Anonymous wrote:OP, you were fine. You paid extra for the leg room because you needed the extra space. The woman's husband chose not to do the same, but wanted you to switch with him? The rude person was he, not you. He was trying to get something for nothing.
And I'm speaking from the perspective of a stupid person who once spend the entire night of a flight from California to DC in upright because the very tall man behind me asked me not to recline my seat. He hadn't purchased a seat that would provide needed extra legroom, so the person in front of him (lucky me) paid the price in loss of sleep. After that very uncomfortable night, I learned my lesson about letting people take advantage of me.
This part isn't clear to me. Did OP need the space, or did she just want it? Did OP need the space more than the couple needed to be together, say one of them was a fearful flyer?
Also affecting my opinion would be whether OP lucked into the seat or paid for it. Although an argument can also be made that "ability to pay" is not directly correlated with need, take healthcare, for example.