Jeniffer Castro was taking an internal flight in Brazil when she was asked to exchange her window seat with a young boy – but when she refused the mother said her behaviour was “disgusting”
Brazil: Flight passenger ignores requests to swap seats with toddler
A passenger on a flight who refused to swap seats with a toddler is now planning legal action.
Bank worker Jeniffer Castro was filmed calmly ignoring the angry mother’s request. Her son was crying because he wanted to sit in Jeniffer’s seat next to a window. The family reportedly had a window seat on another row, but the boy insisted on 29-year-old Jeniffer’s place. When she refused, the mother pulled out her phone and started filming her.
The mum said: “Why doesn’t she want to change seats? I even asked 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 children.” Despite the criticism, the young woman did not respond to the mother and only asked if she was being filmed. The row took place on a GOL Airlines domestic flight in Brazil on December 4.
However, instead of ‘exposing’ the passenger as being unreasonable, many online users praised her stance. Claudio said: “I felt sorry for the girl, she just wanted a peaceful trip, my solidarity.” Ana said: “It turns out the only one who is really spoiled is the mother, but now life is showing her who’s boss.”
Lucia added: “This girl needs to be smart and file a lawsuit against this rude and clueless mother.” Jeniffer’s Instagram page also swelled to over 2.1 million followers in the weeks following the online stir. She even signed several advertising deals on the back of the viral row.
In her bio, she now refers to herself as a “first-time influencer”, reported What’s The Jam. She is now considering taking legal and made the revelation in an interview on the Cola Mais Podcast on 23 January. Regarding it, Jeniffer said: “Measures are now being taken.”
“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.” She explained: “When I got on the plane, the child was 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, it was around 50 minutes from Rio de Janeiro to Belo Horizonte. The mother was very rude.” 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.” GOL Airlines has been approached for comment.
