An Australian man's self-described "serious rant" about a fellow passenger who refused to swap seats so he could sit closer to his wife has backfired online.
Jay Kloss shared a video on TikTok explaining he and his wife Zoe were travelling in business class with Virgin Australia for her birthday when the incident occurred.
The couple failed to secure allocated seats beside each other ahead of departure and ended up seated in the same row, but separated with a seat between them. As a result, Kloss said he asked the middle passenger to swap seats with him, and became angered when the man refused - even though he offered instead to swap seats with Zoe.
In his now widely-shared TikTok, an incredulous Kloss appears topless with a cap on backwards as he explained he wanted to assault his fellow passenger.
"OK guys we have a real rant today, a serious rant. I encountered an absolute f**kwit today on the plane and I wanted to slap him, but I didn't because I was on a plane and had to restrain myself," said Kloss.
He goes on to say he and Zoe boarded the plane expecting at least one other passenger would move to accommodate their seating wishes.
"Easy, yeah? No matter what, me and Zoe are sitting together - WRONG. We're not sitting together," he continued.
Kloss said both he and his wife told the man she needed a window seat as she isn't a confident flyer, but he insisted that if he was to move it would only be to her seat.
"I'm like, 'Bro, really? You sure you can’t swap seats with us?' And he just doesn't respond to me. I was like, ready to literally lay into this guy," Kloss said.
Eventually, Kloss said another passenger who "could barely speak English" agreed to switch seats so the couple could sit together with Zoe in a window seat.
Kloss also said he continued to berate the man who refused after they disembarked the plane.
A text caption on Kloss's TikTok asks "Am I in the wrong?!" and he also exclaimed in the video: "Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on here? Like surely I'm not in the wrong here!"
At the time of writing, there is close to 5400 comments on the TikTok and the vast majority of them argue yes, Kloss is in the wrong.
"Why should your inability to plan affect someone else in any way?" asked one.
"Dude. That's his seat. The entitlement from this guy," said another.
One joked: "I once told the pilot I wanted his seat (best view in the plane ) but the pilot refused. Am I missing something? The plane flies autopilot."
"I'm sick of people asking to switch seats. Book the right seat first," commented another.
"So what if it's [your wife's] birthday. She's not 5. Book the seats you want in future," added another.
Some comments were not as condemning of Kloss, with one saying: "He would be nice to swap, but under no obligation to move. So yes you are right to ask, but don't be upset if he refuses."
Many people pointed out how his video had backfired, with one even saying: "I was on your side but the comments changed my mind."
There is at least one comment supporting Kloss's position, too, with one person saying: "No, you're not wrong just for asking, I'm a nice person and I would have switched seats for you and your wife."
People demanding others switch seats for them or refusing to do so when asked is often a source of debate online.
Earlier this year, a woman was applauded on Reddit for not swapping seats for a father and daughter, which made the child cry.
Last year, another online furious tirade about a passenger not wanting to give up their seat by a bassinet so a mother and baby could use it also drew sharply divided opinions.
