Cathay bans couple who started row over reclining seat

Cathay Pacific, a well-known airline based in Hong Kong, has decided to ban a couple from its flights after they were involved in a heated argument with a mainland Chinese passenger over her reclining seat. The incident took place on September 17 during a flight from Hong Kong to London. The Chinese woman, who was seated in front of the couple, shared her experience on the social media platform Xiaohongshu, where her post quickly gained popularity, receiving over 194,000 likes. In her post, she described how the couple, who appeared to be middle-aged, confronted her after she reclined her seat to make herself more comfortable during the flight. They claimed that her reclining seat was blocking their view of the in-flight television and demanded that she return her seat to an upright position. When she refused to comply with their request, the wife of the couple took matters into her own hands by stretching her legs and placing them on the armrests of the woman's seat. The woman reported that the wife began to scold her in Cantonese and even slapped her arm. When the couple realized that the woman did not understand Cantonese, they resorted to calling her 'mainland girl' in a derogatory manner. The husband, who was seated directly behind her, began to push the back of her seat aggressively, causing it to vibrate. The woman captured this disturbing behavior on video, which showed the seat shaking as a result of the husband's actions. In another part of the video, the wife was seen making an obscene gesture towards the woman. Feeling threatened and uncomfortable, the woman sought assistance from a flight attendant. However, she was taken aback when the attendant suggested that she should simply straighten her seat. The woman expressed her shock, stating that it was not meal time and that she felt it was unfair for the flight attendant to ask her to compromise in such a situation. She firmly rejected the suggestion. Other passengers who witnessed the confrontation were quick to criticize the couple's behavior. One passenger exclaimed, 'Don't call yourself a Hong Konger, you bully,' while another questioned, 'How old are you? Why are you bullying a young girl? ' The woman's post on Xiaohongshu sparked a wave of outrage, with many people agreeing that the couple's actions were unacceptable. Some commenters suggested that if the couple wanted more space, they should have purchased first-class tickets instead. Others defended the reputation of Hong Kong, stating that most people from the region are kind and that this couple was an exception. The incident also ignited a debate about the etiquette of reclining seats on airplanes. Some users argued that reclining should be allowed since it is a built-in feature of the seats, while others pointed out that it can become uncomfortable when passengers in front recline their seats too far back.