Actress Amy Poehler showed off her kind side when she gave up her first class-seat on a flight from Los Angeles to New York to a mother with an infant, according to a U.S. report.

The Parks and Recreation star noticed the new mum was struggling with the baby and her luggage and insisted she take her larger seat on the plane - but it took some convincing.

A source tells Star magazine, "The woman kept refusing the offer, but Amy wouldn't budge. She literally had to push the mom into her first-class seat. It was really sweet."

The woman subsequently accepted Poehler's kind gesture and the actress sat in an aisle seat in coach class.

The source adds, "She took pictures with the other passengers and joked around. Everyone loved her."

Poehler could sympathize with the travelling mum - she has two young sons, aged five and three, with her estranged husband, actor Will Arnett.