Passenger sues airline and woman who filmed her after refusing to swap seats

GOL AIRLINES BOEING 737-MAX 8 PR-XMH (MSN 43993)

A Brazilian bank employee who declined to exchange seats with a crying toddler on a flight is now initiating legal action against the airline and the passenger who recorded her.

The viral spat unfolded on a GOL Airlines flight from Rio de Janeiro (GIG/SBGL) to Belo Horizonte (CNF/SBCF) on the 4th of December, when Jeniffer Castro, 29, refused to give up her window seat to a young boy.

The child already had a window seat in another row but insisted sitting in Ms. Castro's spot and threw a tantrum when he did not get his way. After she declined, a boarding passenger, unaware of the full context, took out her phone and began recording the incident, chastising Ms. Castro for her decision.

The woman can be heard clearly saying behind the camera, “Why doesn’t she want to change seats?
“I even asked her if she had some kind of syndrome or something". If someone has a problem, some disability, we understand.

“I’m recording your face, this is disgusting. It’s the 21st century and people have no empathy for young children” you could hear her saying.

Despite the insults, Ms. Castro remained composed, merely inquiring if she was being recorded without her consent. Rather than eliciting widespread condemnation, the clip backfired online, with many supporting Ms. Castro for standing her ground.

Another wrote, “It turns out the only one who is really spoiled is the mother, but now life is showing her who’s boss.” The incident sparked a frenzy on social media, catapulting Ms. Castro into the spotlight. Her Instagram page now has more than 2.1 million followers, and she’s since landed several advertising deals.

“Measures are now being taken,” she said. “What I went through wasn’t easy. The flight attendants could have asked me if I needed anything, or if I was bothered by the passenger, but they didn’t. They stayed out of it.”

Recounting the flight, Ms Castro explained, “When I got on the plane, the child was already in my seat. I said, ‘This is my seat,’ and waited for him to leave.

“A guy across the aisle said, ‘Change with him, you sit next to the aisle, and he’ll have your place.’ 

I said, ‘No.’

“The boy cried the entire flight which was around 50 minutes. His mother was very rude and angry.”

She added, “I’m happy about all the support I received, although there were some online haters too. 

I still don’t know how to feel about it — I’m still trying to process everything.”