Fear of 13: Why Some Airlines Skip This Unlucky Row

Airlines removed row 13due to superstition known as Triskaidekaphobia

The reason why some airlines exclude row 13 onboard has been revealed.

On the 31st, the Daily Mail released a video titled “Why Most Airlines Don’t Have a Row 13,” uploaded by Henny Lim, a stewardess of Cebu Pacific, a Philippine airline.

In the video released on TikTok, she said, “In many cultures, the number 13 is associated with bad luck.”

She continued, “Many airlines prefer to exclude row 13 from the seating arrangement to avoid triggering customers’ beliefs about this superstition.” She revealed this by showing a video filmed inside the airplane, in which the seat number jumps directly from 12 to row 14.

She added that the symptom of fearing the number 13 is called “triskaidekaphobia.”

This short video has recorded over 304,000 views, and netizens recalled, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sticker for row 13.”

The numbers associated with luck and misfortune vary by culture. While 7 is considered a lucky number in Western countries, it is unlucky in China, Vietnam, and Thailand.

In some countries, like Italy, 17 is also considered unlucky.