I was flying with Southwest Airlines in an aisle seat in a premium area, with an empty middle seat and a teenager by the window.
Just before takeoff, a flight attendant brought a passenger from the back and gave her the option between my row or another row nearby. She chose our row, but it became clear she needed more space than one seat.
After I moved into the middle seat, the situation became uncomfortable because there wasn’t enough room. She couldn’t fit her legs properly and ended up placing part of her leg into my space, so I was essentially pushed into half a seat and pressed against the window passenger. It was physically tight and uncomfortable for the entire flight.
At landing, she also became sick and used a bag.
My question is less about that moment and more about the seating decision:
Should the airline have handled this differently given she appeared to need more than one seat?
What would you have done in that situation without escalating things or making anyone uncomfortable?
Is this something airlines typically manage better, or is it just bad luck?
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