A woman recently found herself in a heated confrontation mid-flight when she discovered another passenger had taken her assigned seat. Frustrated by the audacity of the so-called “seat squatter,” she stood her ground, declaring, “I’m throwing hands” in response to the situation. As more travelers share similar experiences, concerns are growing over whether this is becoming a widespread issue.
With increasing reports of passengers deliberately occupying seats that aren’t theirs, many are left wondering: Is this a new trend taking over airline travel? And if so, how should airlines and passengers handle it?
If you’re flying with an airline that lets you choose your seat in advance, it can be incredibly frustrating to board the plane only to find someone else occupying your assigned spot.
That’s exactly what happened to Shannon Ella (@shannonella_), who shared her experience in a TikTok video posted in July. She recounted encountering a “seat squatter”—a term that gained popularity in 2025 to describe passengers who take seats that were reserved and paid for by others.
Ella explained that she was traveling within Canada when she noticed a man had taken her assigned window seat. Rather than giving in, she stood her ground and insisted on keeping her rightful spot. Despite reclaiming her seat, she was left bewildered by the man’s audacity.
“Is this a thing that people are doing on planes now?” she asked, echoing the frustration of many travelers facing similar situations.
As of Monday, Ella’s video had garnered over 215,200 views, sparking widespread discussion among travelers.
What Happened on Her Flight?
Ella shared that she was flying between Toronto and Charlottetown, Canada—a journey of about two hours. However, when she reached her assigned seat, she was met with an unexpected surprise: another passenger was already sitting there.
“When I said, ‘Hey, I think you’re in my seat,’ he looked at me and was like, ‘I don’t think so,’” Ella recalled, stunned by his response.
Ella said the passenger eventually realized he had actually been assigned an aisle seat rather than the window, but at first, he still refused to move. While she suspected he hadn’t expected her to push back, she stood her ground and insisted he give up the seat.
“I am a window seat girl. I sit by the window. Get out of my seat,” she firmly stated.
She then questioned whether “seat squatting” is becoming a common trend among travelers, wondering aloud, “Is this something that people are doing on planes now?”
If so, she made it clear that she finds the practice both inconsiderate and unacceptable.
What Are ‘Seat Squatters’—and What’s Their Deal?
Ella isn’t the only one to run into a passenger who refuses to leave a seat they didn’t pay for.
According to the Daily Express US, numerous Reddit users have shared similar experiences. The outlet highlighted a story from one Redditor who spotted three “seat squatters” on their flight, including a man who refused to move from someone else’s seat.
In a more extreme case, The New York Post reported that some squatters have gone so far as to pretend to be first-class passengers in an attempt to score free alcohol.
Some passengers have had success by politely asking others to swap seats, but with a seat squatter, it seems they’re simply out to take someone else’s spot for no good reason.
If you ever find yourself in this situation, California-based etiquette expert Rosalinda Randall advises addressing the situation calmly and respectfully.
“If the seat squatter refuses to move, don’t engage or try to rally other passengers,” Randall told Fox News Digital.
Instead, she recommends immediately reaching out to the flight attendant for assistance
Viewers React to the Audacity of Some Squatters:
In the comments section of Ella’s video, many viewers expressed disbelief at the audacity of some seat squatters and shared their own advice for dealing with the situation.
“Immediately call the flight attendant,” one commenter suggested. “No drama. I’ll ask once, and after that, I call in reinforcements.”
“Just call the stewardess right away. They know how to handle these people,” another viewer recommended. “If things escalate, they can even have them removed if needed.”
A third commenter joked, “I’m throwing hands.”
Other viewers shared their own experiences with seat squatters.
“This happened to me too,” one user said. “I booked an aisle seat, and the person told me I could take the middle seat. No thanks.”
“Girl, this happened to me in first class on Wednesday,” another user shared. “Some girl was in my window seat, and when I told her, ‘Hey, you’re in my seat,’ she replied, ‘What?! No, I’m not!’ They ended up moving her… to economy.”
“This literally just happened to me! I had the window seat, and there were three people sitting together in my row who refused to get up. The flight attendant came over and asked me if I’d be willing to sit somewhere else but didn’t make them move,” a third user wrote.
Other aisle-seat fans expressed their understanding of Ella’s frustration.
