American Airlines passenger accused of stealing fellow first class traveler’s seat because hers was broken - New York Post

What the report says

The New York Post reported that a dispute over a first-class seat on an American Airlines flight from New York City to Los Angeles drew wide attention after passenger Justin Escalona posted video of the encounter on Instagram. According to the Post, Escalona said the incident happened Monday aboard AA flight 171, where he had been assigned seat 6A after receiving an upgrade.

Escalona, 27, said he was asleep when another passenger asked to switch seats because her own first-class seat allegedly would not recline. He said he declined after learning the reason, and later wrote on Instagram that the woman had moved into his assigned seat and would not immediately leave. The Post reported that the woman was seen in the video seated in Escalona’s place while he told her his boarding pass listed 6A and said hers showed 3F.

The report said the woman claimed Escalona’s seat had been reassigned and suggested he should move because he had not paid directly for the first-class seat. Escalona disputed that, saying he received the upgrade through American’s AAdvantage Executive Platinum status, and the Post said he showed a boarding screenshot to support his account.

The video, which the Post said had drawn nearly five million views, ended after the woman began collecting her belongings, and Escalona was able to return to the seat. The Post said it contacted American Airlines for comment. The account remains based on Escalona’s allegations and video as described by the publisher; the airline’s response was not included in the supplied report.