Passenger Accused of Taking Someone Else’s First Class Seat on American Airlines Flight

A woman is accused of taking another passenger’s first class seat on an American Airlines flight from New York to Los Angeles after her own seat reportedly wouldn’t recline. Justin Escalona, 27, detailed the incident that occurred on American Airlines Flight 171 on Monday in a viral Instagram video.

Stealing a Fellow Passenger’s First Class Seat?

Escalona said he was dozing in his upgraded first class seat before the 6 a.m. departure when a woman approached him and asked to switch seats. He said he initially agreed, assuming she simply wanted a better view.

Escalona said in the video, “I thought it was because she wanted a better view or something.” He added, “But no, it’s because her seat doesn’t recline.” 

He continued filming as he approached his assigned seat, 6A, where he found the woman sprawled across it. Escalona was then heard telling the woman, “You gotta get out of my seat, this is crazy.” 

A brief silence followed before the woman said, “I’m going to UCLA.” Escalona replied,  “I went to USC so that makes it even worse.”

Escalona continued pressing the woman, saying,  “You’re holding up the entire flight.” He continued, “My boarding pass says 6A, yours says 3F.”  The video then cut to a photo of his boarding pass as evidence.

The video then showed the woman gathering her belongings and agreeing to move. She said, “You are just such a…”

Escalona returned to his seat, and the passenger across the aisle remarked, “Bro, you almost got robbed!”

AAdvantage Executive Platinum

The video drew negative comments directed at the unidentified woman, with many calling her “entitled.” However, some also criticized Escalona, pointing out that he did not pay for his first class seat. Instead, he received the upgrade as an AAdvantage Executive Platinum member.

He highlighted a comment on Instagram that read, “People gotta realize you have to be spending hella flying for a ‘free upgrade.’”