‘I refused to give up my plane seat for pregnant woman – but I had a reason’

A man has been wracked with guilt after he refused to give up his seat for a pregnant woman, yet online strangers are backing him after he shared his story.

The 28 year old was flying from to Hawaii on a 12-hour flight and had booked a ‘comfort seat’ in advance, costing him around £200 and points.

But his peace was disrupted when a pregnant woman, struggling with her condition, approached him for his seat.

Sharing his dilemma on a now-deleted post, he recounted: “About 15 minutes before takeoff, a visibly pregnant woman was walking up and down towards the front of the plane.

“She and a attendant looked around for a moment, talked a bit, and then the lady approached me asking if I would be willing to switch seats with her due to her condition. I politely declined. I explained that I had specifically booked this seat because I’m pretty long (I’m 6’4 tall) and that I needed the extra comfort and space.”

Despite the understanding flight attendant moving on to ask other passengers—who also refused—the man was left questioning if he had made the right choice as guilt set in.

He explained: “If I agreed they would have reimbursed me for the extra cost via a voucher so that my ticket would’ve been the cost of the normal economy ticket. I’m not certain if the pregnant lady would’ve had to pay extra to switch with me because I just politely declined a few times and we didn’t get into that level of detail,” reports the Mirror.

“The pregnant lady then told me I wouldn’t understand what it feels like to be a woman carrying a baby in this summer heat, got upset, and eventually had to return to her seat in the back. Throughout the flight, I felt awkward passing by her every time on the way to the bathroom. When I landed, I couldn’t help but feel guilty.

“I’m a young man without the burden of carrying a child in me and totally could’ve sacrificed a bit… and wondered if I had been wrong to prioritize my comfort over someone who might have needed it more.”

Although many users supported his decision to keep his pre-booked seat, some suggested the expectant mother should have considered her comfort needs before travelling.

A commenter on his post noted: “She had the option of purchasing a more comfortable seat. Unless Delta was willing to compensate you for the seat-swap I would not expect you to just ‘gift’ her your seat. I had done seat swaps before and United always took care of me. I pay extra for the better seats and do not want to be crunched into some cubbyhole for 12 hours.”

Another user chimed in with a sense of fairness, remarking: “You paid for that seat, and she paid for hers. She could have booked a different class if she wanted to. Most likely she knew she would be this pregnant when she booked the flight.

“It is unfortunate the situation she is in, truly, but unless a medical emergency were happening I’m not sure why you would be expected to give up your seat.”

Echoing this sentiment, a third commenter pointed out: “Many pregnant women have survived economy class. If she had wanted the extra space, she also could have paid for it like you did. The other people could have also switched. But didn’t. This isn’t on you.”