While it might seem like a small act of kindness to swap seats with a fellow passenger — but flight attendants are now warning travelers that saying “yes” could come with unexpected consequences.
Flight attendant Leanna Coy, who recently shared her experience on TikTok, explained why she’s normally “100% against” changing seats. “Your lack of planning should not constitute me having to move,” she said, recalling a recent United Airlines flight where she reluctantly gave up her aisle seat after a fellow passenger asked to switch.
But moments after moving, she realized her name and seat number — already recorded in the airline’s system — were still linked to her onboard purchases. On certain airlines, such as United, passengers who upload their debit or credit card info to the app ahead of time can order food and drinks based on their seat number. That means if someone else is sitting in your original seat, they may have access to your stored payment details.
Coy flagged this to the flight crew, only to be told, “Oh, yeah. Technically, they do.” While she doesn’t believe the other passenger had bad intentions, she warns it’s something travelers should be aware of.
More importantly, if a swapped passenger breaks flight regulations — like smoking in the bathroom — it could mistakenly be traced back to you, since your name is still tied to the seat on the manifest. “That could come back on me,” Coy said, describing how anxious it made her feel mid-flight.
Orlando-based flight attendant Mitra Amirzadeh also chimed in, saying the only valid exception for switching seats is when a parent needs to sit with a child. In all other cases, she believes passengers have every right to stay put in the seat they paid for.
So next time you’re asked to make a seat switch mid-air, don’t feel guilty for politely saying no — it’s your seat, your name, and potentially your money on the line.
