Flying while overweight isn’t always easy.
That’s why I decided, for my own comfort, to reserve two adjacent seats on my recent flight — one for me, and one for space. I didn’t want to be squeezed in, and I didn’t want to make anyone else uncomfortable either. I paid full price for both.

But things didn’t go as smoothly as I planned.

As I settled in before takeoff, a woman approached with a toddler in her arms. She looked down at the empty seat beside me and — without asking — placed her child there.

At first, I thought it was a misunderstanding.
I calmly said, “Excuse me, I actually paid for that seat.”

She blinked, then gave me a tight smile.
“He’s just a baby. He needs space too.”

I repeated, more firmly, “I understand, but I paid for both seats. I need them.”

Her response?
“Seriously? You don’t look like you need two seats. That’s just selfish.”

The row went quiet. I could feel eyes on me — some awkward, some judgmental.

I stood my ground. I explained (politely) that I wasn’t trying to be rude, just to travel comfortably like anyone else. She didn’t care. She raised her voice, called over the flight attendant, and tried to make me look like the villain.

But here’s the thing: the airline backed me up.

They confirmed I had paid for both seats, and gently told the woman she’d need to hold her child or wait for another arrangement. She scoffed, muttered something under her breath, and stormed off to her own row.

I was left rattled — but also relieved.