On the plane, Agnia paused in the aisle, thoughtfully staring at her window seat. Behind her, passengers were growing impatient, but she needed a moment to process the situation. A large plane, a seven-hour flight ahead, with three seats on each side and thirty rows. Agnia had carefully chosen her window seat. She hated when stewardesses passed by with their carts, when people were moving about, or when children ran around. The noise didn’t bother her, though. As a frequent traveler, she’d invested in noise-canceling headphones, which helped her stay focused on music or distractions. Tonight, she was especially tired and planned to sleep to be rested for the next day, but she wasn’t sure if that would be possible.
Her seatmate in the middle was a larger woman—not extremely obese, but definitely not petite. The woman’s seatbelt had been extended, and Agnia could clearly see that a single seat was too tight for her. She sat with her legs slightly apart, encroaching on Agnia’s space, and probably also the space of the person supposed to sit in the aisle seat. Agnia politely addressed the woman.
“Good evening,” she said. “Is this your seat as well?”
“What, my seat?” the woman responded, confused.
“Your seat,” Agnia clarified.
“No, mine’s in the middle,” the woman replied.
“Ma’am, please sit down,” an annoyed voice came from behind Agnia.
She stepped aside to let passengers pass and turned back to her neighbor. “So, there are three of us here, you, me, and someone else?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“Very well, I understand,” Agnia said as she assessed the situation. Though she was of average build, her 60 kilograms wouldn’t prevent her neighbor’s large leg from intruding into her space. With a sigh, Agnia pressed the call button for the stewardess. The woman beside her stared suspiciously, narrowing her eyes.
“How can I help you?” the stewardess asked with a professional smile.
“My seat is by the window,” Agnia explained calmly. “We have a seven-hour flight ahead of us, and I’m afraid my neighbor and I won’t have enough space. It will be cramped.”
“Hey!” the woman shouted, blushing with anger. “What are you complaining about, you skinny fish?”
“I’m not complaining,” Agnia responded with a shrug. “I can be direct if you want: you should’ve booked two seats for yourself. Or flown business class. In this situation, no one will be comfortable—neither us nor you. And by the way, I haven’t given you a reason to insult me.”
“I don’t need a reason!”
“Let’s settle this calmly,” the stewardess intervened.
“That’s exactly what I suggest,” Agnia agreed.
“Unfortunately, there are no available seats left in economy,” the stewardess sighed.
“That’s unfortunate. Are there other options?”
The stewardess sighed again. “I can put you in business class.”
“In business class?” the woman exclaimed. “And me? Do I stay here?”
“The seats in business class are only slightly wider than in economy, and there’s only one seat left,” the stewardess explained. “I’ll rebook this passenger. The window seat will be free, and you’ll be much more comfortable than in business class. Will you come with me?” she asked Agnia.
“Gladly. Thank you.”
With a grim look from her neighbor, Agnia followed the stewardess.
“What do you do when there are no free seats and complaints start?” Agnia asked as she took her new seat next to a charming young man wearing noise-canceling headphones.
“Well… we fly,” the stewardess replied philosophically. “Admittedly, in a somewhat tense atmosphere.”
“Thank you for helping me,” Agnia smiled.
“Thank you for not making a scene.”
“Oh, I’m a lawyer. I’m used to practice.”
“Soon we’ll serve food and drinks,” the stewardess added before leaving.
Agnia stretched her legs, took out her headphones, and started reading her e-reader. She felt no anger or resentment—only satisfaction at having gotten what she wanted and having had the courage to speak up. A solution had been found. “A peaceful way out,” Agnia thought as she opened the novel she had started. “In the era of body positivity, I could’ve gotten into trouble. But would she really have been comfortable for seven hours, or even longer if the flight had been delayed? I don’t care how much she weighs; what bothers me is that she’s taking up my physical space.”
“We’re about to take off,” the stewardess announced as she passed by. “Please fasten your seatbelt.”
Agnia fastened her seatbelt and resumed reading.
