An American Airlines passenger recently claimed that his girlfriend was forced to give up her first-class seat so that a pilot could take it instead. The incident was shared by the man in a post on X. According to him, a gate agent had upgraded the couple to first class, but then informed them that the girlfriend’s seat was broken and she had to move to the back of the plane. Subsequently, the man noticed a pilot settling into the seat that was supposedly broken. The man expressed his frustration in his post, calling out the airline for their actions.
A video accompanying the post showed a man wearing what appeared to be a pilot’s uniform sitting in the first-class seat. However, details such as the date, origin, and destination of the flight remain unclear. American Airlines and the passenger, Jake Williams, did not respond to requests for comment. However, a customer service representative did comment on Williams’ post, expressing a desire to investigate the claim further.
It is worth noting that sometimes off-duty pilots are seated among other passengers when they are “deadheading,” which means they are being paid to fly to another location for work but are not actively working. In August, it was reported that American Airlines pilots are given first-class priority due to a new union contract, unlike employees of other airlines who typically sit in economy while deadheading.
This incident is not the first of its kind this year. In a similar incident in September, a 78-year-old man flying with Qantas was downgraded from first class to economy to accommodate an off-duty pilot. Qantas stated that their enterprise agreement requires pilots flying to another city to be provided with a seat in business class.
Overall, the incident involving the American Airlines passenger and his girlfriend highlights the frustrations that can arise when passengers are unexpectedly moved or downgraded from their assigned seats, particularly when it appears that airline employees are given priority.
