A seemingly mundane disagreement over a reclined seat on a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to London resulted in two passengers’ lifetime ban. The incident on September 17, 2024, began when a female passenger from mainland China, reclined her seat during the flight. The couple seated behind her, reportedly middle-aged from Hong Kong, took issue with this action.
The duo claimed the seat blocked their view of the in-flight entertainment system. What started as a simple request quickly spiraled into a full-blown confrontation. According to the passenger’s account, which she shared on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, the situation escalated dramatically when she politely declined to raise her seat.
“The lady sitting behind me asked me to put my seat up because it was blocking her husband’s view of the TV. I politely declined, and she started stretching her feet onto my armrest, kicking my arm, and cursing at me like crazy,” she recounted in her viral post.
Harassment And Xenophobia
The incident took an even uglier turn when the couple allegedly began harassing the female passenger. They pushed her seat back and berated her in Cantonese. The language barrier only seemed to fuel the fire as the Mandarin-speaking female passenger couldn’t understand their tirade.
“When she realized I couldn’t speak Cantonese, she started calling me ‘mainland girl’ in a derogatory tone,” she reported. The exchange highlighted the underlying tensions that sometimes exist between mainland Chinese and Hong Kong residents.
As the situation continued to deteriorate, other passengers on the flight began to intervene. Some spoke up in Mandarin, while others chided the couple in Cantonese. “You’re embarrassing us Hongkongers!” and “Stop saying you’re from Hong Kong,” the passengers voiced their discontent.
Initially, a flight attendant suggested the female passenger straighten her seat to appease the couple, a recommendation she found shocking and unfair. Only after other passengers came to her defense was she allowed to change seats.
Cathay Pacific’s Swift Action Against The Couple
In response to the incident, which gained traction on social media, Cathay Pacific took decisive action. According to CNN, the airline issued a statement on September 23. The statement confirmed that the couple involved in the altercation had been permanently banned from all Cathay Group flights.
“We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any behavior that violates aviation safety regulations or disrespects the rights of other customers,” the airline stated, emphasizing its commitment to ensuring a safe and pleasant experience for all passengers.
