Video footage of a passenger who was surprised to find that her neighbor on the plane was actually her son has gone viral on TikTok.
The video was posted on October 30 by @meganalexbaker and has already had 12.8 million views. The moment was captured during a family vacation on a flight with Ryanair, the Irish low-cost airline, according to later comments by the poster.
A message overlaid on the video read: “My brother hasn’t been on holiday with us in 16 years and surprised my mum on the plane to Spain.”
The footage showed a couple walking down the plane aisle, heading towards a woman in an aisle seat who was looking down at what appeared to be a tablet.
The man tapped the shoulder of the seated woman, who got up without looking up at him to allow the couple to get to their seats near the window. She was later surprised to find that the man is actually her son.
The post comes as air travel continues to see strong growth after grinding to a halt at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, traffic in May 2023 was reported to be at 96.1 percent of May 2019 (pre-pandemic) levels, the International Air Travel Association (IATA) reported in July.
In a 2023 U.S. Family Travel Survey by the Family Travel Association, 81 percent of parents said they’re likely to travel with their children in the next year, while many families are planning to increase, or at least maintain, their level of travel spending.
The survey, conducted in partnership with the NYU School of Professional Studies, Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality and Edinburgh Napier University, polled more than 3,300 parents and grandparents about their travel plans, behaviors and attitudes.
“Large family groups are a big contributor to the market growth, with over 50 percent of parents saying they are planning to travel with grandparents and children,” the survey found.
‘Minding Her Own Business’
The mom in the latest post can be seen speaking to two other passengers as she stood waiting for the aforementioned couple to get settled in their seats.
The couple are seen looking up at the woman and smiling as she approached her seat. She suddenly froze in place before turning around with her hand over her face, mouthing “oh my God” at the two other passengers with whom she just spoke.
A voice in the clip said “how did you not realize?” as laughter is heard in the background before the video ended.
When TikTok user Polly Pocket Hair Extensions asked: “How did you dodge them [the couple] the entire time in the airport???…” the original poster replied “They were just a few steps behind us the whole way, we boarded the plane early and they were the last people to board, they nearly missed it actually!”
The latest viral clip has left TikTok users in stitches.
User NATURALLY GOOD noted: “She is the definition of ‘minding her own business.'”
User @annyaisthename said: “She was so focused on what she was doing.” The original poster replied: “She was too eager to talk to my dad about goggle box.”
Carrie wrote: “It’s possible he has been on other vacations, she just didn’t notice.”
User justgirlythings noted: “she’s so me i’ll never look a stranger in the eye she did not know him.”
User crazydaisy1313 said: “I’ve had that happen, if you aren’t expecting to see someone, it’s like your brain doesn’t accept that it IS happening.”
Sammykins agreed, writing “This is so me. I never recognize people when they show up in places I’m not expecting.”
User blondehojay noted: “Shows how much we don’t pay attention when we’re on a plane just wanna get going.”
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment. This video has not been independently verified.
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