I was taken aback when a cunning pair on my flight managed to pull a prank on me. This incident taught us how to defend against bullies and make the best of potentially dangerous situations.
A woman and her husband approached me as I was getting comfortable in my first-class seat and asked that I trade places.
Their confidence was palpable, but so was not their entitlement. I didn’t want to start a fight, but I couldn’t believe they were acting so blatantly.
I handed over my boarding pass and gave up my spot as per the plan. However, I had a plan.
I knew the flight attendant had witnessed what had transpired, so I requested her for assistance. Together, we devised a plan on how to discipline them.
The pair was assigned seats in row 12, which are not premium seats, the flight attendant informed me.
I remained composed in spite of my anger that they had taken advantage of me. Rather, I informed the chief purser of what had happened, and he offered me the choice to either return to my original location or receive a substantial amount of airline points.
I chose the points since I knew their value exceeded the first-class versus economy airfare difference. In addition, the purser upgraded me to first class on my subsequent trip as a kind gift.
As the trip continued, the couple’s falsehoods began to catch up with them. After discussing their behavior with the purser, security escorted them off the aircraft. Their lies eventually caught up with them since they were having an affair.
As soon as I got off the plane, I couldn’t help but smile. Getting even doesn’t always involve confronting someone; sometimes it just means observing them come to their senses. I made something positive out of something that could have been negative, and I gained valuable experience advocating for myself.
