I asked an airline for a free birthday cake for my son

"Just the gesture of something given to my son on his birthday as a surprise," the mum says. It sounds entitled, but there's also a MAJOR plot twist. 

The interwebs is flooded with stories about entitled parents on planes, allowing their kids to run amok or forcing others to swap seats for them.

But one mum has upped the ante with quite a story.

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Source: iStock

RELATED: I made a little girl cry on a flight and have no regrets

"This is so bloody tight"

Sharing her story online, the mum wrote, "I'm flying with my son abroad."

Explaining that they're travelling on the son's birthday, she said she asked if the airline wanted to make some sort of free "gesture", such as a cake or an upgrade.

The airline responded that such a gift is only for business and firstclass passengers.

She asks the group, "Am I the only person that thinks this is so bloody tight?

"I'm not asking for a huge cake or champagne, just the gesture of something given to my son on his birthday as a surprise."

The plot twist? Her son is turning 21.

Yes. He is an adult.

Source: Mumsnet

RELATED: I had to swap from my booked plane seat for a baby

"Gives us a laugh in the staff room"

Pretty much no one agreed that the mother's request had been reasonable.

"For those of us who work or have worked in public facing jobs such as customer service for an airline, people like the poster are what gives us a laugh in the staff room," one wrote.

Another added, "I'm only surprised she didn't describe him as 252 months old!"

A third said, "The person being tight is the mother, expecting an airline to buy your kids cake is ridiculous!"

A parent said, "When my daughter turned three during the flight we never asked for anything but a steward took a shine to her and went to Business class and brought her a little pudding back from there for her without us asking which was nice.

"I don't think you can expect things for free but if it happens it's a bonus."

Others were appalled at the woman's entitlement, and her 'babying' of her adult son, with one writing, "He might be having a birthday but guess who is not letting him grow up.

"She should let him fly to his new job alone, a card and a small present could have been tucked into his suitcase when she packed it for him."

And finally, there was this comment: "We've never asked for or expected freebies when flying, but have many times been given extra little treats plus we've, amazingly, been upgraded three times on long haul flights.

"Don't have a sense of entitlement and you won't be disappointed."

Sage advice.

This story was written in April 2023 and updated in October 2023.

Originally published as I asked an airline for a free birthday cake for my son