An American Airlines passenger shared a story about a flight attendant who pulled the cushions off of the seats in an empty Main Cabin Extra row to prevent other passengers from sitting there.
Crystal Summerz posted this story and video on Threads (embedded below): “Is American Airlines the new spirit of the sky? A passenger went to sit in these empty seats. No one was using the six empty seats. The flight attendant said he needed to move because they were $150. Someone else went to sit there and told the same thing. An announcement was made not to sit in the seats. Two more times ppl went to sit there because it was six seats open, and he literally tore the cushions off.😂once we departed they said if you leave anything on, you will be returning to the USA”
Post by @summerzcrystalView on Threads
It’s unclear what Crystal means when she says, “once we departed they said if you leave anything on, you will be returning to the USA” but what I can understand is why some passengers who don’t fly often sympathize with Crystal’s frustration at being on a packed plane and seeing an empty row of seats going to waste.
It makes sense that on a sold-out plane configured in a 3×3 layout, having six available seats in Main Cabin Extra (which offer at least 5 inches of extra legroom) could free up space in four rows. If four passengers in middle seats moved to the window and aisle seats of the empty rows, it would give those cramped passengers more elbow room, resulting in a much more pleasant flight experience.
However, if the flight attendants allowed this, the passengers in the other Main Cabin Extra seats who paid the $150 fee wouldn’t be too happy and would most likely either demand their money back or not pay the next time around … which would be bad business for American Airlines.
What American Airlines should do is offer these seats to anyone willing to pay at the last minute – either through their app, or via a gate agent or flight attendant announcement that explains that the empty row of seats have extra legroom and are available to anyone willing to pay the $150 fee. They could even offer it at a discount.
Many airlines already do this and American Airlines does offer discounted upgrades to first class via their app and website (see screenshots above and below) but I don’t think they do it for Main Cabin Extra.
FYI: I have Executive Platinum status on American Airlines so I fly them often and I get to reserve these extra legroom seats for free at the time of booking.
But the fact that the flight attendant pulled up the seat cushions is wild. However, it shows that the passengers on-board weren’t listening to crew instructions. Just remember: Pilots have the final say and they almost always back their flight attendants. So that means that whatever the flight attendants say, goes. Passengers have to listen to crew instructions or risk being deplaned if the flight hasn’t taken off yet or being met by law enforcement upon landing.
Here’s what others had to say on social media:
@sandiego_cindy: yeah but…once the plane takes off, there’s no $$ to be made on those seats anyway. not sure why they made such a big deal out of that.
@Jasonpoststhings: I can answer this. Main Cabin Extra seats cost more. Flight attendants are instructed by our procedures to direct passengers back to their original seats if they’re not in Main Cabin Extra. Sorry, but you can’t just self upgrade. You can pay the upgrade fee and be upgraded if the seat is available but if a premium customer complains it’s our head on the line. You can speak to the gate agent about potential upgrades before boarding. It’s not a power trip, it’s our job.
@Mchughshawn: Sit where ya paid for. Fools make flying so hard
@mm1970sb: Wouldn’t you… Want someone in the exit row? At least one person?
@sdwilson11: A lot of people defending the airline here. Quick reminder, paying for emergency, aisle, window, closer to the front is just some BS the Airlines realized they could get away with because weak people caved. The next step is you are on a flight that is mostly empty and they have everyone stacked on top of each other because they refuse to pay to spread out. First 20 rows empty and everyone on top of each other in the back. You all know that is ridiculous!
@Peterreisslondon: Thai Airways did this with us. After take off there was two empty exit row seats. They wanted cash for them.
@peter.alina: Before anyone sits at the emergency exit seats FAs need people’s consent of willing and able. So unless you are specifically booked into those seats, People can’t just claim those seats even if they are empty.
KEEP READING
–How to make sure the TSA Precheck checkmark is on your boarding pass
–Did you know your electronic devices should always be charged when going through security?
–10 airport security hacks every traveler needs to know
–Mom shares hilarious reason she’s not getting TSA Precheck anytime soon
–How to get a full bottle of water through airport security
Want more travel news, tips and deals? Sign up to Johnny Jet’s free newsletter and check out these popular posts: The Travel Gadget Flight Attendants Never Leave Home Without and 12 Ways to Save Money on Baggage Fees. Follow Johnny Jet on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube for all of my travel posts.
