He agreed to switch plane seats for a stranger, then instantly realized his mistake

An American Airlines passenger learned the hard way that agreeing to swap seats can sometimes lead to an unpleasant surprise. As Daily Dot highlighted, Jeff Olson said his decision to move seats before takeoff resulted in him sitting next to a fellow traveler whose behavior quickly made the flight uncomfortable.

Olson was flying from Chicago to Los Angeles when another passenger asked to switch seats. He assumed the request was to help a family sit together, a situation many travelers are familiar with. Instead, his new seat placed him next to a woman who treated the cabin as if it were her personal living room.

The situation escalated shortly after takeoff, when Olson realized the seat change had put him inches away from behavior he never expected to deal with mid-flight. He took to the social media platform, Threads, to document what happened during the flight.

Sometimes being polite on a flight backfires

Olson shared a photo showing a pair of bare feet positioned next to his legs after the woman beside him removed her shoes and socks. According to Olson, she propped her feet up on the armrest, placing them nearly an inch away from his thigh.

The angle of the photo made it appear as though her foot could have been touching him, though Olson later clarified he pulled his leg inward just enough to avoid contact. Even so, the proximity was enough to make the situation uncomfortable.

Olson said he is not confrontational by nature, but the behavior was so off-putting that he gave the woman a look. After about ten minutes, she put her feet back on the floor. While the issue did not last the entire flight, Olson said the experience left a lasting impression.

The post quickly sparked debate online, with many commenters asking what they should have done in his place. Several suggested confronting the woman directly or calling over a flight attendant, echoing reactions seen in other recent airline disputes where passengers felt mistreated despite doing everything right, such as when a $5,000 United ticket still wasn’t enough to guarantee smooth boarding.

Olson later explained why he chose not to escalate the situation. The flight was full, and he still had to sit next to the woman for more than four hours. He said calling a flight attendant would likely have caused an awkward scene or delayed the flight, especially since the issue resolved itself within minutes.

He also responded to users who defended the barefoot passenger, joking that they should go “straight to jail”. Others shared similar experiences in the comments, posting photos of bare feet crossing seat barriers in economy, emergency exit rows, and even first-class cabins. Those stories joined a growing collection of unsettling travel moments, including recent reactions from passengers after something disturbing appeared on an airport baggage carousel.