Passenger Removed From Flight After Seat Sold To Family Despite Three Months Earlier Purchase

A passenger was justifiably upset after getting on his flight only to find that his seat, which he had reserved three months prior, had been assigned to someone else.

The Colombian lawyer was infuriated to realize that there was no space for him on the aircraft.

He then found himself in a prolonged, heated argument with the cabin crew that lasted almost an hour.

This man, identified as Juan Manuel, was trying to fly from Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, to Los Angeles in the US. 

Juan Manuel wasn't happy when his pre-booked seat wasn't available. Jam Press

During this process, the flight attendants informed him that his seat was taken.

Captured on video by another passenger and widely shared online, Manuel confronted the staff of Avianca, the largest airline in Colombia:

"Don't be disrespectful, is my money worthless? Don't give me bad options, I need to get there. 

"I'm a lawyer, you should respect me. I paid for it, they deducted it from my card, you haven’t given me anything, it wasn’t a favour!"

He also stated: "It seems disrespectful to me that you would sell something you don't have.

"And film what you want, I hope I become famous."

As he refused to disembark, the cabin crew threatened to involve law enforcement.

It's believed that the disgruntled passenger eventually made it to the US. Jam Press

In response, Manuel asserted: "Good, I hope the prosecutor’s office comes because I want to file a report.

"You can’t be playing with people’s plans."

Ultimately, out of consideration for his fellow passengers, he chose to exit the aircraft.

His departure was met with applause from the other passengers.

The person who recorded the incident noted that the police never showed up and that Manuel left the plane voluntarily.

In Colombia, the Civil Aviation Authority oversees the sale of flight tickets.

Yet, according to the Colombian Aeronautical Regulations (RAC), the airline is required to offer passengers affected by such issues an alternative to reach their final destination on the same date along the same route.

Should an agreement not be reached, the airline is obligated to compensate the affected passenger with at least 30 percent of the ticket's cost.

However, as reported by Mail Online, Manuel received a food voucher worth 26,000 Colombian pesos (just over $6) and an $80 flight voucher instead.

The airline managed to book him on a flight to Miami, with a subsequent connection to Chicago.

After enduring a five-hour layover in Chicago, he was finally on a plane to Los Angeles, where he arrived at about 10 pm local time.