Passenger Gets 'VIP Seat' on Southwest Flight, Not Prepared for Flight Attendant's Request
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A Southwest Airlines passenger boarding in Group B was surprised to find himself offered a prime emergency exit row seat—until flight attendants revealed the real reason.
Standing on the jet bridge, the man—who described himself as 6 feet, 6 inches (1.98 meters) in height, 250 pounds (113 kilograms) in weight and a retired combat veteran—noticed two flight attendants peer down the boarding line, lock eyes with him, exchange words and reenter the plane.
'VIP seat'
Moments later, after scanning his boarding pass, the original poster (OP) was met by a smiling crew member at the aircraft door who whispered, "We've saved you the VIP seat in the emergency exit row."
Typically coveted for its extra legroom, the emergency row seat was already being guarded by another flight attendant who blocked other passengers from sitting there.
Stock image: Southwest Airlines aircraft landing.
Stock image: Southwest Airlines aircraft landing.
Photo by Seibel Photography LLC / Getty Images
As the man sat down, the attendant apparently leaned in and explained, "You're gonna be my ABA for this flight."
Still puzzled, the OP was informed that ABA stands for "Able-Bodied Assistant"—a person flight attendants can quietly assign on flights to help in the event of an emergency, or if an onboard situation arises.
The man then learned there was more to the story.
"They had a very drunk, very large man two rows ahead of me with his equally drunk wife," the OP told Redditors.
"Evidently, they had been on the flight when it landed and given them trouble. Not enough to get kicked off, but enough to make them nervous."
Flight attendants typically enlist ABAs seated in exit rows to assist in evacuations if needed, but the designation is also informally used by some crews as a strategy to place calm, physically capable passengers near potential disruptions.
"The flight was uneventful," the man added.
In a follow-up message to Newsweek, the OP said he flies quite often.
"Since COVID, I've noticed people getting meaner towards flight attendants," he wrote.
"It's almost as if consequences don't matter. There are certain airlines I won't fly because it's almost like I'm flying 'Con-Air' (Spirit, Frontier)."
He added that he was a retired combat veteran of six tours and was "happy to help" the attendants.
'The drunks aren't going'
According to Newsweek reports, flight attendants have been praised for their caring work with customers, although sometimes the interactions can be tense.
Back on the Reddit story and commentators were generally appreciative, with one person in particular responding, "As the parent of a 6'4 child, this makes me very happy!"
A fellow user shared that their 70-year-old father is also 6 feet, 6 inches in height.
"He's had this happen many times where he boards and the flight attendant says, 'Here's your seat, sir!'"
A contributor quipped: "Well, this explains why a large muscular person always gets seated two rows behind me."
However, a critic felt the flight attendants should have done more: "30 year stewardess here. If someone is so drunk on my flight that I think I may need an ABA, the drunks aren't going.
"The law is they cannot 'appear to be intoxicated.' Glad things worked out well."
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