Strangers share hysterical video of their instant bond during severe flight turbulence

Two women have proved they are capable of making friends under any circumstances, even on a turbulent plane.

Lila Smith took to TikTok to share her experience on a recent United Airlines flight with turbulence, which had both her and the stranger sitting next to her fearing the worst.

The video began with Lila and her seatmate, named Sabrina, swallowing mini bottles of Jack Daniels, with text across the screen that read: “Me and my seatmate Sabrina almost die” as they filmed themselves attempting to calm each other down while sitting with their arms linked.

Both women then started to joke about their situation, with Sabrina urging viewers not to “fly United” before Lila chimed in: “You can’t swim, right?”

“No, I’m gonna get on someone’s back,” Sabrina replied. “I’m gonna lie and say I’m pregnant so I can go first.” Lila jokingly agreed that she would do the same.

Eventually, the two became so frightened by the turbulence that they called a flight attendant over to ask if what they were experiencing was normal. In response, the flight attendant assured the two passengers that they were completely safe.

“I’ve had this before. I’ve had worse before, honestly,” she replied. Sabrina then joked about starting a GoFundMe so people could fund her funeral in the event the plane went down.

The TikTok ended as the flight landed, at which point Lila let viewers know that both she and Sabrina “lived to tell the tale”.

Since the video was posted, it had received over one million views, with many commenters laughing about Lila and Sabrina’s banter throughout the flight. “This is totally back row energy,” one comment read.

Another commenter agreed, writing: “‘Make sure someone pays for my funeral- that was a nice flight’ had me PEEEING!”

A viewer who identified themself as a United Airlines flight attendant even chimed in in the comments section, writing: “United flight attendant here. The East Coast turbulence tonight was ridiculous.”

Other people commented on how sweet Lila and Sabrina’s interaction was, with many gushing over how quickly they became friends. “The two of you talking to the random lady like you’ve been best friends since birth,” one comment read.

“Pls tell me you guys are gonna keep in touch now,” another person wrote in the comments.

According to Lila, who spoke with Insider, the two never exchanged contact information after the flight and haven’t spoken since. However, she noted “we are in each other’s paths at certain times and places” for a reason, and said she felt like she and Sabrina were connected on the flight. She also called Sabrina “hilarious” and said she was comforted by her presence.

Lila also revealed that she’d told Sabrina she was making a TikTok about their experience, but has no idea if she has actually seen the clip or not.

“Sabrina and I were like: ‘If we’re going down on this flight, we’re going down together,’" Lila told the outlet. “Now, I hope she’s having fun with her family — although maybe we will see each other in the back row on the way home!”

The Independent has contacted Lila for comment.