Delta Passenger Swaps Seat To Be With Air Hostesses, Outrage Over Why

The Federal Aviation Administration says that flight attendants are expected to “verify that the armrests are in the normal forward/down position in order to ensure that they do not obstruct the passageway between the row or seats leading from the aisle to the emergency exit.”

A spokesperson for Delta told Newsweek: “Armrests must be lowered upon taxi, takeoff and landing. This is announced ahead of takeoff and landing.”

Asked whether passengers are allowed to stay among flight attendants during a flight journey, as the woman allegedly did in the Reddit post, the spokesperson added: “No further comment on the rest of the post, as we are unable to verify the accuracy of the claims made by the poster.”

Scientific research also supports the importance of proper seat belt use. An October 2020 study published in World Neurosurgery found that, while lap seat belts can help protect passengers from turbulence, they may be less effective during sudden deceleration during takeoff or landing. The study recommended enhanced safety harnesses as a more-protective alternative in such cases.

‘Infuriating’

The woman in the Reddit post said that the encounter began before takeoff, when she found the armrest already raised as she arrived at her assigned seat. “He was on the phone before takeoff, so I didn’t know when/how to interject before I asked for my seat belt,” she said.

She added that the issue continued throughout the flight until she finally sought help from a flight attendant. “I ended up asking FA [flight attendant] for help. The FA walked me back to the seat and shook him awake from his nap. She told him we must put the armrest down for safety and I need to be able to fit in the seat and put my seat belt on.

“He put up a complaint that he is 6’5″ but we were able to get the armrest down and he moved his leg straighter so our thighs were no longer touching.”

When the poster initially tried asking the man directly to put down the armrest, she said he replied: “I could try.”

The experience left her so unsettled that she temporarily removed herself from the situation. “I was in the back when I made this post and I first stayed in the bathroom an extra long time and then I was standing in the back,” she wrote. “The leg touching was very uncomfortable and I didn’t want to go back to my seat.”

The Reddit post sparked swift reactions, with users sharply criticizing the man’s response and lack of spatial awareness.

“Some people really have zero boundaries. It’s infuriating,” wrote u/ProfessorRealistic86. Another commenter, u/Traditional-Buddy136, reacted to the attached image by saying: “Good Lord. That’s an entire leg.”

Others pointed out inappropriate body language, with u/Intelligent-Award881 adding: “And then the hand in the crotch thing. Bro, find another place and time for that.”

Seat-belt safety has also become part of the debate. One Reddit commenter, u/tireddoc1, criticized the passenger’s dismissive remark, writing: “Such an ignorant comment about the seat belt.”

U/Rubes2525 added: “Seatbelts are also to make sure you don’t slam your head on the ceiling in case of turbulence. Keeping your seat belts fastened during the flight has little to do about a potential crash.”

Some Reddit users called for better passenger education. “They should play a video on [airplane etiquette] before playing the safety video,” suggested u/Constant-Juggernaut2.

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via the Reddit messaging system.

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