A passenger’s peaceful flight turned unexpectedly awkward when her seatmate repeatedly leaned across her to capture photos of the clouds.
Fanny Gagnon O’Donnell was flying from Spain to Germany, comfortably settled in the prized window seat, when her neighbor decided to turn the journey into his personal photo session.
What began as a small intrusion quickly became a full-flight ordeal. “Every 20 minutes or so, he would shove his arm right in front of me to take pictures of the clouds,” Gagnon O’Donnell told Storyful.
Instead of enjoying the view, she spent much of the trip dodging an endless stream of elbows and phone clicks—turning her dream seat into a test of patience.
Fanny Gagnon O’Donnell (pictured) was on a flight from Spain to Germany when her seemingly peaceful journey turned into an unexpected test of patience.
Seated by the window, she soon realized her neighbor in the middle seat had other plans for her personal space. In a video, Gagnon O’Donnell remains composed as the passenger repeatedly leans across her to capture photos of the sky.
“At first, I thought it was kind of cute,” she admitted. But the charm quickly wore off after it happened three or four more times. Annoyed, she finally pulled the window shut.
That, however, didn’t end the story. Her persistent seatmate began tapping her on the shoulder, asking her to reopen the window so they could continue snapping pictures throughout the flight.
At first, Fanny Gagnon O’Donnell thought it was “kind of cute” when her fellow passenger leaned across her seat to snap photos of the clouds. But as the flight went on and the intrusions kept happening, the charm quickly wore off.
Her TikTok video capturing the moment has since exploded online, pulling in nearly 5 million views and sparking a lively debate among viewers.
Many sided with Gagnon O’Donnell’s frustration:
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“My anger issues could never,” one person admitted.
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Another recalled a similar incident: “It happened to me last month flying from Madrid to Paris. She did it like 3-4 times. I just closed the window, put in my AirPods, and ignored her.”
But not everyone saw the behavior as bothersome. Some defended the eager sky-gazer, suggesting it might have been their first flight.
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“It’s not that bad. Just let him take a pic. He’s excited — it’s cute,” one TikTok user wrote.
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Fanny Gagnon O’Donnell turned an awkward mid-flight moment into viral entertainment, capturing it on TikTok — a clip that has already drawn nearly 5 million views. (Fanny Gagnon O’Donnell/Storyful)
Some viewers sympathized with her seatmate, with one commenting, “Imagine if it was someone’s very first time flying.”
To weigh in, Fox News Digital reached out to Rosalinda Randall, a California-based etiquette expert and trainer.
According to Randall, the window seat comes with both comforts and responsibilities: “You get something to lean on, which is great for resting, and you’re spared from being squished in the middle. But you’re also in charge of the window shade — and that calls for courtesy and consideration,” she explained.
She applauded Gagnon O’Donnell’s calm approach to the situation: “I give her credit for letting the photographer capture a few shots during the flight. While he may not have noticed her signals — or perhaps chose to ignore them — there were subtle social cues she could have used to set boundaries.”
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A passenger’s viral TikTok video is sparking debate after she caught her seatmate leaning into her space mid-flight. (Fanny Gagnon O’Donnell/Storyful)
Etiquette expert Rosalinda Randall shared a few clever ways the traveler could have handled the awkward situation. She suggested lighthearted moves like dramatically leaning back, leaning forward to block the view, or even lowering the window shade halfway. Another simple fix? Offer to snap the photos for the over-eager neighbor.
For anyone dealing with a similar scenario, Randall recommends a polite but firm approach. Try saying, “Excuse me, it’s a little uncomfortable when you keep reaching over,” or, “Go ahead and take a few photos, but then I’d like to relax.”
And if courtesy doesn’t work? Randall says that’s the time to get the flight crew involved.
