Air travel really brings out the worst in some people. It’s not uncommon to see passengers placing their feet in areas where they really shouldn’t be on planes (like on arm rests, or using toes to control the inflight entertainment), though I’ve never seen anything quite like this before.
In this post:
Qatar Airways passenger uses headrest in front as footrest
Video footage is going viral of an incident that happened on a recent Qatar Airways flight from Doha (DOH) to Moscow (SVO). The flight was operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, and involves the passengers who were seated in 23C and 24C, which are the aisle seats on the left side in the first two rows of the second economy cabin.
It appears that what happened is that the person seated in front reclined her seat, which the person seated behind wasn’t happy about. So she decided to take revenge by placing her feet on top of the headrest of the seat in front. I’m not sure whether to be more dismayed by her pettiness, or more impressed by her flexibility.
Fellow passengers filmed the situation, with quite some commentary (translated from Russian):
- The woman seated in front says “this is freedom, you just don’t get it… freedom other people take away”
- A bystander jokes “this is business class,” due to the way that the woman stretches her legs
- The woman seated across the aisle says “I returned to my homeland earlier than I had planned, this can only happen in Russia”
- The woman seated in front then says “as the saying goes, you can take a person out of the dirt, but the dirt doesn’t come out of the person”
A flight attendant can then be seen kneeling down next to the passenger, presumably asking her to knock off what she’s doing. However, she refuses to stop.
Throughout all of this, the woman in back remains silent, and her only additional action is that she “claps” her feet together, when she sees the camera pointed directly at her. You can see the video for yourself below (sorry for linking to the New York Post, bleh, but it’s the best version of the video I could find).
A few thoughts on this bizarre Qatar Airways incident
First of all, the woman seated in the back is behaving completely inappropriately, and there’s no justification whatsoever for her behavior. I just don’t understand what goes through someone’s head when they behave this way…
It can’t actually be comfortable to sit this way (at least for extended periods of time), and she’s just making a fool of herself, while trying to prove a (losing) point.
Next, unfortunately this is probably an area where Qatar Airways flight attendants are a little too passive, and aren’t very good at being firm. This is a case where we need an American Airlines crew, who are going to yell at the passenger, have the captain announce the flight will be diverting, etc… or something.
Lastly, the woman seated in front probably isn’t being terribly considerate either. It’s quite simple — seat recline is a right and not a privilege, but we should still try to be respectful to fellow passengers. The woman seated in front is in the exit row with infinite legroom, she’s working on her laptop, and they’re seemingly going to start the inflight service shortly.
So while it’s absolutely her right to recline, it’s also probably not a “best practice,” if you will. That in no way excuses the behavior of the woman in back, but it does seem like this is a case where deescalation techniques also weren’t prioritized.
Bottom line
A Qatar Airways passenger wasn’t happy when the person in front of her reclined, so she decided to place her feet on top of the headrest of the seat in front. While that shows an incredible amount of flexibility, it also shows an unbelievable level of disrespect and pettiness. While the crew tried to speak to her, she seemingly continued with her antics.
I’ve seen a lot of situations of passengers putting their feet in places where they don’t belong on planes, but I’ve never seen anything quite like this.
What do you make of this Qatar Airways “footrest” situation?
Reclining seats suck. Woman with flex didn’t harm woman in front of her. Big deal.
The flight attendant was far too lenient. Perhaps a flight officer should have been involved.
Typical Ruzzian idiocy. Stop giving those clowns airtime.
They are ne kultiri . Durakii.
We have found most on board stewards and stewardess are way too soft to correct someone's poor behaviour.
Are they afraid? Are they not trained for it?
The rude Ruski is copying the TikTok behaviour so well documented in previous OMAAT articles.
The rude Ruski should foot-off.
I'm no fan of Putin or what the Russian government has done lately, but, let's be clear, the misbehavior is the problem here, not the background of the individual. Less prejudice, please.
Why? Are you the one to comment about prejudice, really.
Why not, friend? Call it out when you see it. Call me out, too. Speak your mind.
There is an impersonator (a fake '1990') below who has said a few off comments (apparently, to discredit me); I've called them out already.
It’s happened to me also, but in business class on AirFrance. The passenger behind me put her feet on the top of the video screen/my seat. The crew didn’t told anything and ignored my complain about it. I had to remove her feet with my hand.
Just another reason why I prefer airlines where the seats simply cannot be reclined.
