Silke Jasso
A couple was reportedly removed from a flight after moving to an empty row on a United Airlines flight.
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According to the Daily Mail, Michael Hohl and his fiancée Amber Maxwell were traveling to Costa Rica for their wedding on Saturday when they were asked to disembark after moving up to an empty row.
When the couple boarded the plane, they found another passenger sleeping in their seats. Instead of waking the passenger up, the couple claimed they moved up a few rows that were in the same class. A flight attendant reportedly approached them and asked if they were in their ticketed seats. Hohl and Maxwell explained they had moved up as to not disturb the sleeping passenger in their row and had asked for upgraded seats but were denied.
The couple claimed they then moved to their original seats but were then approached by a U.S. Marshal, who escorted them off the plane.
They were able to get on another plane the next day and arrived in Costa Rica to celebrate their wedding on Thursday. Both Hohl and Maxwell are still shocked by their treatment on the aircraft.
“We thought, ‘Not a big deal, it’s not like we are trying to jump up into a first-class seat,'” Hohl said. “We were simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat.”
United claimed that they did attempt to move into upgraded seats without permission and refused to move back when they were approached by the flight attendant.
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“These passengers repeatedly attempted to sit in upgraded seating which they did not purchase and they would not follow crew instructions to return to their assigned seats,” a spokesperson said.
According to United, the couple tried to move into Economy Plus seats and no police or U.S. Marshals were involved in the incident.
The news comes just days after Dr. David Dao was dragged, injured and bloodied off a plane in Chicago. Dr. Dao was reportedly selected at random to be removed from the plane and was forcibly dragged off when he refused to give up his seat.
He now plans to sue United.
