The growing plague of seat squatters: Passengers take others by surprise on the plane!

The growing plague of seat squatters: Passengers take others by surprise on the plane!

In recent months, complaints about the phenomenon of “seat squatters” on air travel have increased. More and more passengers are reporting uninvited seat neighbors who take their seats and refuse to vacate them. Those affected describe their experiences in a variety of ways via social networks and platforms such as Reddit. Some flew with the hope of a relaxing trip, but found their holiday experience disrupted by rude fellow passengers.

A female passenger named Ella describes an incident in which a male passenger took her assigned seat and only agreed to give up his seat after a flight attendant intervened. Such incidents are not isolated: On a Delta flight, several travelers reported similar difficulties as passengers tried to settle into better seats. One example includes a woman who lost her window seat during a flight from Toronto to Charlottetown to a man who only refused to leave his seat after crew intervention.

Increasing complaints from airlines

The airlines themselves are therefore increasingly receiving complaints about such incidents. Delta, United Airlines and American Airlines in particular have to deal with a wave of complaints about “seat squatters”. One passenger reported that a “seat squatter” remained in his seat despite a flight attendant pointing out that his assigned seat was further forward. This happened in a situation where the lady in question showed no signs of insight.

The experts agree: the seat always belongs to the person assigned to it according to the boarding pass. Travel expert Gary Leff recommends politely asking for a swap instead of simply "stealing" the seat. These simple rules of conduct could prevent many conflicts and help make traveling more pleasant for everyone.

Facts and figures about air traffic

In total, around 4.9 billion people used airlines worldwide in 2024. This corresponds to a recovery of 7.2% compared to the previous year. Around 199.5 million passengers were recorded in Germany alone. This shows that despite the increasing complaints about “seat squatters,” the number of passengers continues to rise.

Air travel is considered one of the safest modes of transport, with only one accident per 880,000 flights according to IATA in 2024. The airliners fly at altitudes between 10,000 and 12,000 meters, while the world's largest aircraft, the "Stratolaunch", has an impressive wingspan of around 117 meters.

So it remains to be hoped that awareness of the problem of “seat squatters” will grow and travel will become more relaxed and pleasant for all passengers. More information about passenger behavior and their experiences can be found at: in reports from Focus and 20 minutes.