And you're welcome to them. But, if your behind me, you are on a carrier that has recline. I will recline. It doesn't 1bother me that the person in front of me reclines. It will make me happy you dislike it behind me saving my back.
This comes to mind, while you often detest me, I happen to agree with you here; if there is an option to recline, one should be able to use it, within reason, ideally not doing so to purposely ruin a meal or laptop behind, but with care for everyone else around in a shared-space.
To recline is my right !!! - whyever can a seat be reclined?
POINT !!
And I'm a flight attendant working for a big german airline..
QR crew is by far too passive
Russians..
No more comments
i guess we're allowing racist comments now huh?
Since when is Russia a race? I generally agree, derek h, that the issue here is not the background of anyone; it's the misbehavior, but, let's be clear, RG's comment was not 'racist,' so much as it was prejudiced and possibly xenophobic.
So? Does American airline system never have any idiots boarding any of the US airlines? It does here and there too...
Anrec80, is this your first time visiting any of the Boarding Area affiliated blogs (or Reddit?) There are ample examples of misbehavior on all US carriers, people of all backgrounds. The misbehavior is the problem, not the airline or the background of the individuals.
While there's no defending the passenger who has their feet on the headrest, I don't understand why the passenger working on her computer felt the need to recline her seat as much as she did.
Because it reclines and that's what shecwanted. You have the right to use 100% of recline. That's it, buy first if you don't like that.
Spoken like someone who is only capable of thinking of themselves. Just because someone has the "right" do something doesn't mean they should do it.
I wouldn't call recline a 'right,' it's more of an 'option' that can be used within-reason.
Russian and white... should you expect any better?
again, just blatant racism completely accepted on this site now? @ben
President Trump will sort you out with the ICE Agents.
Ben, the '1990' above is not me; feel free to remove it. Or, just allow me to note here that I would never advise any government to use agents to harm people in this way. ('Rod' or whatever you're going by, if you must impersonate me, please stay on-brand. C'mon.)
O.G. 1990.
I am the real 1990 and support President Trump and the ICE Agents.
I wouldn’t say the pax behind “won.” She may have been flexible enough to get her feet up there, but it couldn’t have been comfortable.
She was performing discomfort. From a physical and psychological standpoint, her "victory" was actually a self-inflicted punishment:
The "Spite" Factor: This is a classic case of "cutting off one's nose to spite one's face." She was so determined to stay in a position of defiance that she endured hours of physical discomfort. That isn't a "win"; it's a manic commitment to being a nuisance just to maintain her "power."
OMG, even more AI slop!
" So while it’s absolutely her right to recline, it’s also probably not a “best practice,” if you will. "
riiiight.... best practice. What a bs of a flower statement is that. You recline whenever allowed and there is nothing wrong with that.
Seats have a recline function for a reason. Expect it to be used.
Russian. Should you expect any better?
I’d say socioeconomic status is the controlling trait here instead of nationality. “Economy class, should you expect any better?”
Misbehavior is not about class, background, etc. If you claim it is, then you are just being prejudiced on here, which shows your own ignorance. See Ben's recent post about the La Premiere incident (pay $10K for a seat, and still act a fool). There are ample examples at OMAAT, VFTW, Reddit, etc. of passengers acting poorly.
typical from tim being the racist he is
That delusional, obnoxious clown should be permanently put on the no-fly list. Clearly has no manners and no respect for others.
This is why we cannot have nice things in public culture anymore when inmates are given the right to act like humans and then proceed to act like savages.
I think the QR cabin crew was at fault here for essentially tolerating bad behavior, not to mention that if the aircraft hit turbulence, the passenger with her legs up wouldn't be able to properly fasten her seat belt. On many flights out of Doha, I have seen many members of low royal family status try to upgrade themselves and every time they refuse to obey the cabin crew, they get the captain involved and...
I think the QR cabin crew was at fault here for essentially tolerating bad behavior, not to mention that if the aircraft hit turbulence, the passenger with her legs up wouldn't be able to properly fasten her seat belt. On many flights out of Doha, I have seen many members of low royal family status try to upgrade themselves and every time they refuse to obey the cabin crew, they get the captain involved and I'm yet to see a case where the captain failed to send them back to economy.
"Sorry for linking to the New York Post, bleh" - what is that supposed to mean?
It's trashy tabloid reporting.
Cheap shot. NY Post has more journalistic integrity than the NY Times.
