A recent incident on a flight departing from Houston has ignited a social media discussion about passenger etiquette and seat stealing. A Reddit user shared their experience in the "r/unitedairlines" forum, describing an encounter with a woman who attempted to occupy a seat that wasn't assigned to her.

The poster explained that they were on a regional flight with a 1-2 seat configuration when they witnessed the woman relocate from her assigned seat four rows back to an exit row seat. After a short while, she inquired if the Reddit user thought she could remain in the exit row seat. The user responded that it was unlikely, believing the flight to be full.

As predicted, the rightful owner of the exit row seat soon arrived. The woman then revealed that her husband was in her assigned seat and that he was intoxicated, a situation she wished to avoid. Surprisingly, the man agreed to switch seats, leaving the woman in the desired exit row seat and himself next to her inebriated husband.

This incident sparked a lively debate in the comments section, with many users expressing their disapproval of the woman's actions. Some questioned why the man agreed to the swap, while others condemned the woman's audacity. Several commenters shared similar experiences, highlighting the recurring issue of seat poaching on flights. Some users even suggested ways to address such situations, advocating for reporting such behavior.

Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel expert and author of the blog "View From the Wing," offered advice to travelers facing similar dilemmas. He recommended directly asking fellow passengers to switch seats rather than resorting to seat squatting. Leff emphasized the importance of having a persuasive reason for the request and offering something in return to make the exchange more appealing.