More often than not, we seem to hear unexpected dilemmas from family or friends who have traveled by airplane. Sometimes, we hear stories from strangers who share their experiences on flights. Now that the age of technology is at its peak, social media has been flooded with various stories of unexpected encounters from people all over the world.
Everybody expects a good experience when they travel by plane. However, parents who get seats away from their kids seem to be a not-too-common problem for families. Most of them assume that they would be able to swap seats with the passenger sitting beside their children. This type of issue usually sparks debate among netizens with various opinions.
Although some people believe that exchanging seats to be with your children may be an act of kindness, others firmly stick to the mantra they believe in, “you get the seat you pay for; it’s not my problem.”
The debate has been going on for quite some time, and a mother found herself in the same plight. Fortunately, she had her revenge in the end.
Onboard a flight, she learned that her seat was separate from her 2 children, aged 4 and 6. Cindy Arena, a comedian, attempted to coax a female passenger to swap seats so she could sit beside her children.
She shared her experience in a TikTok video, detailing her efforts to persuade the woman to exchange seats.
Cindy approached the woman seated beside her kids and politely asked if they could swap seats. However, the woman was unyielding and determined to keep her seat. She refused to swap seats with the comedian mother. “The woman refused to get up,” Cindy said in her video. “She refused, and my two children at the time were like four and six.”
Cindy did not argue and accepted the woman’s decision, then went back to her assigned seat near the rear of the plane. She stated, “I said, ‘Okay, no problem. I’m not going to argue.’” Cindy followed the rules and sat on the designated seat number on her ticket.
Soon, the adamant woman seated beside the 2 children realized she was not exactly having a peaceful experience being beside them.
Cindy recalls, “It was so peaceful, and finally the stewardess comes up because I know she’s coming because this b**ch is sitting next to my kids, and there’s nothing fun about that.”
Later, Cindy noticed a flight attendant approaching her. She already knew the woman was finally requesting to swap seats with her. The stewardess said, “Uhm, ma’am, she would like to trade seats with you now.”
Cindy knew it was time for her “sweet revenge” and her response to the woman’s request was priceless. She said with a calm voice, “Oh no, no, we need to stay in our assigned seats. Have a good flight.”
Cindy’s video has since gone viral and garnered over 1.8 million views and reactions and sparked a heated debate among netizens in social media communities. Here are some of their comments:
“I wasn’t sure what direction this was headed, but it did not disappoint. 😂”
“I love this for you!!!! I hope you enjoyed that break, Mama. 🥰😁😂”
“😂😂😂Yep, did same with mine only one row away he was safe but annoyed that couple the entire flight. 😂😂”
However, other netizens sided with the woman who refused to exchange seats. They claimed that a responsible mother would have ensured she had booked family seats together. The debate was intensifying.
“When I pay extra, I should not have to be punished… It’s the parent’s responsibility to book flights early and in a way so they should stay together.”
Other netizens echoed the opinion.
“I don’t care! I’m not giving up the seat that I paid for. Therefore, the parents SHOULD book their seats together and plan ahead. Plan AHEAD!!!!”
“I’m not giving up my seat 😏 for nobody. 😏 My headphones will block any noise around me. 😂”
Cindy’s experience became part of an ongoing debate among netizens on social media. Swapping seats with a stranger on flights has had people with various opinions debating for years, and more often than not, people with detailed plans and attempting to fulfill them to the dot may lead to unexpected and hilarious outcomes.
▼ Check out Cindy’s hilarious revenge on the seat-swapping dilemma onboard a flight:
“What goes around, comes around.” It always does!
Screenshot images and Video credits: © Cindy Arena Comedy @cindyarenacomedy/TikTok