Flying solo with a baby is a nerve-wracking situation on its own. However, one mom on TikTok says her seatmate’s comment made the takeoff even bumpier. In a viral TikTok, Alina (@alina_kom) shares a clip from her first flight alone with her toddler, paired with the line that set the internet ablaze: “Imagine boarding your first solo flight with your baby and the man next to you says, ‘lucky me.’”
Her caption claims her son was an angel the whole way, but the clip still sparked turbulence online. Half of the internet is calling the man rude, while the other half is insisting he just said what everyone else was thinking.
Should Babies Be Allowed on Flights?
It seems this topic has been brewing for a while. Even more so, it’s an increasingly sensitive subject. Eight years ago, a Redditor posted on the subreddit r/ChangeMyView and stated, “Babies should not be allowed on long flights.” It sparked a debate in the replies, but the basis of the post was that taking babies on a flight is inherently selfish. The original poster suggests that parents wait until more than a year to travel with their kid.
Another Reddit post on the subreddit r/childfree went viral three years ago when someone posted a rant, stating, “Babies (& kids in general) on planes is just a huge WHY??” The subreddit is notorious for sparking moral debates surrounding children, since the whole point of the subreddit is for people who refuse to have any. The first line in the post encapsulates the argument: “To be honest I don’t think kids should be on planes until they’re old enough to relatively control their emotions and tell their parents what’s wrong so they can get help.”
As more childfree Redditors shared their opinion, it seems the general consensus is that parents should not force their kids into a stressful situation. Even worse is when said kid reacts in a negative way due to the stressful environment. Many Redditors mentioned that they would even pay extra for flights that are child-free in nature. Others suggested that flights have a separate section for those traveling as families. The whole subject is quite tricky.
Did Alina Do Anything Wrong?
Alina’s five-second clip has already gained 1.4 million views and over 4,500 comments. Her complaint was that her seatmate was rude for saying “lucky me” when he found out he was sitting next to her. In her caption, Alina states, “Meanwhile Enzo was literally an angel the entire flight but hello???” The viewers, however, are not holding back either.
One viewer says, “It’s your baby not his, don’t expect people to care.” While another adds, “Parents think they own the world.” One even wrote, “Reminder, ur kids are only cute and not annoying to u and only u……”
Some moms and even flight attendants chime in on the discussion. The mom says, “I hated flying with my own kids…I get it.” While the flight attendant says, “Not everyone wants to sit by a baby and this is coming from a flight attendant and that’s OK!”
Lastly, countless viewers agree that the man said the quiet part out loud; no one wants to sit next to a kid on a plane. One viewer says, “We all think it. And setting up a camera to record yourself in a plane for sympathy only shows he’s 100% valid. Weird behavior.”
Another says, “Rude but he is allowed to feel however he does. I would have thought the same.”
@alina_kom Meanwhile Enzo was literally an angel the entire flight but hello??? #motherhood #motherhoodjourney #travelingwithbabies #travelingwithkids ♬ Second Chances – Gregory Alan Isakov
Some defend her
In the minority, we have the people who are taking Alina’s side. One viewer says, “You’re entitled to a child free life, not a child free world, people.”
Another says, “People need to realize an airplane is public transportation. You will be there with the public.”
The debate continues on. The Mary Sue even covered a story where a woman who sat next to a child on a flight was “forced” to take care of him the entire 10 hours.
The Mary Sue reached out to Alina via email.
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