“Sir, I need you to reallocate to seat 32B,” the flight attendant said. “We have a family that needs to sit together, and your seat is the only one available.” The old man looked at his aisle seat—the one he had paid extra for months in advance due to a service-related injury. “I booked this for medical reasons,” he replied softly. Still, she remained firm. With growing urgency, she added, “If you don’t reallocate, we can’t close the doors.”
Nine tense minutes passed. Then, the cockpit door opened, and the captain stepped into the cabin. What he did next changed the tone—and meaning—of the entire flight.
