Woman Books $7K Business Class Seat From Ohio, Only For A Mother To Approach Her: ‘When Did It Become My Responsibility To Pay For Your Daughter’s Upgrade?’

If you’ve ever taken a flight, you know how expensive upgrades can get. While the two main categories are economy and first class, there are tiers within each that greatly affect your comfort.

These tiers determine whether you’ll receive free checked bags, decent legroom, in-flight entertainment, food and drinks (and in some cases even a seat).

When you start comparing business and first class, the price gap can be quite extreme; it can mean the difference between $500 for economy and $5,000 for first class.

All this to say, if you shell out thousands for a seat or even get the rare first-class upgrade, the usual seat-switching request is no longer an option.

Apparently, not every flier understands that.

In a recent viral TikTok video, which garnered over 2.2 million views, creator Ishika (@theishlist) says a Qatar Airways passenger made the unexpected request.

What Did The Passenger Ask?

The clip opens with Ishika settling into her Qsuite seat with a smile on her face.

“Me in my $7000 seat after a mom asked me to switch to ECONOMY so her daughter can take my seat,” she wrote in the video’s text overlay.

She then shows off her drink, her reclining chair, and how well-rested she is during the flight, all the perks that come with a fancy seat.

In the caption, she added more of her thoughts. “I’m sorry when did it become my responsibility to pay for your daughters upgrade?” she wrote. “Why couldn’t you just book both of you in business?”

Commenters Are In Doubt

In the comments section, viewers found several aspects of this story unbelievable.

“Things that never happened,” wrote one viewer. “Its so weird how popular hating Mothers and children has become.”

“That’s impossible. A minor cannot be seated far from the parent,” another wrote. “Literally, you can’t even book for yourself in first and your minor in economy. They won’t let you so this never happened.”

This rule varies from airline to airline and depends on the age of the minor. Finnair, for example, explicitly requires parents and minors to be in the same cabin. Delta, on the other hand, does have rules for unaccompanied minors, but travelers report booking themselves and their kids in separate cabins without any issues.

Additionally, Ishika never disclosed the woman’s or daughter’s age, nor whether the daughter, if she’s a minor, was accompanied by her dad or another adult.

Other commenters backed up the TikToker.

“I would’ve asked the Mom to send me $7k for the seat,” one wrote.

“Why do ppl think this never happens. The adult books business and economy for the child hoping they’ll find a free seat for the child in business,” shared a second. “This is very common and you will see parents doing this all the time when you fly frequently.”

Ishika Shares More Details

In a follow-up video, Ishika says she’s surprised the video caused so much debate. She then provided additional context for the clip.

She says she booked the luxurious Qatar Airways Qsuite business-class ticket as a graduation gift to go back home and spend time with her family.

Once Ishika boarded, she says the woman sitting next to her started making conversation, telling her she was happy about the upgrade.

“Then she asked me if I would be willing to switch with her daughter, and so I asked her what seat her daughter was in,” Ishika recounts. “I didn’t expect her to kinda go like ‘32B.’”

After Ishika denied the request, she says the passenger called someone on the phone and started complaining, saying it’s unlikely she paid for her seat, so “why [doesn’t she] just give it up?”

Ishika concluded by asking viewers what they would’ve done were they in her place and saying she hoped this answered questions.

Why This Is A Hot Topic Right Now

Videos of moms asking if a passenger would switch seats, either a window seat or even a first-class one, frequently go viral online.

Last year, one such video of a Brazilian woman who refused to give up her window seat for a crying child sparked intense backlash online. The woman later said the incident upended her life and allegedly leading to her losing her job as a banker.

Shortly after, she announced she would file charges against the airline as well as the passenger who filmed her.

This sort of video goes viral because it causes strong emotional reactions in people on both sides. If you’re a parent with a screaming toddler, you might be too tired and anxious to consider details like a window seat versus a middle one when making that request.

If you’re a passenger who either specifically paid for a window or aisle seat or were lucky enough to get one, this type of request may seem unreasonable.

 

We’ve reached out to Ishika and Qatar Airways via email for official comments.