Air travel has always been a balancing act of personal space and unspoken rules, but one behavior has taken passenger frustration to new heights: seat squatting. A viral post online describing a Delta passenger's ordeal with three separate seat squatters on one flight has sparked a heated debate about etiquette, entitlement, and airline policies, amassing over 1,700 upvotes.
In the now-archived post entitled "Rise of 'Seat Squatters,'” the traveler shared how passengers repeatedly ignored their assigned seats. “First was a guy that was supposed to be in 28C but was all the way up in 12B and was trying to argue it was his seat,” the poster wrote. Another squatter “was a lady in 18A that was being adamant with the seat holder that she needed to be by the window and not in the middle.” The final straw? A couple in row 24 seats C and D who decided to camp out in A and B instead.
A passenger happy with their seat.Photo by Hans Isaacson via Unsplash
“This seat squatting is getting to be too much of a common thing. Thoughts?” the original poster asked.
Entitlement or just bad luck?
The post quickly became a sounding board for frustrated travelers who shared their own seat squatting horror stories. One Reddit user described witnessing a dramatic consequence:
Another detailed an audacious attempt to swipe their first-class seat: “A woman tried to claim my first-class seat by covering the seat number with her thumb on her boarding pass. She doubled down, even after I showed her my ticket.”
Humor occasionally broke through the frustration. One commenter admitted their own ill-fated attempt at squatting:
For most, the solution was simple: leave it to the flight attendants. “Whenever I’ve encountered this, I don’t engage with the squatter at all,” one user advised. “Simply press the flight attendant call button and when they arrive, show your boarding pass and politely say there’s a ‘seating conflict.’ They’ll sort it out.”
Why seat squatting is becoming more common
The rise of seat squatting may be tied to the increasing complexity of modern air travel. Brandon Blewett, author of How to Avoid Strangers on Airplanes, explained to Fox News Digital that while there are legitimate reasons passengers may need to sit elsewhere—like a family rebooked on a new flight with scattered seats—outright entitlement is another matter.
“For example, if a family misses a connecting flight and gets rebooked with scattered seats, it’s reasonable for parents to sit together to manage a toddler—a setup most of us can sympathize with,” Blewett explained. However, he also pointed to “indignant squatters” as a growing problem. “Their red flag is when they won’t show their boarding pass.”
Some passengers acknowledged the difference between honest mistakes and blatant rule-breaking. “I was recently the idiot who misread my ticket and accidentally sat in someone else’s seat,” one Reddit user confessed. “When they told me, I was embarrassed and apologetic and moved immediately. I can’t imagine fighting someone about it.”
How to handle a squatter calmly
If you find someone in your assigned seat, experts and seasoned travelers agree: don’t escalate the situation. Blewett recommends calling for a flight attendant to handle the issue, pointing out that no one wants to go viral in an angry outburst at 30,000 feet.
Reddit users echoed this advice, with one adding, “Flight crews hate this situation, but the path of least resistance is putting everyone in their assigned seat. Don’t compromise or feel guilty.”
Interestingly, many travelers noted they are often willing to switch seats—if asked politely. “Most people will swap if it’s a reasonable request,” one commenter shared. “But trying to trick or guilt someone into giving up their seat is a whole different story.”
A reflection of air travel today
The rise of seat squatting reflects the growing tensions of modern air travel, where personal space and comfort are hard-fought commodities.
Whether motivated by desperation, entitlement, or confusion, seat squatting isn’t going anywhere. If it happens to you, the best course of action is simple: stay calm, ask for help, and hold onto your boarding pass.
