I boarded a flight for an important convention with two of my senior colleagues. When we reached my assigned seat, a woman in her thirties was sitting there, ignoring my repeated attempts to wake her. She acted as if she couldn’t hear me because of her headphones. After showing her my boarding pass, she reluctantly moved to the window seat, and I took my aisle seat. I was firm and even raised my voice, insisting she move.
To my surprise, after takeoff, she tapped me and offered to switch seats, but I declined. She kept coming back, joking about asking my colleagues if they wanted to switch. It was clear she thought herself important in our industry, but I ignored her advances.
Throughout the six-hour flight, she repeatedly asked if I had asked my colleagues about their seats. I always answered with a lighthearted “sure,” aware she was fishing for attention or status. Despite her persistence, she never approached my colleagues, and I never saw her again professionally.
The whole situation was odd but taught me to stand firm and trust my rights. Sometimes people test boundaries, but being confident and polite helped me navigate this uncomfortable encounter.
