Flight Attendant Separates a Couple for a Mom, Sparks Debate

A woman asked a flight attendant to move her seat next to her family so the flight attendant opted to separate a couple. That’s so not OK.

I really love traveling on an airplane, and I’m referring to the entire experience. I adore getting to the airport early enough so I can wander around the gate area. Nothing makes me happier than figuring which airport-specific meal I’m going to eat before the fight. I don’t know who makes the rules, but some of the options are ridiculous. It’s as if you stepped through a portal and into another world where one can get a massage while eating a cheeseburger at 8 in the morning. Yes please!

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As long as I have enough movies, books, podcasts, and music loaded up and ready to go, I don’t mind the actual flight. Something happens to my body the second the plane takes off. I immediately pass out and shut down like I’m Ron DeSantis at a debate. To the best of my recollection, I’ve never had to change my seat — but I can certainly sympathize with one TikToker whose seat was moved without her consent and for a fairly confusing reason. What would you do in her situation?

flight attendant storing luggage on plane
Source: Getty Images

Stock photo

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If you pay for a seat you should be able to sit in it. That’s just science.

Kiran Kapoor, who goes by @venttokiran on TikTok, was unpleasantly surprised to discover she wouldn’t be able to cuddle up to her partner during a flight. It wasn’t because they were trapped on either side of a middle seat. This issue was all about location, location, location.

In text over a video of a rightfully displeased facial expression, Kiran explained that a flight attendant switched her seat with that of another passenger. Said passenger is a mother who wanted to be closer to her kids.

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Perhaps the situation would be easier to understand if any of the flight attendants took a minute to explain what was happening. According to Kiran, every question she asked was ignored. To quote Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, “I’m not going to be ignored!”

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Some of you might be thinking to yourselves that of course a mother should sit with her children. Children shouldn’t be sitting alone. Here’s the thing, they weren’t.

In a follow-up video, Kiran provided more insight into what happened when someone commented that it was probably an error on the airline’s part. “Obviously it’s more important for a kid to be next to a parent,” wrote the commenter. Kiran quickly shut that down.

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“I have to address this because it’s getting out of hand in the comments,” said Kiran. “There was already one parent seated with the children. This was another parent that wanted to be near the rest of their family.” Of course that makes sense, though one has to wonder how the parents got separated in the first place.

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Kiran was also very clear about who she was directing her anger toward. She isn’t mad at the parents. “The issue is nobody asking me if I wanted to or not. And I paid for that seat. I paid to be seated with my fiancé.” So, is this something a flight attendant can do all willy nilly?

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According to Travel and Leisure magazine, a flight attendant can absolutely change your seat without notice. Most airlines have the same terms and conditions and when you purchase a ticket, you check a box agreeing to them. One thing you acknowledge is an airline’s right to change your seat. Of course that doesn’t explain why the flight attendants couldn’t answer Kiran.

Many people in the comments were quick to blame the parents’ poor planning, but one flight attendant explained to Business Insider that this isn’t always why a seat move is requested. Apparently the fine print on many airline contracts doesn’t guarantee a specific seat, even if you choose it. Basically a seat change is usually based on a stranger being nice or, in Kiran’s case, a flight attendant going rogue.

Source: https://www.distractify.com/p/flight-attendant-separate-couple-for-mom