Unfiltered Story #296041

After a long and exhausting business trip to Los Angeles I am booked on the overnight flight back home to London. I have deliberately reserved, and paid extra for, a window seat so I can sleep all the way.
When I reach the business class cabin I find someone in my seat. I recognise him as a famous movie star.
Me: Excuse me, but you are in my seat.
FMS: So? You can have the aisle seat. They assigned it to me, but I don’t do aisles because I get bothered by fans.
Me: Sorry, but I don’t do aisles either, particularly as I selected and paid a hefty supplement to sit exactly where you have parked yourself.
FMS: Don’t you know who I am.
Me: I don’t care who you are. You are in my seat and I want it.
FMS: The crew here know me. If it comes to deciding who sits where, do you really think they are going to make me move? I’m a regular traveller on this airline and the crew will give me priority over you.
By this time the whole cabin is listening to every word. You could hear a pin drop. I’m certainly not going to give way to an entitled asshole who thinks because he’s a big actor he can get his own way.
Me: (Pressing the call button) Let’s see what the cabin crew say, shall we?
Flight attendant ( after I have explained the situation). Mr FMS, you are in this passenger’s seat. You have the aisle seat next to him. I must ask you to move.
FMS: (Clearly shocked at the flight attendant taking my side). I’m an important passenger on this airline and I have the right to sit where I like. Fetch the captain, he’ll tell you the same.
Flight attendant heads for the flight deck and after a short delay returns.
Flight attendant: Mr (me) the captain sends his compliments and says would you like an upgrade to the first class cabin where there is a free window suite. You will be our guest, of course.
Me: That’s fine by me.
FMS: Wait. I should be the one being moved to first class, not him.
Flight attendant: No sir, I have explained to the captain how important this particular seat is to you, and he says you can stay there so long as this gentleman is happy with moving up to first clAss.
At that, the whole business class cabin burst into applause and shouts of ‘go for it’, continuing as I was led through the cabin to my first class suite.
Afterwards the cabin crew told me that FMS sulked all the way through the flight and even threatened to complain to the airline that he had been treated ‘like an ordinary day member of the public’.
And me? I had a very good flight, thank you, comfortable in my first class seat which turned into a full length bed. The food, drinks and staff were superb.