'God, get me home': Passenger vents about screaming baby on Air NZ flight

The crying baby prompted a flurry of tweets. Photo / Getty

A Kiwi woman's online rant about a sharing a trans-Tasman flight with a "screaming" baby has gone viral and the complainant isn't taking a backward step.

Lesley Hamilton, former press secretary to Sir John Key, posted a complaint to Air New Zealand on Twitter, telling the airline that they should offer "seat select" to let fliers know whether they would be seated next to a "screaming baby" or only put babies in seats after row 20.

Twitter was not impressed by Hamilton's impassioned plea, with one user saying she actively seeks out babies on flight so she can offer help, telling Hamilton that "a bit of empathy goes a long way".

Hamilton wasn't having it, calling her critics "woke losers" and pointing out that she entertained the infant throughout the flight.

I am totally empathetic. And if you asked the mum and dad in 6A and 6B from GC to Auckland right now they would tell you how I entertained the 5 month old all the way. The point, which you woke losers fail to get, is you should get the choice. Cheers

— lesleycubawelly (@Lesleycubawelly) January 8, 2020

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Twitter user Aimee Edmonds questioned why paying parents should be sent to the back of the plane but, unsurprising, Hamilton didn't agree with the argument.

"Okay Aimee, if you want to travel with your pet snake, or your support hamster, does that mean everyone just needs to suck it up?" she wrote.

"Just asking for those of us that pay the same as everyone else without bringing annoying extras?"

Another user suggested that if Hamilton was a "nice person", she would know that "travelling with kids is tough and parents dont need any judgement from passengers next to them".

Hamilton replied: "Do I look like a charity? Take your kids into a pod somewhere."

As the criticism flooded in, Hamilton didn't hold back in replying. When labelled a "boomer" by one man and told that passengers should get the option to select a seat away from her, she countered with: "Yeah, nice. Except I get to seat select because I fly a lot. You lot sit where you want. Preferably with other babies."

Posting the comments last night, Hamilton pointed out that this online drama paled in comparison to global events and encouraged readers to see it in perspective.

"Okay. You are all outraged I suggested it should be an option to choose a child free seat next to you. Whatever. Meanwhile, an airliner is down and Iran is imploding."

After the outrage, and the followers she picked up, Hamilton left Twitter with some parenting advice.

"Dear apoplectic lefties - outraged that I have insulted your crap parenting; here is the thing; we do not need to suffer your children. Crazy advice? Make them behave."