‘I threw a tantrum on a long-haul flight. A stranger’s response changed everything’
Updated . First published at
We are all fast to criticise plane passengers. And to be fair, never has etiquette on board flights been worse.
From making phone and video calls on board, to aggressively reclining seats, taking up all the overhead locker space, and jumping up the moment the plane stops, there’s so much bad behaviour.
Sarah said she was in economy with a child kicking her in the side. Sarah Swain
But every now and then, something happens which, as the saying goes, restores your faith in strangers.
This happened to me on a recent flight.
I was flying economy as usual. And while I’d managed to snag an extra legroom seat, there was an infant next to me, laying across her mum’s lap.
Presumably the little girl was under two, which meant she didn’t get her own seat. But because she was quite big, her little legs kept kicking me.
I felt bad for the mum, but also, rather annoyed.
But, like you do on a long flight, you try and make the best of it (while silently seething).
My husband, meanwhile, was living it up upstairs in premium economy.
He’d got a good deal and I (begrudgingly) agreed he could enjoy the more lavish cabin for the journey.
Halfway through the long flight, I asked a crew member if I could pop up to see him. They agreed.
After finally locating him, luxuriating in his mammoth leather seat, and sipping Champagne, I spouted off.
Sometimes children have to sit on their parent’s lap on planes. iStock
“There’s a little kid next to me, and it keeps on kicking!” I wailed. “It’s clearly too big for the seat!”
I jabbered on with my ‘woe is me’ tale for a few minutes, like a spoiled brat.
Until the man across the aisle spouted up. And I wanted the (plane) floor to swallow me up.
“It’s my wife,” he said. “If you like, I’ll swap with you so you can sit up here and sleep, and I’ll go down there.”
I replied utterly dying of shame: “Are you sure?”
He said he was, and off he went downstairs into the chaos of economy.
I was left with his lavish reclining seat, massive screen, and huge headphones.
Premium economy is a sought-after way to fly. Supplied
My husband said he had been chatting to the chap earlier. He’d told him his wife and child had joined him at the last minute on work trip.
They could only get a seat in economy.
Presumably as she had the child with her, they couldn’t just swap.
It’s not usually allowed to switch between cabins, and we probably should have checked with the crew.
However, I had a lovely sleep and also ate his lightly-warmed quiche which was delivered as a late night snack.
My husband, feeling bad, went back down to check later and said the man didn’t want his seat back. He said he was fine to just stay with his wife until landing.
So whoever this guy was, I’d like to say thank you. Turns out, plane passengers are not all bad.
