"I can sort that out for you," Kayla said. She set the water on a nearby service ledge and held out one hand. "May I see your boarding pass?" Margot laughed as though the request were an insult. "Why would you need to see my boarding pass?"
"Because the seat numbers are assigned on the manifest," Kayla explained. "It'll take a moment to check." "I've flown with this airline for twenty years," Margot said. "I was a premium member before you were old enough to get a job. Everyone knows where I sit."
Kayla kept her voice warm. "I appreciate your loyalty, ma'am. But I still need to confirm the seat assignment before asking another passenger to move." Adrienne extended her pass. "You're welcome to look at mine."
Kayla examined it, then checked the device in her hand against the reservation list. She did not take long, because there was no ambiguity to resolve. Seat 2A appeared beside Adrienne Cole's name, with the same flight number printed on the pass and the same booking status in the system. Kayla turned to Margot without a trace of triumph.
"Ms. Cole is in her assigned seat," she said. "If you'll show me your boarding pass, I'll take you to yours."
Margot's face changed. Until that moment she had expected the employee to accept her word and direct the problem away from her. The gentle refusal seemed to offend her more than an argument would have, as though Kayla had violated a private understanding that certain customers did not have to be questioned. Margot opened her handbag, found the boarding pass, and held it out reluctantly between two fingers.
Kayla read it. "Thank you. You're in 2C, just across the aisle. I can help with your bag." "I asked for 2A," Margot snapped. "I always sit in 2A."
"I understand," Kayla said. "The gate agent wasn't able to assign it to you today, and Ms. Cole has a confirmed ticket. If both passengers wanted to exchange seats, that would be their choice, but we can't require it."
Adrienne was impressed by the clarity of the answer. Kayla had neither belittled the premium traveler nor treated the other passenger as expendable; she had simply stated the facts and left room for a voluntary accommodation. It was how an ordinary problem should have been handled. Adrienne might have said so, but Margot did not leave her the opportunity.
"I want your supervisor," Margot said. "Now." Kayla inclined her head. "I'll ask the lead flight attendant to come over. In the meantime, would you mind stepping into your assigned seat so the aisle stays clear?"
"No," Margot said. "I won't mind. I simply won't do it."
She folded her arms and remained exactly where she was. Kayla hesitated just long enough for Adrienne to see that she was calculating the limits of her authority, then turned toward the front galley. The other passengers watched her go with that particular discomfort people feel when they know an employee is about to be punished for doing a job correctly. Margot looked down at Adrienne again, certain that the next person would understand the situation properly.
"You could have saved everyone the trouble," she said. "If you'd moved when I asked, we'd already be in the air." "We're still on the ground because you won't sit in your assigned seat," Adrienne replied. "I don't believe that makes it my fault." Margot's eyes widened. "You have a remarkable attitude for someone who clearly doesn't understand how things work."
Adrienne met her gaze. "I understand that a ticket assigns a seat. I understand that yours says 2C and mine says 2A. We don't need anything more complicated than that."