A couple has been permanently banned by a major airline following a heated spat about seat-reclining etiquette, according to CNN.

Cathay Pacific, a Hong Kong-based airline, has banned two passengers from its flights, following a Sept. 17 incident during a flight from Hong Kong to London, with a female passenger from mainland China posting a video of the experience onto Xiaohongshu, China’s version of Instagram.

According to her Xiaohongshu account, the incident unfolded when the woman seated behind her requested that she return her seat to an upright position, because it was obstructing her husband’s view of the in-flight television.

The passenger politely declined, which provoked an aggressive reaction from the woman behind her. “She started stretching her feet onto my armrest, kicking my arm, and cursing at me like crazy,” the passenger said.

A flight attendant then tried to intervene, suggesting the woman raise her seat, but woman wouldn’t budge.

“When she realized my Cantonese wasn’t so great, she started throwing around some nasty comments, calling me a ‘Mainland girl’ and using other derogatory language,” the passenger said.

In video footage of the incident, a voice in Mandarin can be heard criticizing the older woman, saying, “You’re old enough — why are you bullying a young girl?”

The exchange underscored cultural and linguistic differences, as Cantonese is predominantly spoken in Hong Kong, while Mandarin is the primary language in mainland China.

The situation worsened when the husband of the aggressive passenger became involved, reportedly shoving his hand on the armrest of the reclining passenger and shaking it. “I felt my personal space had been completely violated,” she expressed.

AP

A Cathay Pacific airplane taxis at Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, Friday, Nov. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Vernon Yuen)AP

As the situation escalated, other passengers chimed in, voicing their support for the reclining passenger. Some shouted in Cantonese, “You’re embarrassing us Hongkongers!” and “Stop saying you’re from Hong Kong!”

Eventually, after receiving support from fellow passengers, the flight attendant permitted the reclining passenger to switch seats.

In a statement released on Saturday, Cathay Pacific expressed its sincere apologies for the “unpleasant experience,” emphasizing that it upholds a zero-tolerance policy for any behavior that violates aviation safety regulations or disrespects fellow customers.

“We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any behavior that violates aviation safety regulations or disrespects the rights of other customers,” the statement read. “We will deny future travel on any Cathay Group flights to the two customers involved in this incident.”

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