A long-haul flight can test anyone’s patience, but one traveler says her experience went far beyond crying babies or cramped legroom.
Instead, she ended up looking after a stranger’s child for nearly the entire trip, while his family sat just across the aisle.
TikTok creator Bre (@bre.brief) shared the story in a video that has been viewed more than 53,700 times.
She described the ordeal as “babysitting someone else’s kid for 10 hours,” something she couldn’t believe was allowed.
A flight seat assignment gone wrong
Bre explained that her troubles started the moment she sat down. “I got sat next to someone else’s child on a 10-hour flight,” she said.
The boy, whom she guessed was between eight and twelve years old, insisted on taking the window seat. His mother and grandmother, meanwhile, were seated on the other side of the aisle.
Looking back, Bre admitted she could have asked to switch seats. “I obviously should have said, ‘I’ll switch with one of you. You come sit by him, I’ll take your other aisle seat.’ But I was too scared,” she said.
That decision meant she spent the flight acting more like a caretaker than a seatmate.
Unexpected responsibilities
According to Bre, the boy required constant help, and his relatives didn’t step in. “We had two meals and I helped him with both meals,” she said.
She also unraveled his headphones, got him drinks, and even helped him try to find a comfortable way to sleep.
All the while, she noticed the boy’s mom and grandma were “headphones in, blankets over their heads… just straight up checked out.”
Even when the child briefly dozed off, the peace didn’t last for too long.
“He didn’t sleep for any of it until the last two hours. He fell asleep for like one hour and then he woke up and was having night terrors… bouncing off the back of the seat and yelling,” Bre recalled.
‘I shouldn’t have had to be helpful’
At one point, Bre said the grandmother acknowledged her efforts. “She was like, ‘You’ve been so helpful, thank you,” she said.
But Bre was frustrated: “I shouldn’t have had to be. This is crazy… to put on a person that is sitting next to your child on an airplane.”
She emphasized she wasn’t trying to be harsh, adding that she gave the boy her pillow to help him get comfortable.
“I’m not a monster,” she said. “I just shouldn’t have to do that for someone else’s child on a 10-hour flight.”
Bre added that the situation would have felt different if the boy were traveling as an unaccompanied minor with airline staff responsible for him. “But he wasn’t; he had two parental figures across the aisle,” she said.
What to do if this happens to you
Airlines do have rules in place for children flying alone.
According to American Airlines, for example, kids ages 5–14 traveling without a parent or guardian must use the unaccompanied minor service. That includes early boarding, assigned staff escorts, and in some airports, kids-only lounges.
For passengers who unexpectedly end up responsible for a stranger’s child, flight attendants can help. You can request to move seats, ask attendants to intervene, or request that guardians switch places.
Commenters weigh in
In the comments, some viewers criticized Bre for not speaking up.
“That’s on you sis. You need to advocate for yourself,” one person wrote. Another said, “Remember that no one can take advantage of you without your permission.”
@bre.brief Peoples first day on earth at the airport for real #travel #airport #fyp ♬ original sound – Bre
Others directed their frustration at the boy’s family.
“Parents like this PMO. The boy should’ve been with mom and grandma,” one commenter said. Someone else joked, “I woulda asked for my babysitting money at the end.”
The Mary Sue has reached out to Bre via TikTok direct messages.
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