When travelling by air, I like the aisle seat. It allows me to frequently walk to the back and "chat" with flight attendants about beverages in stock. I do online check-ins for this reason, so was surprised on a recent trip home when this woman said to me: "Excuse me, do you mind taking the middle seat and I take the aisle ?"I had checked in for my aisle seat the night before my morning flight."No thanks," I said, wondering what type of request that was.Now it was possible that she had bladder problems or suffered from motion sickness and would need a sick bag frequently, but I was not in the best of moods. I had been delayed at baggage drop because of a full passport and did not manage to get my cup of coffee before boarding.She was taken aback at my response, her lips formed an O and she shuffled to her middle seat.She then turned to the young man in the window seat and started chatting blatantly, blocking psycho selfish me.story_article_left1She asked questions to which he kept giving one word answers."So where are you from?""Kenya."She inquired further: "What do you do?""Doctor.""What takes you to South Africa?""Study.""Are you specialising?"Nod."What will you study?""ENT.""What university?""UCT."The doctor guy looked like he just wanted to put on his headphones and watch the movie. I decided to be the patron saint for that one Kenyan traveller."Excuse me, ma'am, do you live in Kenya?" I asked."No," she answered, perhaps a little surprised that I was talking to her. "I was in Kenya to visit my husband."I think I noticed a wink and a smile directed at me as our young doctor put his headphones on and started watching the movie. It was early yet and I did not want to risk her turning to him and asking more questions so I continued being St Christopher-Wanner for the Kenyan dude."How long have you been visiting?"She answered that her husband was an executive at some company and they were both going home for his leave."Wait, so where is your husband?" I asked, my curiosity piqued. The plane wasn't full. In fact, the last five rows were empty and there were a few empty seats in front of us. Surely they could have found seats together? Or were they one of those couples that did not like sitting together?She responded: "He is in Business Class."Now I started interrogating.story_article_right2"Your husband is in Business Class and he couldn't upgrade your ticket to join him?"I was on some sisterly solidarity bent. To use a Trevor Noah'ism, "what kind?"But her husband was not to blame, according to her."The purser on this flight is a sourpuss," she told me in a confidential voice full of indignation. "We asked if we could sit together but she would not let us. Some people are just so angry."Wait lady. I was thinking to myself. It's the purser's fault?"So you wanted to sit in Business Class with an economy-class ticket?" I wanted to be sure."We've done it before and other pursers have allowed us."I sniggered."Madam, the purser was just doing her job. I cannot believe that you expect a free upgrade when others have to pay for it." I swear I sounded like one of my former high-school principals. Her face went pale. I continued: "Do you know what we call that?"She probably had no idea what was coming to her but said: "What?"I replied: "Privilege, madam. We call that privilege."She took a few breaths, then, without looking at me, she said: "Excuse me. I think I will go and sit elsewhere." She shuffled out, took her luggage from the overhead compartment and went to sit in one of the seats up front. The ones I call Business Class View.My defence is that I'd had a trying time at Baggage Drop and had not had my first cup of coffee.I don't know what hers would be...