What to do if someone takes your seat on a plane?

Ugh, seriously? Someone in my airplane seat? It’s the absolute worst, right? I remember this one time, flying back from my sister’s wedding in Denver – I was so tired, hadn’t slept on the red-eye, and this guy, huge dude in a Hawaiian shirt, was just planted in my window seat. My window seat! The one I’d specifically picked because I love looking out at the clouds.

So, first I tried the polite approach, you know? “Excuse me,” I said, trying for a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “I think you might be in my seat.” He just kinda grunted and pointed to his boarding pass, all crumpled up in his hand. It was clearly the wrong seat, but I swear, he acted like I was the one in the wrong. I was starting to feel so frustrated. Seriously, how hard is it to check your boarding pass?!

That’s when I decided to get a flight attendant. I mean, I’d paid good money for that seat; I wasn’t about to spend the whole flight crammed into the middle next to a snoring stranger (which, let’s be honest, seemed likely with Mr. Hawaiian Shirt). The attendant was super nice, though, and handled it all smoothly. The guy mumbled something about “not seeing the number” and shuffled off. I got my window seat back, and I finally got to relax.

So yeah, my advice? Polite first, then a flight attendant. Don’t be afraid to speak up – after all, it’s YOUR seat! And if it turns into a whole thing… well, maybe there’s a lesson in there about always getting a window seat ahead of time, just in case. You know, to avoid all this drama!