral on TikTok.

As flyers see a rise in seat squatters on airplanes, other travelers believe that negotiating a swap is a better alternative to robbing assigned seats.

Still, it appears not everyone agrees with swapping, as one Reddit user questioned the "etiquette" behind asking someone to switch seats 

The user posted to the sub-thread r/unitedairlines to share a recent encounter he or she witnessed on a flight.



"Just now an older woman sitting next to me moved herself 2 rows up from 14E to 12C next to her adult daughter and grandchild during boarding," the user, who claimed to be flying United Airlines, wrote.



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A woman became frustrated on a recent flight to Germany when the passenger seated next to her continuously stretched his arm out to take photos near the window. The video has gone viral on TikTok.

"To me, moving your seat ahead of time and then asking for the swap is really rude, especially when it’s a downgrade," the user wrote.



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A woman became frustrated on a recent flight to Germany when the passenger seated next to her continuously stretched his arm out to take photos near the window. The video has gone viral on TikTok.

"Only thing I can see on the other side of the coin is maybe grandma next to baby avoids crying and a better ride for the plane. Still though, seems like poor behavior to me."



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The flight attendants on board (not pictured) eventually apologized to the man who switched seats and even gave him free snacks and drinks, the Reddit user wrote.



"Upon landing I think mom felt guilty…She was very loudly talking about how he didn’t have to move if he didn’t want to but didn’t actually directly thank him or show any shame. Very odd person," the user wrote.



#### An etiquette expert based in California (not pictured) said it's OK to request to swap seats on an airplane if done politely.

California-based etiquette expert Rosalinda Randall previously told Fox News Digital that "no one has the obligation to "



"Consider this: You may have more luck if a flight attendant makes the announcement or can offer to buy them  or two, pay for airline extras, pay them cash/transfer funds," she added.

Sydney Borchers is a lifestyle production assistant with Fox News Digital.

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