There's always one: What to do when someone asks to sit next to you on an empty plane
Before flying home -- on Southwest Airlines, of course -- on Aug. 25, it had been 184 days since my last flight, on Royal Air Maroc. So as a longtime flyer and true aviation geek, I was excited for my flight from San Antonio International Airport (SAT) to Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI).
I checked in for my flight, depositing my two free bags with a lonely skycap and went through an eerily empty TSA checkpoint (I used PreCheck only because I wanted to keep my shoes on and my laptops in my backpack). Once past security, I went to the only coffee shop in Terminal A -- Merit, a local brand that's popular in San Antonio, Austin and Dallas (longtime concessions Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are now closed).
Once at the gate, I was bombarded with announcements about wearing a mask onboard the flight. We also got the usual boarding announcement (albeit Southwest now boards passengers by A, B and C in groups of 10). We also got the news that our 143-seat Boeing 737-700 jet only had 32 of us boarding. Considering what the pandemic has done to airline flights, I wasn't surprised, but I was still happy to hear it.
Southwest, along with Delta and JetBlue, are blocking middle seats at least through the end of October. But with only 32 passengers, I was happy to know that it would allow for plenty of social distancing on my flight home to Baltimore. But then a very odd thing happened.
Related: 27 years in the biz: These are the 6 passenger types I hate getting stuck next to on a plane
I'm a big fan of aisle seats because I'm slightly claustrophobic, and I like sitting toward the front of the plane. With my Southwest A-List status, I'm pretty much guaranteed my seat of choice. I boarded and settled into my seat. After a few minutes, a woman stopped at my row. I expected her to take the empty seats opposite of me, but no.
The woman looked at me and asked, "May I sit in that window seat?" I seriously thought I heard her wrong while she was speaking through her mask. I said, "Pardon me?" She repeated her request to sit in the window seat in my row. I informed her that the plane was wide-open, so she could sit where she wanted. But to my surprise, she asked again if she could sit in the window seat -- next to me.
Related: The unwritten rules of flying in the middle seat
I have one of those faces where people think it's OK to ask me to switch seats -- especially from people who don't like their middle seat. I'm Facebook famous among my friends for recounting all the times I've been asked on multiple airlines for my seat. I'll switch for two reasons -- helping a family with small children or if the seat I'm switching to is also an aisle seat. Otherwise it's a hard no. But I digress.
I gave her a hard no. Instead of moving on, she asked me why. I explained that I was social distancing, and that I was glad to be on a flight that allowed for this, especially considering that there were only 32 people onboard. She stood and looked at me for another 20 seconds or so, then thankfully moved on.
Related: As travel reopens, here’s what it’s like flying in the US right now
As much as I love to fly, I'll admit I was nervous about my first pandemic flight. I was prepared with extra masks, disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizers and my own in-flight snacks. The flight crew was very professional and the flight continued without any further incidents.
For the week ending Aug. 30, domestic air travel is down 67% year over year, according to trade group Airlines for America (A4A), with numbers slowly rising. I know there will come a time when I won't be able to say no, as passenger traffic slowly rises. It means that on my next flight -- whenever that may be -- I'll look at taking even more precautions, like wearing a face shield and bringing my own latex gloves, to ensure my safety as the pandemic rages on.
Related: Naomi Campbell’s preflight routine got a serious coronavirus upgrade
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Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
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- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
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Rewards Rate
3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. |
2X | Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. |
1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles50,000 Bonus MilesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees