NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Travel

Flight seat complaint divides the internet about who's in the wrong

news.com.au
3 Jul, 2019 07:32 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Flight seat complaint divides the internet about who's in the wrong. Video / Southern Living

It's the complaint that has divided the internet.

Would you give up your seat on a plane just so another passenger could be next to their girlfriend?

Journalist Daniel Brettig has been labelled a "spoiled, entitled brat" and an "idiot" after tweeting a complaint about a recent flight experience, where he was allocated a seat away from his girlfriend.

In an attempt to be closer to his partner, Mr Brettig asked a stranger if they would swap seats with him.

But alas, the "boomer" turned down his plea.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"A boomer refused to swap seats on a flight this morning to let my gf and I sit together on the last day before we're apart for 2.5 months," his tweet, which has received more than 200 likes, read.

"Because they wanted to look out the window. Strong generational metaphor areas, Shane."

A boomer refused to swap seats on a flight this morning to let my gf and I sit together on the last day before we're apart for 2.5 months - because they wanted to look out the window. Strong generational metaphor areas, Shane

— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) June 30, 2019

However, instead of sympathy, Mr Brettig's complaint garnered a wave of criticism on the social platform, with some Twitter users questioning why he didn't sort his seat allocation prior to flying.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Your lack of planning is nobody else's problem," one user responded.

"Did you stomp your feet like the spoiled, entitled brat you come across as???," another added.

"Buy your seat, choose your seat. Don't ask for someone else's that they have either earned, chosen or paid for," one suggested.

Others said the request was completely fair on Mr Brettig's part, however being rejected wasn't an unfair result.

Discover more

Travel

Is this your chance to be paid to move to a Greek island paradise?

02 Jul 09:53 PM
Travel

Sunbather almost killed by stowaway who fell 1000 metres

03 Jul 12:00 AM
Travel

Rugby team run riot on plane leaving passengers in tears

03 Jul 05:38 AM
Travel

How professional water tasters became a thing

03 Jul 11:00 PM

"A fair request, but the other passenger has just as much right to refuse," one argued. "Especially if they had checked in early because they wanted the window seat etc.

"I travel regularly for work and often swap seats for couples travelling together, which often means giving up a window for an aisle," another Twitter user explained.

"It can be irritating if the request is considered a matter of right, not a favour done."

In response to the debate, Mr Brettig launched a poll to see what social media users thought about the issue of swapping seats.

"Having swapped seats happily more than once I was surprised (by the outcome)," he wrote. "So I suppose we should poll. Asking to swap seats if seated separately from your s/o is."

I see this has polarised. Having swapped seats happily more than once I was surprised. So I suppose we should poll. Asking to swap seats if seated separately from your s/o is:

— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) July 1, 2019

According to the poll, 65 per cent of votes suggest Mr Brettig's request was reasonable, while 36 per cent feel he was out of line to ask.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It's fine to ask but also completely fine for them to decline," one person said, noting calling the stranger names was rude.

"It's reasonable but also reasonable for the person to say no," another added.

"There are a lot of factors at play. Flying can be extremely stressful for some people, perhaps being near the window reduces that stress. Maybe they're a jerk, maybe not."

Mr Brettig declined to comment further when contacted by news.com.au.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Travel

Travel

Exactly how much I spent on a Japan trip

13 Jul 08:23 AM
Travel

Wendy Petrie tackles ocean swim challenge in Fiji 

13 Jul 12:30 AM
Travel

Here’s what it’s like inside Egypt’s new billion-dollar marvel

12 Jul 07:36 PM

One pass, ten snowy adventures

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Travel

Exactly how much I spent on a Japan trip

Exactly how much I spent on a Japan trip

13 Jul 08:23 AM

One traveller breaks down exactly how many Yen you need for a trip.

Wendy Petrie tackles ocean swim challenge in Fiji 

Wendy Petrie tackles ocean swim challenge in Fiji 

13 Jul 12:30 AM
Here’s what it’s like inside Egypt’s new billion-dollar marvel

Here’s what it’s like inside Egypt’s new billion-dollar marvel

12 Jul 07:36 PM
What it’s like staying at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva 

What it’s like staying at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva 

11 Jul 12:05 AM
Your Fiordland experience, levelled up
sponsored

Your Fiordland experience, levelled up

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP