She Wouldn't Put Her Seat Up. Then It Got Personal

A couple from Hong Kong has been barred from the territory's flagship airline, after an incident involving another passenger who was from mainland China. Per CNN, the latter posted a video on Chinese social media over the Sept. 17 encounter, which involved a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to London. The unidentified woman says that the husband and wife in back of her asked her to put her reclined seat up so that the man could see his TV better. "I politely declined," notes the woman, who says she was then harassed, adding that after her refusal, the wife "started stretching her feet onto my armrest, kicking my arm, and cursing at me like crazy." Things got worse when the Chinese woman wouldn't heed a flight attendant's suggestion that she just put her seat up.

The woman said in her viral video that the wife started poking fun at the fact that her Cantonese wasn't the best, "calling me a 'Mainland girl' and other derogatory stuff." CNN notes that people from mainland China more often speak Mandarin, while Hong Kong locals are more apt to speak Cantonese. "Once I started recording, the husband behind me even shoved his hand on my armrest and started shaking it like crazy," the woman continued. Reaction from other passengers against the Hong Kong pair was harsh, even from other Hong Kong residents, per the BBC. "Don't call yourself a Hong Konger, you bully," one witness reportedly said, while another commented, "This is too much. How old are you? Why are you bullying a young girl?"

The woman said she was eventually permitted to change seats, and Cathay Pacific put out a statement noting the couple had been put on its no-fly list and that it wanted to "sincerely apologize" for the "unpleasant experience," per CNN. Meanwhile, both a former member of Hong Kong's Airport Authority board and one of the territory's lawmakers back the airline, per the South China Morning Post. The ban was the "right" thing to do, says Allan Zeman, the ex-board member, noting the video had caused "some animosity." Despite the incident, there are no hard feelings between the Chinese woman and Hong Kong residents overall. "Whether on the plane or online, many Hong Kongers came to help and support me," she said in a follow-up video. "There are still plenty of nice people in this world!" (More Cathay Pacific stories.)