A woman who bought a front row seat on an airplane, whose video has gone viral, has revealed that she was seated in the opposite direction, facing the entire cabin and her fellow passengers.
Jess Smith, @jesssmith_36, posted a video on TikTok that has received 15 million views. In the video, Smith captured herself in an uncomfortable position and looking at the crowd.
“When you book Row 1 as a gift, it comes to you The whole plane,” “I will never get better,” Smith wrote on her video.
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This seating arrangement is probably not as rare as people think.
In a viral TikTok video, an airline passenger revealed the moment she was seated at the front of the plane, but her seat faced the entire cabin. (iStock)
Jack Griff, Senior Aviation Writer New York-based Travel blog The Points Guy said that several popular airlines occasionally offer this arrangement for business class passengers.
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“There are two airlines in the US that offer rear-facing seats: American and United. These rear-facing seats are only in a subset of the wide-body (twin-aisle) fleet in business class,” Griff told Fox News Digital via email.
The video caused a stir on TikTok, racking up more than 15 million views and thousands of comments that said the seating arrangement was unusual. (iStock)
“Internationally, airlines such as Qatar Airways and British Airways have rear-facing seats in business class. With all of these airlines, you will be able to find out if your seat is rear-facing by looking at the seat map during booking.”
Currently, optional rear-facing business class seats are available on 23 of United Airlines’ 945 planes, a United Airlines representative told Fox News Digital via email.
Both Griff and the United representative said that when customers buy tickets and choose their seats, they can review the seat map and identify which seats are forward-facing and which are back-facing.
The airline ticket Smith booked was not revealed in his video.
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Most rear-facing seating options are for long-haul international flights, but only a few flights have this feature. Domestic flights.
Typically, rear-facing seats during international flights are not for economy class passengers, but for business class passengers, and this gives passengers a more comfortable sleeping experience. (iStock)
Griff said rear-facing seats are extremely popular among passengers traveling internationally in premium cabins because they offer passengers a more comfortable sleeping arrangement.
“When the plane is flying, the front of the plane is slightly elevated. In a rear-facing seat, you sleep with your head slightly higher than your feet, which generally makes for a more comfortable sleep. Aviation enthusiasts also like to sleep rear-facing because they get a great view of the wings and engines. Some passengers also prefer rear-facing seats for the novelty.”
But the luxury-style cabin that Griff described was not what Smith experienced on his flight.
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Griff said Smith’s video was likely taken from a smaller international airline that offers rear-facing seats in economy class.
“My recommendation for passengers stuck in these types of seats is to wear an eye mask and also bring some reading material or other means of entertainment so they aren’t distracted by this uncomfortable experience.”
“There are some small regional jets operating around the world that have rear-facing seats. I have seen this before on short flights in Africa and Greece. These are usually not indicated on the seat map, and savvy travelers should ask their airlines first which seats are rear-facing,” he said.
Smith wasn’t the only one who found the seating arrangement uncomfortable, as social media users were also quick to share their thoughts in the comments section.
“Oh my god… that happened to me once. massive panic attackOne TikTok user commented, “My whole body felt awful… then they made me sit in this seat where everyone was staring at me it was horrifying.”
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Another person wrote, “I’m actually going to ask to get off and cancel my ticket. My anxiety can never be relieved.”
TikTok users shared how they would feel if they were in the same situation as Smith, who went viral after posting a video of her rear-facing airplane seat. (iStock)
One commented, “If you can fly like this, you can do anything in life.”
Many people joked about the flying experience.
One TikTok user wrote, “I’ll take out a pad of paper, stare at each person for several minutes, and then frantically write notes, sometimes laughing and sometimes grimacing. If it’s going to be uncomfortable, I’ll go my own way.”
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Another user said, “This would be good therapy for my social anxiety.”
The TikTok creator has sparked a new fear for travellers who hope to never be seen sitting in front of passengers on a plane. (iStock)
Another person wrote, “I’ll start giving a speech or something like, ‘Then maybe you’ll wonder why I gathered you here today.'”
Sometimes airline passengers are willing to switch seats to feel more comfortable, but based on the reactions of other TikTok users, it appears no one is willing to do so Give up your seat For Smith.
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“Of course, being rear-facing in the economy cabin is a weird experience,” Griff said.
“My recommendation for passengers stuck in these types of seats is to bring an eye mask and possibly some Reading Material Or other entertainment options to help keep them distracted from this strange experience.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Smith, American Airlines and British Airways for comment.
