Man refuses to switch seats so father and son can sit together – but people are on his side

A MAN has received support online after revealing that he refused to switch seats on a plane to allow a father and son to sit together.

The man was on board a plane from Madrid to Abu Dhabi where a father and son had been separated from one another.

The two adult men were asking people if they could swap seats so they could sit next to each other, but no one would budge, meaning the pair had to sit apart.

After the flight, the father accosted the passenger and told him he lacked compassion for not swapping seats.

The to social media site Reddit to ask if he had been in the wrong for refusing to move.

He wrote: "I was on this flight from Madrid to Abu Dhabi and there was this son (maybe 32 years old) and father (maybe 55 years old) travelling together and they got separated from each other.

"They were asking people around them if they could switch so they could be beside each other.

"Everyone said no. They were seated one row and two seats apart, so they could still see and talk to each other.

"When we landed and were about to deplane, the dad talked to me and said 'word of advice, try to be more compassionate next time'.

"His main points were that I should have some compassion, since I'd still be sitting in an aisle seat and would get to help a family be together.

"He said it wasn't his fault the airline moved him, so I should be kinder.

"If they wanted to sit beside each other so much, why didn't they pay for the reserved seating? What if I paid for this reserved seat?

"He was being entitled and assuming his option/preference is greater than mine."

There was no support for the father and son in the comments, with everyone sticking up for the man who refused to move.

One said: "It is incredibly rude to go up and lecture a stranger about their so-called lack of compassion when the problem really is about your own entitlement and lack of planning."

Another wrote: "His lecture isn't needed or appreciated.

"I'd also ask him why his 32-year-old son needs to be glued onto him. Does he want his grown son to sit on his lap?"

A third added: "You paid for a reserved seat. They didn't. That's not on you. You did not owe them anything."

Meanwhile, this woman revealed how to get passengers to swap seats during a flight without causing problems.

This is why you aren't allowed to move to the back row of a plane, even if it's empty.