Lot of things going on here:
1) Cam Newton made 14.5 million dollars last season. He is set to make 16.2 million this season. How, HOW, is he flying commercial coach. That seems impossible to me. Now I will admit, on the list of things that I don't understand, the flight world is high on the list. Flights are cancelled, flights get behind, people flying on stand-by, flights being overbooked so you get bounced even though you have a ticket, it's a circus. So there may be some extenuating circumstances here that forced Cam's hand. But one of the perks of being rich is that you don't have to sit with the peasants like me in coach.
2) Plenty of people on social media scoffing at this guy for passing on the $1,500 to give up his seat with additional leg room. Well let me tell you something, every flight I've ever been on has been in coach. It's a war for space from the word go. You're battling to recline, you're fighting for arm rest space, you're negotiating leg room with the need for an additional carry-on, you're literally fighting for oxygen. And if the good lord smiles on you and gives you a seat with extra leg room, it takes a LOT to pry that away. Which lead me to…
3) As far as I can tell, this guy didn't make a counter-offer. My issue with extra-leg-room guy isn't that he turned down $1,500. As mentioned above, you battle for every inch in coach class, maybe $1,500 truly wasn't worth it to this dude. Maybe he as a ton of money too, I dunno. But to not at least make a counter-offer is a peculiar move. Rule #1 in life: Everything is for sale. Everything. Cam offers you $1,500 for extra leg room, you've at least got to counter him with a reach. Not a chance that $1,500 was Cam's highest offer. When you're the offerer, you always start low. Counter him with 10 grand and see how much he wants that additional leg-room. Come on extra-leg-room guy, be better.
PS: There are obviously a ton of relevant factors to negotiation here as well. Primarily; how long is the flight. If this is a 90 minute flight, I'd give up my seat for $1,500 so fast it would make your head spin. But if this is some 8 hour slog, that price SKYROCKETS.
Double PS: I'm of the firm belief that there is no more tense a situation in the human condition than the minute a flight lands and people start standing and getting ready to bolt from the plane. Absolutely electric and terrifying at the same time.
