• Video
  • Shop
  • Culture
  • Family
  • Wellness
  • Food
  • Living
  • Style
  • Travel
  • News
  • Book Club
  • GMA3: WYNTK
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Contact Us
  • © 2025 ABC News
  • Travel

Are you obliged to switch seats on a plane? Inside the travel debate

4:16
How to handle seat-swap requests on planes
STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images
ByKarolina Rivas and Shafiq Najib
November 17, 2023, 3:30 PM

As the holiday season begins to take off, so has another travel debate: whether or not it's acceptable to ask other passengers on a plane to switch their seat with yours.

One video on TikTok posted by Tammy Nelson, which has garnered over five million views, shows her sharing her own experience when a woman wanted to swap her middle seat for Nelson’s window seat in order to sit next to her children.

She explained in clip's caption that she didn't agree to switch seats because she “desperately needed some sleep” after “having had only 90 minutes of sleep the night before and knowing I had to give a presentation to 500 people.”

Nelson also shared that the woman's kids “looked like they were about 11 and 15 years old. And the mom was in arm’s reach of both of them from the middle seat in the row behind us.”

Related Articles

MORE: Woman sparks debate by not switching seats with a fellow mom on her flight

During an interview with “Good Morning America” that aired Friday, Nelson shed more light on her side of the story.

“I said, ‘I'm sorry.’ I said, ‘I really need a window.’ So, you know, I don't want to switch. And she was not happy,” Nelson shared of the encounter.

Another frequent flier, Tyler Regan of Los Angeles, also spoke to “GMA,” offering an extended take on the situation. Although he’s generally against switching seats, Regan said his decision might change depending on the circumstances.

“There are times that you may switch seats and that's fine,” he said. “I just don't like the notion that you are labeled a bit of a jerk if you choose not to.”

A mother with two children traveling on a plane.
STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images

Related Articles

MORE: Reclining wars: Debate on reclining during flights heats up as holiday travel season begins

Rosalinda Randall, an etiquette expert, told "GMA" no one is obligated to switch seats on a plane if asked to do so. However, she notes there’s nothing wrong with asking “anybody anything.”

“Also, be ready when someone replies to you with the answer that you weren't expecting,” Randall said. “So you can always ask. What I tell people is, if you're going to ask, have a good reason."

Editor’s Picks

How airlines are preparing for busiest holiday season ever

  • Nov 14, 2023

The best and worst days to fly or drive for Thanksgiving

  • Nov 15, 2023

Gospel singer sparks debate after singing on flight following Grammy nomination

  • Nov 14, 2023

For mother-of-two Izzy Anaya of New York, sometimes things may not go as planned, especially when traveling with a family. She said agreeing to switch seats when asked can be a chance for you to do a good deed.

“If you have a couple that's on their honeymoon or if you have a family with kids and you are traveling alone, it is your opportunity to do something good,” she told “GMA."

When traveling, keep in mind that with some airlines charging different prices for different seats, choosing to buy the least expensive ticket means you’re risking the chance of being assigned a seat that’s separate from the group you're traveling with. Likewise, when asking to switch seats with another passenger, keep in mind their potential situation.

“Just be aware that the person may have chosen that flight for that seat for a very specific reason,” Sara Nelson, the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, told "GMA." “They may have paid for it. They may have a very specific reason for sitting there. So don't be surprised if the answer is no.”

Related Topics

  • Travel
  • Airlines

Editor’s Picks

How airlines are preparing for busiest holiday season ever

  • Nov 14, 2023

The best and worst days to fly or drive for Thanksgiving

  • Nov 15, 2023

Gospel singer sparks debate after singing on flight following Grammy nomination

  • Nov 14, 2023

Up Next in Travel—

Protect your luggage with these travel security essentials that frequent flyers swear by

June 5, 2025

Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World to get 'largest expansion' with new national park-themed attraction

June 3, 2025

Pigeons board a Delta flight, causing pandemonium and 2 trips back to the gate

May 27, 2025

Southwest Airlines to start charging checked bag fee this week

May 27, 2025

Shop GMA Favorites

ABC will receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Sponsored Content by Taboola

The latest lifestyle and entertainment news and inspiration for how to live your best life - all from Good Morning America.
  • Contests
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Children’s Online Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • About Nielsen Measurement
  • Press
  • Feedback
  • Shop FAQs
  • ABC News
  • ABC
  • All Videos
  • All Topics
  • Sitemap

© 2025 ABC News
  • Privacy Policy— 
  • Your US State Privacy Rights— 
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy— 
  • Interest-Based Ads— 
  • Terms of Use— 
  • Do Not Sell My Info— 
  • Contact Us— 

© 2025 ABC News