Air travel: Businesswoman refuses to trade seats to let mother sit next to her children

Businesswoman Tammy Nelson was conflicted by a passenger's request to sit next to their family, but didn't budge. Photo / TikTok, Natalie Su, Unsplash

A woman who refused to swap seats with a family on a plane so they could be seated together has come out as an unlikely hero in the confrontation.

Tammy Nelson, who is the CEO of an Inc. 500 company, took to TikTok to defend her position after being asked to swap seats on the Delta Airlines flight from Cincinnati to San Jose.

On boarding the service, the business owner was surprised to see a woman already in her seat.

“I double-checked my boarding pass, thinking I may have had the wrong row,” she told Newsweek. After double-checking her ticket, she eventually asked the woman in her place to get up.

The mother, who was sitting with two children, who Nelson estimated to be between 11 and 15 years old, seemed shocked to be asked to move. Instead she was asked in return by the woman why she should move.

“I was pretty surprised at the question but replied simply saying, ‘Yes, that’s the seat I selected’,” said Nelson.

The mum offered to trade rows, offering the middle seat in the row behind.

But Nelson refused to swap seats, insisting on taking her original seat.

Eventually the woman capitulated. Without an apology, the woman took her allocated seat in the row behind and Nelson sat at the window beside the passenger’s children.

@myconquering

Having had only 90 minutes of sleep the night before and knowing I had to give a presentation to 500 people, I desperately needed some sleep, so I did not agree to switch seats. 🤷‍♀️ Before anyone comes after me… the kids looked like they were about 11 and 15 years old. And the mom was in arms-reach of both of them from the middle seat in the row behind us. The mom proceeded to complain for at least 15 minutes to the person next to her loud enough for me to hear. But the woman actually defended me – several times. It was so kind and I appreciated it so much because I was feeling really guilty. 🤦‍♀️ #airplaneseat#seatswitching#airplanekarens

♬ original sound - MyCONQUERing

Tammy said the mother was clearly annoyed, and she let everybody know.

“The mom proceeded to complain for at least 15 minutes to the person next to her loud enough for me to hear. But the woman actually defended me - several times. It was so kind and I appreciated it so much because I was feeling really guilty.”

Clearly torn by the interaction and feeling some guilt, Nelson shared the interaction via her TikTok channel CONQUERing jewellery. Subjecting herself to trial by internet, arguing her case and asking the social media platform “what would you do?”

Surprisingly the TikTok comments did not “come after her” as Nelson anticipated.

Instead, they sided with the jewellery CEO for sticking to her principles.

“The amount of families who aren’t paying to select their seats together is mindblowing! You were 100 per cent right to not give up your seat,” said one reply.

“Nope. If it’s not an upgrade, it’s a sacrifice,” agreed another, who thought it was outrageous that passengers with children assumed some sort of entitlement.

Others piled on the airline for failing to allocate the family of three a row together.

In the US, airlines are required to seat children under 16 next to an adult travel companion. However the requirement for “adjacent” seating means that adult carers may end up sat in the row in front or behind their children.