She Didn’t Hold Back
A mother of two sparked controversy after posting a video complaining about a fellow plane passenger who reclined their seat directly in front of her and her children.
It’s a situation familiar to many travelers: an inconsiderate recline.
“When the person in front of you puts their seat back even though the seat next to them is empty,” the TikTok user wrote in her clip, which has racked up over 4.3 million views. She added that the seat was “30cm from my face.”
The incident reportedly took place during a three-hour flight from Cairns to Adelaide, Australia. Norton was seated in the middle with her 10-month-old on her lap and her 2-year-old in the window seat.
In the video, Norton struggles to manage her children as they play with toy airplanes and tractors, highlighting the cramped conditions caused by the reclined seat.
“I wasn’t trying to come across as entitled,” Norton (seen in the TikTok video) said angrily. “What people said was absolutely outlandish and rude.”
She told TODAY.com that the passenger’s reclined seat made it difficult for her to breastfeed and pick up toys her toddler dropped on the floor.
Passengers quickly labeled Norton “entitled” over her complaint.
Norton argued that the man’s actions were inconsiderate, saying he could have “moved over and put the other seat back, where there was no baby behind him.”
“Or, when he laid down across both seats, he could have at least put his seat upright since he wasn’t even using it,” she vented on TikTok. “I know everybody has the right to put their seat back, but where is the common courtesy? We had no space.”
Reactions from fellow travelers were mixed.
“As a mom of 2 toddlers: Don’t make others responsible for your choice to fly with small children,” one commenter wrote.
“It’s HIS seat. Hope that helps,” another added, while a third suggested, “Just switch seats with your camera.”
Some defended Norton’s frustration. “I think airlines need to get rid of reclining seats in economy,” one person said. Another offered a compromise: “You could have put your seat back a little and voila — you have more space.”
Others criticized her stance more sharply. “So let me get this right. You won’t switch places with your kid because you want him to have a window (as you wrote), but expect a stranger to give up their comfort for you?” one critic wrote. “That’s a new level of entitlement (and yes, I fly with 2 kids internationally at least once a year).”
Norton demonstrated how difficult it was to manage her children due to the man’s alleged intrusion into her space. Despite the backlash, she maintained that she was in the right. “I wasn’t trying to come across as entitled. What people said was absolutely outlandish and rude,” she said.
She explained that she didn’t confront the man because he was “allowed to recline his seat,” and she generally avoids confrontation.
Air travel experts are divided on the etiquette of reclining seats. Many agree that while it’s technically allowed, doing so in certain situations—especially on domestic flights—can be poor form.
“Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should,” etiquette coach Tami Claytor told HuffPost. “Reclining your seat and interfering with someone else’s comfort violates the basic principle of etiquette.”
On the other hand, decency expert Diane Gottsman offered a more nuanced view: “If it’s a long flight, it’s unreasonable to expect each passenger not to do what they can to get comfortable. On a red-eye, sleep is important, and reclining is acceptable—especially since everyone else is reclining at the same time.”
