Baby Cries on Flight 'Non-Stop' for Two Hours, Woman's Response Goes Viral

A video featuring a passenger's empathetic and practical solution to dealing with a crying baby on a flight has struck a chord with viewers on TikTok, amassing 1.4 million views since it was posted on December 11. The clip, shared by Samantha Rae (@samanthachadwickk), who is a mother herself, according to her TikTok profile, highlights an understanding way to handle such situations. In the video, the poster is shown wearing headphones while seated on a plane. A note overlaid on the video explains: "There's a baby on my flight that's been crying non-stop for like two hours. She sounds so uncomfortable, and her parents are working so hard to calm her down. They are probably feeling so much anxiety and pressure right now. People behind them are talking about the baby screaming." Rather than joining in the complaints, the passenger notes that she tried to play peek-a-boo with the baby but found it only provided temporary relief. She then chose to put on her headphones, effectively drowning out the noise and maintaining her calm. In a message on the screen, the poster noted, "So instead of complaining, I just put on my headphones and watched my show & could barely hear her. It's that easy." A caption shared with the post reads, "Let's normalize being good humans while traveling." The viral post comes as international family travel is "making a strong comeback" in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, according to the 2023 U.S. Family Travel Survey conducted by the Family Travel Association, in partnership with the NYU School of Professional Studies, Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality and Edinburgh Napier University. The study, which surveyed over 3,300 parents and grandparents in the United States about their travel plans, behaviors and attitudes, found that more than three-quarters (81 percent) of parents in the U.S. said they're likely to travel with their children this year. More than half of Americans (57 percent) are reported to be preparing for winter travel, with the vast majority (96 percent) planning to travel as much or even more than last winter, according to the TripAdvisor study released earlier this month.

'The Only Valid Reaction'

The passenger's considerate response in the viral clip has garnered widespread praise and appreciation from viewers on TikTok, many of whom shared their empathy and gratitude for her approach. Amélie Ma Sait appreciated the mature response, commenting, "THANK YOU! Probably the only valid reaction to that situation..." Alexis Sandman commented, "As a mom THANK YOU the anxiety you get when your baby cries in places like that is through the roof."

Another user, jesskminer, echoed this sentiment, writing, "Thank you for not adding to the chaos and making the parents feel bad! As a mom of two young ones, I'm always worried on flights about upsetting seat mates!" User etal88 shared their perspective on personal responsibility, saying, "I am SO sensitive to sounds and get incrediblyyyyy irritable about them. I bring earplugs/headphones bc [because] that's MY problem. I don't understand ppl [people] who try to blame others for their issues." Gina Vogt also sympathized with the parents, saying, "Those poor parents, thank you for handling it like an adult." User yeahashley0 wrote, "I can tell you 100 percent the parents feel so bad and just want to disappear. Thank you for being kind!" Newsweek reached out to the original poster for comment via TikTok and email. This video has not been independently verified. Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured on Newsweek.