A self-important man in business class began making inappropriate offers during the flight – the lesson I gave him was so embarrassing, he’d never dare try it again

When Sutton is on an eight-hour flight home, all she wants is to unwind after a busy event-planning gig. Instead, she faces an obnoxious man who wants to show her the joys of business class, refusing to take no for an answer. Sutton is left with only one choice: to teach him a lesson before the flight lands.

You know how some people think they’re better than the rest of us because they paid for a little more legroom and a hot towel? And maybe a glass or two of champagne?

Yeah, so I met one of those people on my way home from a business trip. And let me tell you about the time I knocked him off his high horse on a flight.

It’s a story that still makes me laugh.

I was flying home from a business trip, and as an event planner, it was business as usual for me. Except that I was obviously traveling economy. As much as my business was doing well, I wasn’t going to spend extra money just for business class.

It was a long-haul flight, and I wasn’t complaining because the trip gave me a lot of new connections that I knew I would work with in the future. So, all I wanted to do was sit back with my noise-canceling headphones and get lost in a book, or start planning for the sweet 16th birthday party I had to throw in two weeks.

Also, I just wanted to pretend that I wasn’t squashed in the middle seat. The flight was packed, as usual, with just a few seats free, but I’d mentally prepared myself for the eight hours of discomfort.

“At least this airline does good food,” the woman next to me said as she stretched before settling into her seat. “I’m Abby.”

“I’m Sutton,” I said. “Oh, let’s hope so. I usually dread the in-flight meals.”

We both settled into a comfortable silence, not really interacting with each other. About two hours in, I saw him.

Mr. Business Class.

I didn’t notice him at first, but he made sure that I did soon enough. He was standing in the aisle next to me, and from the second he opened his mouth, I knew that he was the kind of sleazy person who thought he was the single best thing on earth.

“Hey, you look like you could use a drink,” he said, leaning in a little too close for comfort. He flashed me a smirk, the kind that made me want to roll my eyes and yawn.

“How about I take you up to business class? I’ll show you how the other half lives. I can promise you, it’s definitely not as cramped as this.”

I stared at him, blinked once, and pulled off my headphones. I wasn’t listening to anything, but I had always found it comforting to keep them on.

“No, thank you,” I said, as politely as possible, hoping that’d be the end of it and he would move on to someone else. I turned back to my book, focusing on the words, expecting him to hurry off down the aisle.

Of course, he didn’t.

He leaned in closer, like we were about to share some dirty secret with each other.

“Come on, sweetheart,” he said. “You can sit on my lap. I’ll show you what real first-class service feels like.”

I froze, my stomach churning in disgust.

Did he really just say that?

My mind went completely blank for a second as I processed what he’d just said. Then the anger hit me. Hard.

“Well?” he asked, his voice smooth.

People around us were starting to notice that something was going on, and to be fair, it was free entertainment.

But he didn’t care. He just stood there, grinning like an idiot, as if he had just offered me the opportunity of a lifetime.

Now, the old me would have told him off and just gone back to my book or taken a nap to pass the time quickly. But this had happened to me too many times before, and I was tired of it. I wanted more. I wanted to teach this man a lesson. And that lesson needed to be public and humiliating.

I plastered on my sweetest smile, one that made him think he was getting exactly what he wanted.

“You know what? You’re right,” I said, putting on a sweet voice. “I would love to join you. Why don’t you just give me a minute to freshen up in the bathroom? I’ll be right with you.”

His eyes lit up like the night sky on the 4th of July.

“I’ll be waiting,” he said, a sickening smile appearing on his face.

Oh, buddy, you have absolutely no idea what’s coming, I thought.

“Are you really going to go?” Abby asked me.

“I’m going to teach him a lesson,” I said to her. “There’s no way that he should get away with vile behavior like that.”

She nodded and yawned, turning to the window.

I waited for a good ten minutes or so, letting him settle in, getting excited about whatever fantasy he had constructed in his head.

Then, I called a flight attendant over and explained the entire situation to her. Immediately, her eyes narrowed, and she shook her head.

“Ma’am, you’re not alone,” she said. “We’re only about three hours into this flight and you’re the fourth woman to mention him. He’s been doing this since we reached cruising altitude.”

Great.

With her permission, I grabbed my complimentary in-flight blanket and headed for business class. I walked confidently down the aisle, tossing my hair as I went, blanket over my arm like I was ready to make myself right at home with Mr. Business Class.

I had to admit, he had a great seat and there was plenty of legroom. He spotted me and winked, sitting up straighter in his seat.

But I didn’t stop there. Instead, I turned around, beckoning him to follow me. I went back to Economy and saw an elderly lady sitting a few rows behind him.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” I said. “There’s been a change of plans! There’s a man in business class who has generously offered you his seat. He noticed how uncomfortable you looked with such little space and has insisted that you take his place for the rest of the flight.”

Her eyes widened, and a smile crept across her face.

“Oh, my goodness! How kind of you!” she said, looking from me to Mr. Business Class.

The smirk on his face vanished immediately.

And the old woman was already calling for a flight attendant to help move her belongings. Mr. Business Class sputtered and tried to say something, but the flight attendant was already helping the old woman.

“That’s so thoughtful of you, sir,” she said, throwing him a look that dared him to argue.

The man just stood there, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. The passengers around us seemed to catch on to what was happening and were stifling laughter.

He knew that he was trapped. He knew that if he tried to protest, he would look like an even bigger jerk.

“Where should I sit now?” he asked the flight attendant grumpily.

“Right there,” she declared. “I think your legs are a bit long for this seat, but that’s just an economy hazard, really.”

I walked back to my seat and told Abby what had happened.

“Oh, Sutton,” she giggled. “You got him good.”

For the rest of the flight, he sat in stiff silence, glaring straight ahead, arms crossed like a child who had just been told off. I noticed that he didn’t even want to eat his meal when it arrived.

As for the elderly woman? Oh, she was just having the best time. And she told me so herself when I ran into her as we walked down the terminal together.

“Thank you, darling girl,” she said. “My arthritis was playing up and I didn’t know how much of the flight I could manage.”

“You’re most welcome,” I said. “I needed to teach that man a lesson, and I wanted you to have a good flight.”

Moments later, Mr. Business Class pushed past me, practically running.

“I’m sure his face is burning,” the old lady chuckled.

“As long as he learned a lesson, I couldn’t care less,” I laughed with her.

What would you have done?