A woman flying to Greece booked a first-row seat as a “treat,” only to end up facing the entire airplane. Literally. The awkward blunder turned into a viral internet sensation, prompting hilarious reactions. As it turns out, these types of situations happen more often than one might think.

Taking to her TikTok page on Sunday (July 20), Jess Smith shared a comical video showing her seated at the very front of her plane.

In the amusing clip, which has amassed over 12.4 million views, Jess could be seen looking uncomfortably at the camera before turning her sight toward a jam-packed plane.

Jess’ seat was, in fact, not just front row, but it was placed where flight attendants are usually positioned, therefore facing the opposite direction of fellow passengers.

A woman flying to Greece booked a first-row seat as a “treat,” only to end up facing the entire airplane

Image credits: jesssmith_36

As the TikToker admitted she was “never going to recover” from the strange ordeal, people were left in stitches, as a user commented: “I’d start giving a speech or something, ‘So you probably wonder why I’ve gathered you here today.’”

A person wrote: “I would give them a presentation I made in 10th grade of how to reduce GLOBAL WARMING.”

“Biggest fear oh myyy,” a netizen added.

Image credits: jesssmith_36

Someone noted: “I lowkey wanna do this just as exposure therapy. 

“Like, there is literally NO choice but to face it & get through it.”

A separate individual chimed in: “I love how everyone in front of you is just awkwardly avoiding eye contact.”

The awkward blunder turned into a viral internet sensation, prompting hilarious reactions

Image credits: jesssmith_36

@jesssmith_36 Never going to rcover. #travel #travelfail #greece #athens #milos #plane #frontrow ♬ original sound – †

A celebrity couple, former Real Madrid football player Sergio Carrallo and his wife Caroline Stanbury, endured the same situation earlier this year.

Sharing the clumsy gaffe on social media, Sergio told his TikTok followers: “When your assistant booked 1A 1B and you thought they were the best seats on the plane,” before revealing that their seats were directly facing all the remaining passengers inside the plane.

Although spending minutes, or even hours, staring at total strangers from a short distance can undoubtedly be unpleasant, research from as far back as 1950 shows that sitting backward on an airplane may actually be safer. 

As it turns out, these types of situations happen more often than one might think

Image credits: Sergio Carrallo

Rear-facing seats provide more support for the torso and head, according to an Aircraft SEAT Committee participant from SAE International, a company that develops safety standards, Reader’s Digest reported in May 2022.

“Forward-facing seats allow the occupant’s upper torso to move forward and consequently do not provide the same level of protection,” a SEAT member said at the time. 

The extra support from facing backward is the same reason babies stay in rear-facing car seats for as long as possible, Dan Boland, founder of holidayers.com and an Airbus A350 pilot working for an international airline, explained. 

Image credits: Pexels/Kelly

Nevertheless, there are few rear-facing seats in most planes because they are so heavy. “In a crash, these seats will take more strain from the passenger than the more common forward-facing seats and thus need more support from the floor below,” Dan said. 

He continued: “Which in turn adds more weight to the aircraft, and more weight always burns more fuel.” 

More fuel costs more money, so it’s unlikely that you’ll see rear-facing seats in economy, as it’s not worth the expense for airlines, Reader’s Digest reported.

Research from as far back as 1950 shows that sitting backward on an airplane may actually be safer

Image credits: Pexels/Pixabay

There are some airlines that offer seats that face backward, as Dan said: “Most of the seats will be forward-facing, but one or two on the windows will be rear-facing.” 

While there isn’t a definitive answer as to why flight attendants sit backward, it’s rumored that it’s so they can clearly see the passengers on the plane, as per Reader’s Digest. 

This is so the attendants can make sure everyone is following safety protocols and can react quickly if there is an emergency.

“I would cry tbh (to be honest),” a TikTok user commented

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