'I refused to swap plane seats so mum could sit with her kids – it's her problem'

A woman has sparked a debate after refusing to give up her plane seat so a mum could sit alongside her children during the . She explained how she pre-booked an aisle seat near the front to ease her anxiety on the flight - saying she prefers to be close to an exit row in case she needs to disembark quickly.

But just minutes after boarding the plane, a passenger approached her to ask for a seat swap as her children's seats were "scattered around the plane". She said on : "She wanted my seat so she could sit closer to her kids. I looked at where her seat was, and it was a middle seat near the back.

"I politely declined, explaining that I’d paid extra specifically for this seat and wasn’t comfortable switching. She got visibly upset and started calling me selfish, saying her kids needed her nearby for the flight. The flight attendant even tried asking me to reconsider, but I stood my ground."

She says the mum eventually found someone who would switch with her, making her feel somewhat better about saying no. But that was until she overheard the woman speaking about her to other passengers. She added: "She gave me the cold shoulder the entire flight. I could hear her talking to the people around her about how rude and 'heartless' I was. Now I’m wondering if I was too rigid."

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Wanting to know whether she's in the wrong, she has taken to social media to ask users for their thoughts. In response, one user said: "You’re definitely not the a***hole. It’s on the airline to fix this, not on passengers who already paid extra to sit where they want." Another user added: "Why is it that these people always want the better seat instead of shifting the kids back to her row."

A third user said: "As tough as it may sound, it’s her problem and not yours. In a situation where you haven’t paid extra for this seat, and wouldn’t feel anxious in a different seat, I might say otherwise, but in your situation, absolutely not the a**hole!" A final user said: "You were under no obligation to switch, so your decision stands.

"The fact you had a specific reason you didn't want to switch only reinforces your right not to. Without it, it was still a valid choice. I don't like flying. I have purchased the seat next to me (yay for companion fares!) just to have some physical space and control the anxiety. I have said no many many times. Yes, it can feel a little harsh, and I believe that you should always be kind. but be kind to yourself first."