A recent incident on an airplane has sparked a heated debate online.
TikTok user Tammy Nelson shared her experience when a mother asked her to give up her window seat for her two children.
Nelson’s post, which posed the question, “What would you do?” has been viewed more than 2.7 million times on TikTok.
Nelson narrated the incident, saying, “I got on the plane and a woman was sitting in my seat and when I mentioned it to her, she said, ‘Oh, you want to sit here? I thought we could switch because these are my kids’ (she points to the two seats next to mine).”
Nelson was willing to switch seats, but only if she could have another window seat.
However, the mother wanted Nelson to take her middle seat.
Nelson explained in her post, “She points to the row behind us and says, ‘Mine is right there.’ (It’s the middle seat.)”
Nelson also provided some additional context about the incident, mentioning that she had “desperately needed sleep” during that flight due to a lack of sleep the night before and an upcoming presentation to 500 people.
Nelson further noted that the mother’s two children, who appeared to be around 11 and 15 years old, were within arm’s reach of their mother from the middle seat in the row behind.
Despite this, the mother “proceeded to complain for at least 15 minutes to the person next to her loud enough for me to hear. But the woman actually defended me — several times. It was so kind and I appreciated it so much because I was feeling really guilty.”
The incident sparked a flurry of comments, with many siding with Nelson.
One person wrote, “Nope. They should have booked their seats together,” while another said, “If you’re going to ask to switch then your seat has to be of equal or greater value.”
Some commenters felt that the mother should have asked Nelson if she would mind switching seats before taking her assigned seat.
Many parents also shared their views, with the majority suggesting that the mother should have planned better and booked a seat next to her kids.
One mother of three commented, “I wouldn’t have switched either. I pay more to book my family together.”
A flight attendant also chimed in, stating, “Mothers do this so much, even with grown kids! A row won’t kill ya!”
However, a few people disagreed, arguing that Nelson should have just changed seats.
One person wrote, “I would have done it but I wouldn’t have been happy,” adding that they had “no judgment” for Nelson.
Another person pointed out that while the mother “definitely should have waited” and asked before swapping seats, the family may not have been able to book three seats together in advance.
Despite the challenges of booking, many commenters agreed that the mother should have checked with Nelson first before taking her seat.
To avoid such scenarios, some airlines “guarantee adjacent seats for young children traveling with an accompanying adult at no additional cost,” according to the Department of Transportation.
The DOT is also advocating for a legislative proposal that would require airlines to offer “fee-free family seating.”
Jacqueline Whitmore, an etiquette expert and former flight attendant, shared her advice on the matter.
She suggested that families should talk to a gate agent or flight attendant about changing seats, rather than approaching their fellow passengers directly.
Whitmore also emphasized that one should never ask someone to downgrade to a lesser seat, stating, “People pay for certain seats and people choose certain seats for a reason.”
Watch the video below to hear Nelson recount the ordeal.
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