Airline Executive Faces Dilemma Over Flight Benefits Between Sister And Fiancée's Daughter

Paying a minimal amount for flights wasn't good enough for her. She wants free flights for her 6-year-old daughter.

Chelsi

• Published in Interesting
• December 11, 2023

An airline executive is facing a dilemma with his fiancée and the dispensation of his flight benefits. The 31-year-old OP has his older brother, younger sister, and dad in his airline account.

Anyone in OP's account can travel with their airline free of charge. OP has a close relationship with his siblings despite having different fathers.

He is especially close to his youngest sister, Shannon. His sister's father left when she was just four, and she hasn't had a relationship with him since.

Shannon had a difficult time coping with their mom's death a few years ago. She tried to make light of how she felt by cracking jokes about being an orphan.

She was depressed for some time but kept working on getting better. Traveling for free has been one of the things that helped OP's sister move on.

Shannon's goal was to visit all of the places their mom couldn't go to because she had them at a young age. OP couldn't be happier with the progress his sister made.

OP's new fiancée, Taylor, has a daughter named Maddie who is six years old. Maddie sees OP as a father figure because her dad is not a part of her life.

OP informed Taylor that since they were getting married, she could be added to his account. Taylor asked if Maddie would be added to the account as well.

OP said that wouldn't be possible because he had reached the maximum amount of people that could be added to his account.

Shannon wasn't happy about that and asked OP to remove Shannon. She said it was time for OP's sister to get a job and buy her own plane tickets.

Shannon doesn't work because she is still studying, but she is not a freeloader. She is only spending the money left to her by their mother.

OP told Taylor that he gets buddy passes every year, which Maddie could use when they travel as a family. Taylor called OP an a**hole for excluding Maddie from his flight benefits.

OP is not willing to remove his brother from the account because it would inconvenience him and his family. Removing his father from the account is a non-starter because he wants his dad to enjoy his retirement years and travel when he pleases.

OP is correct. Shannon can take full advantage of his flight benefits more than a 6-year-old would.

Is this Taylor's way of forcing OP to choose between her and his family? Is this some weird loyalty test?

A good person would be thrilled to marry someone so generous and kind to his family.

OP should check the terms of his airline benefits.

Maybe there is a way for Maddie to enjoy similar benefits as a dependent without affecting anyone else in OP's account.

If that doesn't work, here is another suggestion!

If all else fails, this is the way to go, OP.

On a more serious note, isn't OP bothered by the behavior Taylor displayed during this argument?

She is making him choose between her and Maddy or his family.

Is this the first time that Taylor showed disregard for OP's family in favor of hers?

Unfortunately, OP didn't answer any of the questions asked by this commenter.

A majority of the community voted that OP wasn't the a**hole. They urged him to examine how Taylor behaved during this argument.

They suspected that this wasn't the first time that she showed entitlement but was the first issue that struck a chord with OP. If this a loyalty test of some sort, Taylor sorely miscalculated her position.

Chelsi