I paid more for the window seat. When I boarded, I discovered a woman in my seat, with a boy next to her. “That’s my seat,” I said. She told me (did not ask me) to give her the seat so she could be with her grandchild. I refused. She huffed, but eventually moved.

I was shocked when the youngster leaned over and whispered to me, “She is not my grandmother. She asked me to pretend to be her grandson so she could have the window seat. I squinted, surprised and uneasy at the woman’s falsehood. “Thanks for telling me,” I said quietly, attempting to maintain my composure.

Throughout the flight, the woman gave me periodic glares, apparently angry that her scheme had failed. But I tried to ignore the strain and enjoy the scenery from my window. Midway through the flight, she called over a flight attendant and requested to be placed next to her “grandson” for his comfort.

The flight attendant, puzzled, asked the youngster if he was okay, to which he calmly replied, “I’m fine.” “She’s not my grandmother.” The attendant arched an eyebrow at the woman, who stammered before remaining mute. I was unsure whether I should say something to her, so I remained mute. Was it the right thing to do?