An American Airlines passenger claims his girlfriend was moved from her first-class seat to the back so a pilot could sit there instead. The incident was shared by the passenger in a social media post that showed a video of a man in a pilot’s uniform settling into the seat. This sparked criticism and disbelief from the public, leading to a request for comment from American Airlines.
The passenger claimed that a gate agent had upgraded the couple to first class, but then told them that his girlfriend’s seat was broken and that she had to be moved to the back of the plane. The passenger was upset that a pilot ended up taking her seat, leading to outrage over the incident. American Airlines and Williams did not respond to requests for comment, and only a customer service representative commented on the post asking to “take a closer look” at his claim.
It was revealed that American Airlines’ deadheading pilots get priority over passengers for upgrades due to a new union contract, which was previously reported in August by another publication. This wasn’t the first time a passenger was bumped from first class for a pilot, as a similar incident occurred with Qantas earlier in the year. These actions have sparked public outrage and debate over the protocols and procedures followed within the airline industry.
