A new term has entered the aviation glossary — seat squatters. Seat squatting refers to the practice of passengers occupying seats that have been specifically chosen or paid for by other travellers. This sly tactic is often used by flyers who wish to sit in a desirable location without paying extra. If you frequently travel by air, encountering seat squatters is not uncommon. However, a Reddit user seems to have discovered a hack to navigate this unpleasant situation. The user shared a screenshot of a fairly empty flight. “The seat squatters can’t ruin your flight if you do it to yourself,” read the caption.
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If you look closely, you will notice that the user booked the middle seat, highlighted in yellow. This serves as a clear indication that choosing a middle seat reduces the chances of encountering a seat squatter. The reason? The middle seat is the least desirable among many flyers – it lacks scenic window views and the extra space of an aisle seat. Passengers often feel cramped between two people, making the journey less comfortable, which discourages seat squatters.
The seat squatters can’t ruin your flight if you do it to yourself ????
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Soon after the post surfaced on the internet, people were quick to react.
“If seat map shows the row is empty, I will book the window and to prevent a seat squatter, sit in the middle while everybody else boards,” commented a user
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Sharing their experience, a person wrote, “LOL I was once on a flight where my husband was on the window and I got the aisle and the guy offered to switch with one of us. I was like ‘nah, I’ll see him when I land.'”
The seat squatters can’t ruin your flight if you do it to yourself ????
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“I pick a mid when 2 people have paid for tickets and pick the window and aisle in the hope that they are together,” revealed another.
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“I was once assigned a middle seat. A couple had a window and an aisle and one of them just took my middle seat. I didn’t mind, but they wouldn’t even look at me when I asked if they had the right seats,” wrote an individual.
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What are your thoughts on this? Have you ever encountered a seat squatter? Let us know in the comments below.
