There’s something about lift-off that promises adventure. Even if it’s just a red-eye to Cleveland.
One thing that doesn’t promise freewheeling adventure? A baby. Even less so when said baby belongs to a stranger.
But flying is still the gateway to exploration. It’s just more crowded these days.
In order to accommodate everyone, airlines are finding creative solutions. Not all these solutions involve seat width and pitch.
So when professional triathlete Swish swish (@mmagnani) settled in to her bulkhead seat, she was probably expecting a little extra legroom. Instead, she got a little bundle of joy too.
In the bulkhead row on many aircraft there is often space for bassinets. This is for babies under two years old, or under 25 pounds. Those infant passengers fly for free, often in a parent’s arms. The bulkhead bassinet is a feature that gives parents some relief from holding a baby on longer flights.
Many parents plan ahead and book the bulkhead seats specifically to have a spot for baby to sleep. Yet they’re not the only travelers booking the bulkhead for the extra room.
Recently, Swish swish posted a TikTok video showing a stranger’s baby snoozing in front of her for the duration of her flight. She didn’t seem to take issue with the infant or its parents; rather that the airline set up the seating this way. She also didn’t post any specifics about the baby or parents.
The infant was clearly in what might be described as Swish swish’s “psychic space.” Its bassinet was right in front of her seat.
“Most uncomfortable. Awkward flight. Never again pls,” she wrote in on-screen text. Behind the text, the video shows a scene of the parents (or caregivers) fussing over the baby. This is the good news. The bad news: they’re also in Swish swish’s space.
No one boards a commercial plane thinking it’s going to be the most spacious experience, but Swish swish’s frustration is understandable. So when she posted “POV: you have an 11 hr flight with someone else’s baby in front of you the entire time,” paired with a still of the bassinet on a literal shelf in front of her, she wasn’t being snarky. She was being factual.
Another scene showed multiple adults standing in her row. She wrote, “8 people for 4 seats.”
Swish swish didn’t respond to inquiries sent via TikTok comment and direct message.
On many planes, a small bassinet may be nestled into two “arms” similar to a portaledge against a bulkhead wall. Other versions include a shelf that folds down with a tiny cot on it.
Technically the bassinet space doesn’t impede the adult traveler’s seat. But that doesn’t mean people like it.
Many commenters shared strident opinions about this seating arrangement.
Nearlymeg wrote, “I would be raising hell. I’m a b____.”
“Don’t book the obvious baby seat then that literally has a PRAM symbol on it,” said sclub7fanclub. This take was backed up by other users who said that the bulkhead seats are (or should be) reserved for people who need them. “Those seats should be reserved for babies and families as they were intended and built for,” said sarahcooper207.
Axelbar11 offered some perspective: “Somehow the airlines have spun things to get the passengers angry at each other instead of the airline whose fault this is.”
Whether infants belong on airplanes is a loaded topic with no easy answers. On one hand, a screaming baby can make for an unpleasant flying experience for an entire plane. On the other, they’re humans too—and should parents be forbidden from flying just because they have babies?
But perhaps the commenter who blamed the airline was on to something. How much do airlines rely on the goodwill and patience of their travelers? According to one source, $47 is a rough average of how much an hour of a plane passenger’s time is worth. That figure codifies something many travelers intuit: that by not improving the in-flight experience, airlines are leaving money on the table. Roughly $1.4 billion in annual revenue, per Deloitte.
In terms of a positive flying experience, one study reports, “Behavioural scientists contend that the satisfaction and dissatisfaction indices are not on the same spectrum.” That means just because a customer doesn’t actively complain about their flight experience that does not “necessarily indicate passenger satisfaction.”
The study, “Drivers and outcomes of airline passenger satisfaction: A Meta-analysis,” presents multiple models to measure and assess the airline customer experience.
Most of us would probably agree that more legroom and consistent policies would improve everyone’s air travel. And also that we’d rather not stare at someone else’s baby for 11 hours.
@mmagnani How is this allowed?
♬ Hustlin by Double A Ron – Double A-Ron
