A dramatic mid-boarding confrontation on an American Airlines flight has gone viral after a frustrated passenger called out a family for giving his $300 aisle seat to their young daughter—without even asking him first.
The passenger, later identified as Osaac Summer, found himself at the center of a heated moment after realizing a child was sitting in the seat he had paid for. According to the Daily Mail, Summer was seen confronting the family in frustration.
A video shared on TikTok by user @lalawright2 on July 6 captured Summer telling the parents directly: “Stay in your lane and in your seat.”
An American Airlines flight was turned around due to a text message.Joe Raedle / Getty
That wasn’t me crashing out
“I don’t care about your daughter, your child, and none of that. I paid for this one.”
The 6’2″ flyer posted his own follow-up video five days later, clarifying what really happened on board.
Speaking on TikTok (@osaacsummer), Summer said he had intentionally booked the aisle seat to fly comfortably and insisted he never planned to cause drama
If you know me, then you know that that wasn’t me going off.” he explained. “That wasn’t me crashing out at anything like that.”
Summer said the family took his seat without giving him any kind of warning. Instead, they tried to offer him either a window or middle seat, but he wasn’t interested in either option.
He recalled what he told the mother at that moment: “I really don’t want to take the seat from you and your child,” Then he added: “But next time, it would be the best thing to ask before taking a seat
Flight attendant clash
Summer said the situation got worse when a flight attendant seemed to take the family’s side. At one point, he was even accused of “being a problem.” That comment, he said, was what really set him off.
“I turned around and said, ‘Ma’am look, since you said all that, just come get my seat because that was unnecessary. That was rude.'”
He also said that someone from the flight crew told him the mother was allowed to stay in the seat because she boarded earlier. Summer was baffled by this, pointing out that seats on most flights are chosen and paid for ahead of time.
Eventually, another passenger stepped in and agreed to switch seats, allowing the child to stay put while Summer finally got his aisle seat back.
Summing it all up in his six-minute TikTok follow-up, Summer said: “Moral of the story: just give people their seats back.”
He also called out the airline, saying: “And flight attendants, just do ya job because if that was somebody in first class, y’all wouldn’t have even let them sit down.”
The internet responds: “I’d be more mad”
It didn’t take long for the video to explode online. Summer’s TikTok quickly racked up more than 2.4 million likes, with thousands of people flooding the comments in support of him. Many were upset at what they saw as growing entitlement among parents while traveling.
“I’m sick of parents feeling entitled on planes. BOOK YOUR CHILD IN THE SEAT NEXT TO YOU.” one person commented.
The incident took place on an American Airlines flight in Dallas.Kristian1108 / Getty
Someone else chimed in and said: “He was more respectful than I would have been. It’s the audacity of them taking it without asking…”
Another viewer pointed out: “Imagine how many people suffer from social anxiety and can’t stand up for themselves the way he did — and just keep getting taken advantage of.”
And some shared their own frustrating flight stories, like this one: “Recently had someone rearrange my entire row to accommodate him and his girlfriend. I let them plan it out, then refused to move.”
Rising tension in the skies
This latest confrontation is just one of many similar showdowns that have gone viral lately. Seat-swapping incidents have become a hot topic among travelers.
Back in late 2024, Brazilian passenger Jeniffer Castro made headlines when she sued GOL Airlines and another traveler who filmed her. She had refused to move seats for a crying child, and the resulting clip caused “consequences that affected both my personal and professional life.”
Earlier in 2023, another woman stood firm and refused to give up her first-class seat for a kid and was widely praised for it online.
Even airline workers are joining the discussion. American flight attendant Leanna Coy went viral with her own TikTok video titled “Why you shouldn’t switch seats on the plane.” In it, she reminded travelers to plan better and not rely on others to make up for last-minute arrangements: “Your lack of planning should not constitute me having to move.”
As for Summer, he said the whole thing left him feeling completely drained. “It’s 12 o’clock a.m. We just want to sit down and get on a plane and go. That’s it.”
He added that only one flight attendant checked in on him after everything went down.
