A passenger has shared their disbelief at what a pair of women tried to do upon boarding their flight between Providence and Atlanta and neither can many online critics.
Original poster (OP) cafroe001 took to Reddit this week to recount how the pair of women "haphazardly" sat in first class before the plane filled up.
"They threw their bags up and settled in," the OP explained. However, their plan unraveled when another traveler arrived and pointed out that one of the front-row seats was hers.
'Complimentary drinks'
The women, laughing and calling themselves "rookies," admitted their actual seats were far back in row 24.
Adding to the intrigue, the poster speculated that the women might have been attempting to score complimentary pre-departure drinks.
"I'm shaking my head laughing and the flight attendant comes over and I tell him I've never seen anything like that before," the OP told Redditors.
"He tells me it just happened for the first time to him earlier and that the people sat down, received their pre-flight booze and then said, 'I'm just going to go say hi to my sister in the back of the plane,' and walked off with the free drink to obviously not return."
The Reddit post sparked a spirited discussion about modern travel etiquette and the lengths some people go for minor perks.
Passenger Etiquette Under Scrutiny
This story isn't an isolated case of creative seating gambits on airplanes. According to Delta, first-class passengers enjoy exclusive benefits such as priority boarding, complimentary drinks and more comfortable seating.
With such perks at stake, incidents involving passengers attempting to access first-class amenities without authorization aren't entirely surprising.
In a separate Newsweek article, a YouGov poll highlighted that 43% of respondents believe reclining seats is poor etiquette, underscoring how passengers' actions can often ignite debates about proper behavior onboard.
Stories like the one on Reddit reveal just how far some are willing to push boundaries for small luxuries, like a complimentary drink.
The post drew plenty of reactions, with one user remarking, "I honestly refuse to believe people are resorting to such a low move to get 'free' alcohol.
"And the pre-departure drink isn't even that great! You got what, $3 on face value?"
Another user chimed in, "Stealing is not a 'hack.' This is simple lying."
Such incidents and their online discussions highlight the ongoing struggle airlines face in maintaining order and fairness among passengers.
As airline perks continue to draw attention, passengers will likely find themselves increasingly scrutinized—not just by staff but also by their fellow travelers.
The OP replied to an observation about the luggage that the "rookies" stowed before sitting, remarking that, "Had it been a full flight that would've caused more of a headache because everyone in that first row has to put their bags up and they completely filled 1-plus bins with their stuff.
"They knew where their actual seats were extremely fast, for not sitting in them from the jump," the OP added.
Newsweek has contacted cafroe001 comment via Reddit.
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