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Newsweek
21-05-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Passenger Seated Near Screaming Kid on Flight—Makes Controversial Choice
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A post about a frustrated airline passenger who requested a new seat during a child's mid-flight meltdown has gone viral on Reddit. Shared by u/InternalProgrammer34 in the r/AITAH subreddit, the post has garnered almost 10,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments since it was uploaded on May 21. The post was titled: "Am I an a****** for requesting a new seat after a special needs kid had a 2.5 hour tantrum on an international flight?" The poster said that the incident began approximately 30 minutes after takeoff. "The kid behind me had an inconsolable meltdown and was screaming and forcibly kicking and hitting my seat and even knocked my headphones off my head with his fist," the Reddit user wrote. "After about an hour of this and his parents not being able to control him, I rang the service button and asked if there were any other seats I could move to." The flight attendant responded promptly, finding a new middle seat about 10 rows back. However, the act of moving drew harsh criticism from nearby passengers, who said the poster was "insensitive" and "rude." Parenting coach Blanka Molnar told Newsweek the complexity of such interactions. "Everyone has a different tolerance level, and you don't owe anyone an explanation for your boundaries, especially not to strangers," Molnar said. "It's nobody's business why you choose not to tolerate a certain situation." Molnar added that perceptions of what is "valid" often depend on individual perspectives. "People tend to be more understanding when they perceive your reason as 'valid,' but valid usually just means it aligns with their perspective," she said. There has been a surge in international family travel. The 2023 U.S. Family Travel Survey conducted by the Family Travel Association found that 81 percent of parents in the United States said they were likely to travel with their children that year. The survey, which asked more than 3,300 parents and grandparents about their travel plans, behaviors and attitudes, indicated a sustained rebound in family trips since the COVID-19 pandemic. The passenger in the Reddit post said: "When I stood up to move I got heckled by the parents of the kid as well as a bunch of neighboring passengers for being insensitive and rude." The passenger said that they had been respectful and limited their interactions. "I didn't say anything to anyone other than asking the parents at the very beginning to keep him from reaching between the seats and touching me and asking the flight attendant to move? Am I an a****** for not just dealing with it?" the poster asked. Molnar said that some passengers may have projected their own discomfort onto the situation. "Chances are, the other passengers envied the OP [original poster] for doing what they also wished they could do to leave the situation," she added. "But they chose to stay, and that's their own decision and responsibility." While she acknowledged the difficulty of parenting in transit, Molnar was clear that personal boundaries remain essential. "The parents were likely already stressed and embarrassed by their child's behavior," she said. "The OP walking away may have unintentionally added to that emotional weight, but that still doesn't make the OP wrong for stepping away," Molnar noted. Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via the Reddit messaging system. Stock image: A passenger on a plane appears frustrated with hands over his face. Stock image: A passenger on a plane appears frustrated with hands over his face. Getty Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@ and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Newsweek
14-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Woman Wakes Up on Plane, Can't Believe Who Is Sitting Next to Her
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A video capturing a passenger's reaction after recognizing her seat neighbor has gone viral on TikTok. The clip was shared by the passenger's daughter @ava___blackwell and has amassed over 945,000 views since it was posted on May 8. Text overlaid on the clip says: "POV [point of view]: I'm moving across the country but my dad just got knee surgery and wasn't supposed to be flying to help me move." The video shows a woman sleeping in the window seat of the plane, with a man seated next to her. The on-screen text continues "but we surprised my mom and sneaked him onto the trip," as the man is shown leaning over and saying something to the woman, who is startled awake. The woman looks shocked upon waking up, glancing between the camera and her husband, before she later holds her hands up to her face, appearing to be moved to tears. A caption shared with the post says: "we schemed all week, I have no idea how we pulled this off." As heartwarming as the moment in the viral clip is, traveling after surgery comes with health risks, warns the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC advises that "travel after surgery further increases the risk of developing blood clots" as it can require patients to remain seated for long periods while in a "hypercoagulable state," which is a state of having an increased tendency for blood clots. "Traveling during the post-operative or post-procedure recovery period or while being treated for a medical condition could pose additional risks for patients," the CDC says. "Air travel and surgery independently increase the risk for blood clots, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary emboli." Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot develops in the deep veins, typically in the lower extremities, while a pulmonary embolism occurs when "a part of the DVT clot breaks off and travels to the lungs, which can be life-threatening," the CDC notes. The viral video comes as international family travel was reported to be making a strong comeback in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, according to the 2023 U.S. Family Travel Survey conducted by the Family Travel Association, in partnership with the NYU School of Professional Studies, Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality and Edinburgh Napier University. The study, which surveyed over 3,300 parents and grandparents in the U.S. about their travel plans, behaviors and attitudes, found that more than three-quarters (81 percent) of parents in the U.S. said they were likely to travel with their children in 2024. Large family groups were found to be a big contributor to the market growth, with more than 50 percent of parents saying they're planning to travel with grandparents and children, the survey showed. Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified. A stock image of a woman shown sleeping with a neck pillow while sitting in a window seat on a plane. A stock image of a woman shown sleeping with a neck pillow while sitting in a window seat on a plane. iStock / Getty Images Plus Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@ and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
