Airline bans couple who started row over reclining seat but furious altercation sparks argument over who's in the wrong
23 September 2024, 14:14 | Updated: 23 September 2024, 14:33
An airline has banned a Hong Kong couple from its flights after a row erupted with a Chinese traveller over reclining seats.
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The Chinese woman posted a video of the alteration on social media where she complained of being harrassed by the couple seated behind her.
Cathay Airlines - Hong Kong's flag carrier - said the couple had been added to their no-fly list after the incident.
It said in a statement that it has "a strict zero-tolerance policy" towards behaviours that disrespect fellow passengers.
The woman's video of the argument over the reclining seats which was posted on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu has garnered mixed reactions with viewers in disagreement over who was in the wrong.
狂踹椅背罵"大陸妹" 港夫婦遭禁搭國泰航空｜三立新聞網 SETN.com
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The altercation between the woman and the couple took place on a flight from Hong Kong to London earlier this month.
The Chinese woman said in the post that the couple accused her of obstructing their view of the in-flight television before asking her to place her seat into the upright position.
After she refused, she claimed the wife stretched her legs out and put them on the armrests of her seat. She then started rebuking her in Cantonese and slapping her arm, the woman claimed.
The video showed the wife putting her middle finger up at the Chinese woman.
"When she realised I couldn't speak Cantonese, she started calling me 'mainland girl' in a derogatory tone," the woman told Chinese media.
She also accused the husband - who was sat directly behind her - of "frantically pushing" the back of her seat.
A flight attendant swiftly arrived at the aisle to try and resolve the issue and she suggested that the woman straighten her seat.
"I was shocked because it was not mealtime, yet the flight attendant wanted me to compromise," the woman said.
"I rejected the suggestion."
Other passengers around the couple criticised their behaviour, with one accusing them of being a "bully".
Another said: "This is too much. How old are you? Why are you bullying a young girl?"
Accumulating more than 200,000 likes on Xiaohongshu, commenters shared their feelings on the altercation.
"If they want more space, they should have paid for first-class seats," one person commented
Another said: "Most people in Hong Kong are kind, this couple is an exception."
