A passenger flying Avianca from LA to Bogota created a scene by refusing to leave the plane. The flight crew insisted they were double-booked, leading to a heated argument with the crew that lasted for an hour. The entire ordeal was filmed and became a viral sensation.
"Don't be disrespectful, is my money worthless?" declared the unnamed flyer during the confrontation.
See the viral video here:
The passenger claimed to have bought their ticket well in advance (3 months prior), but the flight attendants explained the flight was overbooked and had no remaining seats. Despite being told to leave the plane, Columbian media reports indicate the passenger wouldn't budge.
Captured on video, the passenger's frustration boils over as they engage in a heated debate with the cabin crew. His emphatic hand movements underline their strong feelings about being treated unjustly.
Don't give me bad options, I need to get there," he insisted, asserting his profession by adding, "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! It seems disrespectful to me that you would sell something you don't have," he stated.
After noticing the camera, he said, "And film what you want, I hope I become famous."
As tempers flared, flight attendants issued a warning about calling the police. The passenger, however, wearing a white shirt, showed no signs of backing down. He even went so far as to yell that he wanted the prosecutor's office there so he could "file a report."
He argued, "You can't be playing with people's plans."
This caused the man to voluntarily leave the plane out of coherent concern for the passengers indoors. The other travellers clapped as he left.
In Colombia, the selling of flight tickets is regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority. According to regulations, the airline should have offered the affected passenger an alternative way to reach their destination on the same date and via the same route. If that was not possible, they were required to compensate him for a minimum of 30% of the ticket's value, the New York Post reported.
The situation escalated further when the man exclaimed, "You can't be playing with people's plans!" However, despite his initial defiance, the video appears to show the passenger ultimately choosing to leave the plane, seemingly out of consideration for the other passengers who were likely growing impatient with the delay. His exit was met with applause from his fellow travellers.
