Travel Blogger Tomiko Harvey Refuses To Swap Aisle Seat on 10-Hour Flight, Woman Cries for 3 Hours; Video Goes Viral
US travel blogger Tomiko Harvey went viral after refusing to give up her aisle seat on a 10-hour flight, allegedly leaving a woman in tears for three hours. Her Instagram video has split social media over seat-swap etiquette.
A video shared by US travel blogger Tomiko Harvey on Instagram has set off a fierce online debate about airline seat etiquette, after she claimed a fellow passenger cried for three hours because she refused to give up her aisle seat on a 10-hour flight from Istanbul to Washington, DC. Harvey said the woman wanted to sit next to her husband, who was a couple of rows ahead, and she was not willing to switch, a decision that has drawn widespread support from social media users this week.
Harvey said she was flying home after travelling from Kazakhstan following her father's death when the incident took place. The clip shows her seated beside a visibly upset woman.
What Happened on the Flight
According to Harvey, the passenger kept crying through much of the journey after her request to swap seats was turned down. After watching this for hours, she finally asked the woman whether someone had died.
'She cried for 3 hours. I finally asked her if someone died, because who cries for 3 hours? She said nobody died. She just missed her husband, and whose shoulder would she lay her head on,' Harvey said. US Congress to Honour Indian Pilot Smit Machchhar for Bravery During Flydubai Flight Attack.
Woman Cries for 3 Hours After Blogger Refuses to Swap Seat on Istanbul-Washington Flight
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The blogger added that the husband was in a middle seat two rows ahead and appeared to be asleep with his headphones on for a large part of the flight.
'Book Together or Pay for Seat Selection'
Harvey said the episode left her questioning why passengers expect strangers to give up seats they have chosen, especially on long-haul flights. In her post, she argued that couples and groups who want to sit together should book adjacent seats in advance or pay for seat selection. ‘He Kept Touching Me’: US Journalist Breanna Morello Alleges Man Took Shirt Off, Invaded Her Seat on American Airlines Flight.
'What is wrong with people that they feel they can ask a stranger to switch seats, especially on a long-haul flight? Is it rude to refuse to switch seats on a plane? If you want to sit together, book together or pay for seat selection,' she asked.
After landing in Washington, DC, Harvey said she sarcastically congratulated the woman for getting through the 10-hour journey without sitting beside her husband.
How Social Media Reacted
The video has drawn a strong response online, with a majority of users backing Harvey's decision. Many said passengers should sort out seating before the flight instead of expecting others to accommodate them.
One user wrote, 'I absolutely would not have switched! Omg! People need to stop guilting those who actually choose and/or pay for their seats.' Another commented, 'They should have booked their damn seats together. I'm with you 100%. Ain't no way in hell I'm doing a middle seat if I don't have to.'
A third user said, 'Can't survive a 10 hour flight without her husband but also won't pay to seat together. None of those sound like your problem.'
A fourth user pointed out that both passengers had middle seats, which suggested they had paid the lowest fare. 'I'm so happy you didn't give it up. They both had middle seats which means they paid the lowest fare. And if they really wanted to sit together they would have booked as such, but they wanted to save money. Then to cry like a toddle thinking she could get her way,' the user said.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 21, 2026 11:32 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
