Don’t worry, parents—this former flight attendant just revealed what kind of passenger is most “irritating,” and it’s not your crying baby
If you’ve ever flown with a young baby—or even just been on a flight where you were seated near one—you know a universal truth: Babies cry on planes. And while that may cause some passengers to roll their eyes (or worse), there are some people on your flight who couldn’t be less bothered: Your flight attendants.
In a viral TikTok video, former flight attendant Kat Kamalani shared her biggest pet peeve from working on board flights for six years. It’s not the crying babies, she said—it’s the adults who complain about them.
“I promise you, there’s nothing that irritates us more … (than) when people complain about a baby crying,” Kamalani says in her video, which has amassed millions of views. “Don’t even ask to be moved to a different seat; no one wants that baby to stop crying more than that parent.”
@katkamalani THIS 😡 i promise you, you wont win… just be a kind human and dont dont this @Dylan
♬ original sound – Kat Kamalani
She adds, “So if you’re traveling, bring noise-canceling headphones or maybe ask the parent if they need help.”
Amen to that. Like it or not, a plane is a public place, which means babies are allowed there. And if they’re allowed there, they’re allowed to fully exist there, which might mean crying. If you’re that bothered by a baby simply existing in public, sorry, but you’re the problem, not the baby.
Texas-based flight attendant Tori Wilcoxson told Today that she agrees, and that she wishes that “travelers would take a moment to view any less-than-ideal situation with a little perspective.”
“Of course, if someone politely approaches a flight attendant and asks nicely to be moved for any reason that makes them uncomfortable during a flight, most flight attendants are happy to help so long as we have the seat availability and means to do,” she added. “Just remember good manners go a long ways. Any abrasiveness or tones of entitlement don’t always go over well when requesting things.”
For parents, she had this to say: “When people purchase a ticket they know they will be traveling with the general public, so it’s not your fault if people are annoyed in response to a normal occurrence such as a baby crying. If you ever need help or a moment to eat, use the restroom or just take a break during flight, I know quite a few flight attendants who would be happy to help you with your kiddos, including me!”
