Grieving mum slams ‘most selfish people’ after being forced to change seats on a flight
A MUM has slammed the “most selfish people” she’s ever met after she was forced to move seats on a plane on the day her father had died.
Nama Winston had to cut her holiday with her son short after her father had been killed in car crash.
The pair, who were from Sydney, had been in the Gold Coast and were planning a day of celebration for the Nama’s birthday when she got the call breaking the news that meant they would have to change their plans.
Nama told Kidspot: “My five-year-old and I were holidaying on the Gold Coast and had planned a big day of celebrating.
“But my sister called with the worst news: overnight, our dad had been a passenger in a car crash with another vehicle at a major Adelaide intersection. He had died at the scene.
“We flew home immediately, which is the only reason why we ended up on the same flight as some of the most selfish people I’ve ever encountered.”
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Initially, Nama and her son had been placed on a special row of seats by Qantas staff, who often leave seats like that open in case of such an emergency.
It was a row of three, which meant the pair could spread out and have some extra space, while flying back to be with their grieving relatives.
However, when they boarded the plane, they ended up having to move, because of an “entitled family” with their baby.
Nama explained: “I was relieved to be alone in a row with my son and I had not been able to stop crying. All day.
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“I always like to board a plane on time, and so we did. We settled in, my little one’s face pressed against the window, me sitting in the middle seat telling him I was okay, through sobs.
“And then just as the door was about to close, two adults with a baby stumbled onboard in a mad rush.”
The family made a fuss once they’d got on the plane and asked the flight attendants to switch the two seats they had booked with the row of three where Nama and her son had been placed.
The cabin crew agreed and Nama had little choice but to move her and her son to the two seats that the family had paid for.
However, the seats they were moved to were nowhere near as good as the ones they had been sat in.
Nama said: “Cabin crew came over to me and explained that the couple were insisting that WE move to those two seats, so they could spread out with the baby.
“Oh, to have the arrogance and entitlement of such people. Boarding last, demanding where to sit, and forcing others to comply.
“There was no thank you from them, but I barely noticed because the first thing I saw when I went to sit down was there was no window in the row. It was just wall. No window.
“No window to help distract my son on the worst plane trip I’d ever be on. I know babies are important, but I was furious with the entitled parents.”
The situation got the better of Nama and just as the plane was heading down the runway for takeoff, she decided to get up and confront the cabin crew about the situation.
She was stopped by a flight attendant and made to return to her seat. After the plane was in mid-air, the same attendant came to see Nama and ended up providing her with a happier end to her story.
She explained: “We were gaining speed to take off, and that’s the moment I chose to cause my own fuss.
“I didn’t get far, because one of them calmly called out, ‘Ma’am, you must be seated for takeoff.’
“When the seatbelt sign was switched off, that crew member came over to me immediately. He knelt down and asked, ‘How can I help you?’
“For the rest of the flight, he kept me in red wine, my son in snacks and food, and he even organised for our bags to be found and removed from the flight first. They were waiting at the carousel when we arrived.
“He also came to us so we could be first to disembark. When I needed it the most, I was shown the most incredible kindness.”
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Meanwhile, this passenger refused to switch seats so a family could sit together.
And this is the reason why switching seats can sometimes even be dangerous.