It's weird. When I imagine this, I think OP was probably relatively polite in his ask and guy behind was more of the d-bag. However, there's a difference between self-advocating and knowingly asking for something you're not entitled to, at the expense of someone else, because you have a higher status than they do.

I don't mean to bash on injera, as I can certainly understand why he'd try whatever he could to secure a better seat for his wife. But, understanding the motivation to use DYKWIA tactics doesn't make them any less DYKWIA.

If there's anything about that story I'm troubled by, it's the GA overriding the very clear T&Cs of the companion cert rules.