07-07-2025
Philly mom reveals shocking seat reclining behavior on Virgin Atlantic flight...and says cabin crew backed offender
A Philadelphia mother sparked an airplane etiquette uproar after sharing a squabble she had with another passenger on a Virgin Atlantic flight over a reclined seat.
Traveler blogger Mari Di Chiara, known as Mari on the Map, claimed a woman sitting behind her sleeping son on a plane asked for her to un-recline his seat so she could fit her family-of-five in a row meant for just four people.
'She was trying to squeeze her family of 5 (2 parents & 3 kids) into 4 seats bc her husband didn't reserve a seat nearby,' Mari wrote in a Thread post on Sunday.
'She had a child well-over lap age on her lap (mid flight, seatbelt sign off).'
When Mari refused - not wanting to wake her son up - the other woman made a fuss and called over a flight attendant, according to her post.
To the influencer's surprise, the staffer allegedly took her adversary's side and asked again for her to move the seat up to give the tightly-packed family more room.
But Mari was growing increasingly frustrated with the bizarre encounter and stood her ground.
'I refused again. I did not want to wake my son up, and that family shouldn't be squeezing 5 people into 4 seats,' the mother explained.
'Flight attendant gave me a bit of a hard time, then dropped it and left.'
Although Mari got her way, she claimed the woman she feuded with spent the next hour or so complaining about her and her family.
'So I want to know, do you think the person in the seat can choose if they recline, or is it up to the person behind them?' she asked her more than 1,800 followers on Threads.
'I personally think if my seat reclines, I have the right to recline it. What do you think?'
Mari's anecdote piqued the interest of nearly 5,000 viewers - who had mixed reactions to her uncomfortable travel experience.
'I would report that flight attendant for violating safety protocols,' one user, siding with Mari, responded.
'Absolutely no. What u did was correct. This people who think they are privileged and can do anything are biggest jokers,' another agreed.
'They like to create scene for their benefit and cry for sympathy.'
But others called out Mari for being 'rude,' saying she should have been more considerate of the other passengers.
'Some people are willing to make small sacrifices for the benefit of others. You clearly aren't one of them,' one commenter, who thought Mari was in the wrong, wrote.
'I think you are a selfish passenger,' another said.
'I think you were being willfully petty. You could've lifted the arm rest and let your kid lie down on you. I wish people would relearn kindness,' someone added.
'If you recline your seat in Economy, you are just the f***ing worst, and that's the end of it,' one user bluntly stated.
Some users were skeptical of Mari's story altogether, as they found it hard to believe a flight attendant would allow five people to sit in a row.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Mari and Virgin Atlantic Airlines for comment.
Mari's blog and overall social media presence focuses on affordable travel for families.
'I specialize in helping families travel smarter. As a parent, I understand the challenges of finding destinations and activities that are truly family-friendly,' she wrote on her website.
