A man shared how he was offered a free upgrade to first class when travelling home from Costa Rica – but decided to give the seat to the stranger sitting next to him instead
A man has won over hearts after sharing why he gave up a free upgrade to first class on a flight to a complete stranger. He explained how he was travelling home to Florida from Costa Rica after working out there for a few weeks.
Exhausted, he asked his company to book an aisle seat so he could stretch his legs on the journey. But when he boarded his flight, he came to see a “rather large woman” sitting in his seat. He said on Reddit: “As I checked my ticket, she explained she had sprained her ankle and would I mind sitting in the middle seat, as she was having trouble getting in and out of the seats.
“I looked at her and realised that she and I were probably the same age. I don’t normally like middle seats, but she needed the aisle seat more than I and so I said ‘sure’.”
The pair started chatting and learned a little about each others’ lives when a flight attendant approached him 30 minutes into the trip to offer him a free upgrade.
He said: “I thought about it for a moment and said to my seatmate, ‘Why don’t you go ahead and go up. you can use that seat more than I can.’ She looked surprised and shed a tear before accepting.
“The flight attendant took her up, and then came back (with a drink) and said, ‘We’re not supposed to do that, but thank you for helping her.’
“Anyway, that was more than 20 years ago, and we still correspond from time to time. Sometimes, little acts make large impacts.”
Commenting on his post, one user said: “That’s such a beautiful reminder that small kindnesses can mean the world to someone else.”
Another user added: “Exactly, you showed how little kindness can ripple into something much bigger, you showed love to the family that means a lot to them.
“This is the kind gesture the world need without anticipating anything in return.”
A third user said: “That’s such a wholesome story. Funny how what feels small to us can mean the world to someone else. You never know the weight someone’s carrying when you decide to help. Makes me think those little choices on flights or in lines stick with people way longer than we realise.”
One more user added: “Reading this hit me cause I remember when I was a kid, strangers did the same so my mum could sit with me on flights.
“I never realised how huge that was until I got older. Honestly, it’s just a good reminder that kindness has a ripple effect. Now I try to do one small ‘inconvenience’ a week on purpose, kind of keeps me grounded.”
