Frequent flyers enjoy a wide range of benefits, including free checked bags, dedicated lines at the check-in counter, and if they’re lucky, free seats in first class.
So, recently, a passenger was delighted to learn that they’d received a complimentary upgrade to first class.
According to a Reddit post, the individual, who holds elite 1K status with United Airlines, received notice that they had been upgraded from seat 15B in coach to seat 2A in first class. Good news!
They placed their suitcase in the overhead bin, put their electronics in the seatback pocket, and stashed their backpack underneath the seat in front of them. They were just getting comfortable when a female passenger boarded the plane.
Things went wrong pretty quickly
The passenger put his belongings in the bin
(aapsky via Getty Images)
The woman immediately confronted a flight attendant, claiming the individual was in her seat. To their surprise, the flight attendant addressed them, not the accuser, demanding to see their boarding pass.
They promptly presented it, clearly showing 2A as their assigned seat for the flight. According to the post, when the flight attendant saw it, she stated that there must have been a glitch with the upgrade and instructed them to proceed to their original seat.
Feeling embarrassed, the individual gathered their belongings and headed back to 15B, repeating the process of settling in. A few moments later, another woman approached them, calling over a different flight attendant, also claiming they were in her seat.
This flight attendant, too, demanded to see the individual’s boarding pass, which, naturally, still read “seat 2A.” At that point, the flight attendant told them to vacate seat 15B.
The walk of shame
A suitcase in the aisle of a plane
(ozgurcankaya via Getty Images)
The individual once again went through the humiliating process of gathering their belongings, even though they weren’t sure where to go. The flight attendant told them to wait at the back of the plane, leaving the individual to feel as if they were standing there like they were in detention.
After everyone had boarded, the flight crew finally asked the woman in 2A to display her boarding pass.
The mystery is solved
The woman in 2A finally displayed her boarding pass, and it turned out she was on the wrong flight. The woman was asked to leave, and the passenger was able to take their rightful place in 2A. However, at that point, all the space in the overhead bin was taken, so they had to walk to the back of the plane once again to find room for their belongings.
The individual said they remained calm and polite throughout the ordeal, but now they’re wondering if they should report the incident to the FAA, citing potential safety concerns.
It’s happened before
An airplane wing in flight
(Ostrovyi Oleksii via Getty Images)
Although passengers are supposed to scan their boarding pass before entering a plane, sometimes things fall through the cracks. In 2024, a man followed a family onto a Delta plane after stalking them through the airport. He was only detected because the family sounded the alarm.
Last month, an elderly passenger made the news when she flew to the wrong country after boarding the incorrect flight in Copenhagen.
Still, such incidents are rare. And most of the time, they are the byproduct of an innocent mistake. It’s a good reminder that if someone says you’re in the wrong seat, you don’t have to take their word for it. Ask a flight attendant to check their boarding pass, because they might be on the wrong flight.