"NY Post has more journalistic integrity than the NY Times."
LOL!
Hahaha Regis. You'd gain the same amount of information that you get from reading the NYP if you grabbed someone on the street and asked, "What happened today?"
And they're responded, "The Red Apple! Major congestion in midtown this morning, welcome to Mamdani's New York!"
You'd be like, "All right, thank you."
From an entertainment standpoint, it's great. 1890s style writing in a reactionary 1980s vernacular for people with the shortest attention spans on earth....
Hahaha Regis. You'd gain the same amount of information that you get from reading the NYP if you grabbed someone on the street and asked, "What happened today?"
And they're responded, "The Red Apple! Major congestion in midtown this morning, welcome to Mamdani's New York!"
You'd be like, "All right, thank you."
From an entertainment standpoint, it's great. 1890s style writing in a reactionary 1980s vernacular for people with the shortest attention spans on earth. It's almost like your very opinionated booze addled uncle read a better newspaper and is now trying to describe it to you. Doesn't have to be right. It just has to be short.
It's right-wing nut jobby.
It's like if Fox "News" were in print form. Nobody takes it seriously, and smart people use it to pick up dog shit, clean up cat vomit, and line bird cages.
President Trump and the ICE Agents will sort you out.
That why there are "no fly lists".
Not sure those are meant for this, but, yeah, no one should behave this way on a flight.
I really feel sorry for the white woman in the story. Hope she gets adequate compensation (e.g., possibly another compensatory flight on QR (in same cabin) for this miserable onboard experience caused by some moron. I look forward to any follow-ups on the story.
Doubtful. QR doesn't do much for anyone if there's issues. Had a IFE screen broken for a long-haul; they said they'd deposit Avois; never did; still waiting for a response on a case. Oh well. Always good to download a bunch of content ahead of time, just in case your Oryx One is broken...
I would've punched her right in the face a few times. Then she would never do that again.
Sure you would have. Don't try to act tough.
That's what she wants from you, a reaction. And you give them the ultimate prize, being the victim. You give them control and they play the victim.
Don't take the bait. What you do is neutralize the tactics she's trying to use on you. Read what I've written below.
It's more satisfying to crush their ego.
"Read what I've written below."
Except you didn't write it. You copy-pasted from ChatGPT.
A. I didn't use ChatGPT. I used Google.
B. It's still works in this situation.
Mike, how's that grey-rock method working out for you? Shoe hitting your head on a flight... I think even the most disciplined among us are gonna 'react' to that.
Grey-rocking in this case would make you look like a pushover.
In this case as it violates your physical space, I would've asked politely first. If that doesn't work, the next step would get the cabin crew to step in. Nothing would be more humiliating for them than an actual figure of authority to crush their ego.
Punching them in the face is exactly what they want and you don't want to do. She...
Grey-rocking in this case would make you look like a pushover.
In this case as it violates your physical space, I would've asked politely first. If that doesn't work, the next step would get the cabin crew to step in. Nothing would be more humiliating for them than an actual figure of authority to crush their ego.
Punching them in the face is exactly what they want and you don't want to do. She wins getting a reaction out of you and a potential lawsuit; she has succeeded in becoming the victim, not just "playing" the victim.
The usual suspects…. at least they are in coach.
This reminds me of my CI flight from Taipei to New York. This woman seated in front of me was in the emergency exit row but she reclined her seat quite a bit. She did that for the whole flight. She even did that during the meal times and every time a flight attendant had to remind her. And she even had the audacity to be mad at me for asking a flight attendant to...
This reminds me of my CI flight from Taipei to New York. This woman seated in front of me was in the emergency exit row but she reclined her seat quite a bit. She did that for the whole flight. She even did that during the meal times and every time a flight attendant had to remind her. And she even had the audacity to be mad at me for asking a flight attendant to tell her to put her seat upright during the meal service. She had so much room in front of her but she was being greedy for more space. Very rude and disrespectful attitude from her.
That behavior hits the narcissistic "trifecta": a complete lack of empathy, a warped sense of entitlement, and narcissistic rage when called out. She wanted power, control and basically wanted to dominate you.
Haha. Oh my. I definitely agree with you that she felt entitled and she was narcissistic.
She was seeking narcissistic supply.
Manufacturing Conflict: For someone with high narcissistic traits, a quiet flight is boring. By creating an uncomfortable situation, she forced the passenger behind her and the flight attendants to center their attention on her.
