Woman denied moving seat on flight—no one ready for 'felony' she commits
A recent Frontier Airlines flight took a turn when a woman tried moving to a seat that was not hers—and ultimately was removed from the plane by federal agents.
According to a Reddit thread first posted by Fit_Effect3987, the woman claimed to have booked a specific seat, saying that she “always books it.” Though the flight attendant informed her this was not the case, the woman tried to move seats, which is not allowed during an active flight.
Comments from fellow travelers on the flight claim that the woman began reasoning that Jesus Christ told her to sit in that seat. When the flight attendant continued to tell the woman that she could not move seats, the woman started biting them and ultimately had to be restrained.
It is not clear how the situation escalated so quickly.
File photo: Frontier Airlines A321 taxiing on runway. (Getty Images)
‘That’s like two felonies’
“She bit a flight attendant and had to be restrained on a federally regulated flight… yeah that’s like two felonies,” one person wrote in the comments.
Changing seats during a flight—particularly without permission from a flight attendant—is widely considered to be against most airlines’ policies.
“Jumping to an open seat without permission is unacceptable,” former flight attendant Lia Ocamp told Condé Nast Traveler. “There are aviation and airline regulations that the crew must adhere to. Always asking for permission is a courteous and professional approach.”
While to passengers it may not seem like a big deal to move into an empty row a few feet away, it can have much bigger consequences for the flight crew, especially when it comes to safety regulations.
One major reason these assigned seats are important is the weight and balance of the plane. Before takeoff, pilots run meticulous calculations using the weight of the cargo and where passengers are seated in order to safely fly the plane.
Onboard, having passengers seated correctly also allows flight crews to keep track of passenger counts, which is particularly important in the case of an emergency.
‘Violation of the contract’
From a legal standpoint, the woman’s actions also violated the agreement that she signed when she purchased her ticket.
“Choosing not to sit in your assigned seat is a violation of the contract of carriage you agreed to when you bought this flight,” one contributor noted on Reddit.
“Should you choose to take this matter up on social media, or the news—respectfully, we will sue you for breach of contract of carriage,” they continued, sharing the airline’s perspective.
While it is not clear what happened to the woman after she was removed from the flight, the consequences may be severe.
“Ignoring safety rules can have serious consequences, including being removed from the aircraft, an airline ban, fines and even imprisonment,” reveals Simple Flying.
“During a flight, if a passenger becomes disruptive, the passenger can be restrained, the flight can be diverted and the passenger will be liable for all costs incurred of between $10,000 and $80,0000,” continues the site.
With these risks, this story can be a lesson for any travelers looking to bend airline rules—don’t try to find a new seat and keep their teeth to themselves.
Newsweek has reached out to Frontier Airlines for comment via email.
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