Seat Taken Away Due To Security Purposes

February 6, 2010

in Airport Stories

I had planned my trip home for Christmas well in advance, to make sure I would get a comfortable aisle seat for my large 6’5″ frame. I arrived at SFO and checked in at the gate well in advance (about 2hrs) of my flight. A few minutes after boarding the plane, an elderly gentleman came to my seat and told me I was sitting in his seat, and showed me his boarding pass. I showed him my boarding pass for the same seat. He called the flight attendant to resolve the issue.

The flight attendant looked at my pass and explained to me that I didn’t have the stamp on my boarding pass indicating I had gone through the double secret security screening, so my seat had been given up to the elderly gentleman. I had not left the gate area the entire time between the time I checked in to the gate and when I boarded the airplane. Nobody announced a need to check in again “for security purposes.” They just gave away my seat after I had already boarded the airplane. In addition — they cancelled my connecting flight to my final destination.

I received no apologies from the gate agent, and the best he could do for me is get me a different seat (middle seat in central seating area) for the flight to Denver, with reservation for the connecting flight. When I arrived in Denver, the gate agent treated me like the situation was my fault, and was reluctant to help me get to my destination.

This is the reason I will not “Fly United” when I’m paying the bill. I’m stuck with whatever airline my employer selects, but I will not pay to fly their “unfriendly skies.”

{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

Salamandra February 6, 2010 at 1:22 pm

Same as American, weird when paid and then because they wanted gave the seats to others. Shame on them

Reply

paul February 6, 2010 at 6:15 pm

I was travelling Air Canada when i was just in the final stages of boarding the gate agent checks boarding pass and notes somebody was already sitting in my seat…told me not to worry if someone was there just tell them to move…..nobody was, but you haved to shake your head sometimes

Reply

Teddy February 8, 2010 at 7:02 am

eww…

Reply

Leave a Comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *




Previous post:

Next post: