Flight diverted after row over seat locking device
A flight was diverted and two passengers were kicked off after one of them started a row by using a banned device to stop the seat in front from reclining.
The fight started when a male sitting in the middle of a row attached a Knee Defender lock to the seat in front to prevent a woman from putting it into a recline position while he was working on his laptop, said the Guardian.
An attendant on the United Airlines flight 1462 asked him to remove the device but he refused, so the woman in front threw a cup of water at him, according to officials.
When the row escalated, the pilot decided to divert the flight from Newark to Denver to Chicago O’Hare airport, where it was met by policy and security officers who spoke to the two passengers, both aged 48.
The US Transportation Security Agency said it was ‘a customer service issue’ and no arrests were made. The flight continued to Denver without the pair, arriving an hour and 38 minutes late, according to the airline’s website.
Both passengers had been sitting in United’s ‘economy plus’ section, which advertises four more inches of legroom than standard economy.
The Federal Aviation Administration leaves it up to individual airlines to set rules about the device. United Airlines says it prohibits its use, like all major US airlines.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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