The "Win" in the Reaction: If the passenger gets angry, she can play the victim ("Why are you attacking me for just sitting in my seat?"). If the passenger stays silent and suffers, she "wins"...
She was seeking narcissistic supply.
Manufacturing Conflict: For someone with high narcissistic traits, a quiet flight is boring. By creating an uncomfortable situation, she forced the passenger behind her and the flight attendants to center their attention on her.
The "Win" in the Reaction: If the passenger gets angry, she can play the victim ("Why are you attacking me for just sitting in my seat?"). If the passenger stays silent and suffers, she "wins" by successfully dominating their space.
Controlling the Emotional Climate: She wanted to be the one who decided if the person behind her got to eat comfortably or not.
In a situation involving a passenger with narcissistic tendencies, the goal shifts from "winning the argument" to neutralizing the power play and protecting your own peace.
You see what I'm saying?!
Next time, it's not about "winning", it's neutralizing the power play they try to force on you.
So the key is not to win, but to neutralize the power play. If you try to win, you're basically giving them a "win" of supply. And that really crushes their ego, which is more satisfying to watch than them getting a "win".
For someone addicted to power and control, being treated as an "irrelevant procedure" is a fate worse than being yelled at. Narcissists thrive on being either the hero or the villain—but...
So the key is not to win, but to neutralize the power play. If you try to win, you're basically giving them a "win" of supply. And that really crushes their ego, which is more satisfying to watch than them getting a "win".
For someone addicted to power and control, being treated as an "irrelevant procedure" is a fate worse than being yelled at. Narcissists thrive on being either the hero or the villain—but they cannot stand being unimportant.
The Loss of "Main Character" Status: When you ignore their provocations and calmly let a flight attendant handle it, you are effectively telling them: "You aren't a formidable opponent; you're just a broken seat mechanism that needs fixing."
Exposure to Authority: Narcissists hate having their behavior witnessed by people who have actual power over them. Being "scolded" by crew members in front of a silent, calm passenger makes them look childish rather than powerful.
The Failure of their "Trap": They set a trap by being rude, hoping to lure you into a fight. When you don't step into it, they are left holding all that negative energy with nowhere to put it. This often leads to narcissistic injury, where they feel an intense, hidden shame because they couldn't dominate the situation.
And if you're just going to tolerate such behavior, you'll be a pushover all your life.
Even more AI slop.
AI slop. Bleh.
Likewise on an LH flight from FRA to SIN. We were sitting on the last row (no recline) and the pax sitting in front of my pregnant wife reclined right during service. I politely asked, in his refusal, but didn't insist, called the crew, they put him straight. End of it.
You did the right thing, you neutralized his power play right from the start. You involved authority early. Good for you mate.
@GRkennedy And guess what, I bet he just sat there sulking with his bruised ego while you watched with glee! FRA-SIN is about 13 hours or so, so I hope you enjoyed watching him sulk.
Nope, she's allowed to recline except during meals. Foot space doesn't give you the doctor recommended recline for back comfort on long flights.
So what's the best approach?
How about "I realise the airline allows you to recline, but I'd like you to know that doing so is rude, and so I hope that you soon suffer from somebody being rue to you" ?
Also, hallmark example of narcissistic tendencies if not a full-blown diagnosis.
-"Main Character" Syndrome
-Lack of Empathy
-Sense of Entitlement
-Disregard for Boundaries
-Defiance and Control
-Me First" Mentality
Dr. Mike!
Some people have no etiquette. I've seen people put their feet on the trains. It's still the crew's workplace, so you would still want their place of work to be treated with respect. Whether you work on a desk or elsewhere, would you want someone to treat your place of work like garbage?
I've had a lady behind me put their feet up on my armrest on a CX flight to LAX, and had a child kick the seatback. It was horrible.
(my best Yakov Smirnoff voice) "In Putin's Russia, foot rest uses _you_." Or something like that. Whatever ;-)
I liked it.
What does Putin have to do here? Such incidents can happen and do happen everywhere, on every airline. They do occur in the USA here and there. There is not a single country, an airline or a flight that comes with "no onboard idiot guarantee".
Well, he's controlled the education system during the years relevant for the individual.
Anrec80, you're not wrong. Putin, Russia, the background of the individual isn't the issue. Jokes are jokes, and if it is prejudice, I suppose that can be harmful. So, yeah, idiots abound from all backgrounds. Wish QR had handled this better, too.