During a recent flight, Kyle Philippi, a 37-year-old from Chattanooga, Tennessee, pulled off a cheeky prank on his friend Zeke, leaving him red-faced in front of fellow passengers.
The duo was on their way from Davao, Philippines, to Doha, Qatar, when Kyle decided to serenade Zeke with a lively rendition of “Happy Birthday,” even though it wasn’t his actual birthday. In a lighthearted video that has gone viral since being posted on Instagram on August 22, Kyle captured the moment, rallying nearby passengers to join in the birthday chorus for Zeke.
@the.family.philippi/Instagram
“Could you all help me welcome Zeke on his birthday today?” Kyle cheerfully asks the crowd. Zeke, meanwhile, can be seen nervously chuckling and shaking his head, while fellow travelers join the fun by singing and clapping. A flight attendant even presented him with a toy gift, much to the amusement of everyone.
In the caption, Kyle wrote, “It doesn’t have to be your birthday to bring strangers together!” Kyle and Zeke, who both work as mission workers for Far-Flung Tin Can, were wrapping up their trip back to Qatar when this prank unfolded. With international travel hitting an all-time high—38.7 million global flights are expected in 2024—this flight was a reminder of lighter moments during travels.
“This was the finale of my pranks after 10 days of fun, and I think Zeke was just eager to escape my antics and get back to his family,” Kyle shared. “I spotted him across the aisle, and I knew I had to make this loud enough for him to hear!” He added that this wasn’t his first faux birthday song flight prank and Zeke’s reaction was just what he expected.
As the video circulated, Instagram users chimed in with their thoughts. “This made me smile!” wrote @jinksagre, while @katerynaaa_b commented, “The more embarrassed he got, the more they joined in. Humanity at its finest.” Others joined in on the fun with comments like, “Lol I feel his embarrassment through the screen. HBD Zeke!” and “The people next to him were so happy it warmed my heart.”
While some, like @ejforter, joked, “I’d unfriend them lol,” others simply enjoyed the light-hearted moment, showing that sometimes, a little fun can make a flight memorable.