I flew today on a QUP fare from UA, codeshared onto US metal. That is a discounted F ticket.

Prior to even closing the door, the guy in the seat ahead of me complained to the FA that his seat wasn't working, it wouldn't come up all the way and was reclined about 1/3 of the way. The FA said it wasn't an issue and because we were late, they would worry about it at our destination (PHX).

While taking off the seat broke completely, the guy came flying back onto my lap - not just a normal recline but almost a lie flat seat. We were about 30 sec off the runway when this happened. I call the FA, he comes over goes "oh ...." and then heads to the front. A discussion with the Captain indicated they had no manuals or instructions on how to fix the seat. The PAX in it, grabbed some seat belt extenders and tied it up, again about 1/3 of the way. The alternative was to head back to CLT and let maintenance look at it, but the crew didn't want to as we were already late. :rolleyes:

To help with pressure on the back of the seat, they put an infant in the seat, in a car seat and we kept on going. Over the course of the flight it slowly reclined more so that it was about 1/2 of the way down by the time we got to PHX. I couldn't use my laptop and getting my tray open was also a bit of a challenge. The in-charge kept apologising but could do nothing seat wise as it was full (they bumped 5 people for the flight).

The manager at PHX met me at the gate, apologised and then talked to both the FA and myself about the problem. She documented it in the log and he said he would document it with customer service and I should follow up with them for some form of compensation (all he could offer was an upgrade to F on my return flight... um I am already in F).

What should I ask for here? The FA and incharge went out of their way to be supportive, friendly, providing the best service they could but they certainly couldn't have fixed the seat. Clearly we should have returned to the gate in CLT but that didn't happen.

Thoughts before I contact CS?

(oh yeah I am not a Dividend Miles member but *G through bmi)

If safety was not an issue, they are not going to turn it around for something like this.

I'd reference the flight, the manager that met you, and the record and indicate you want a voucher equal to the cost of the one-way segment. You won't get it, but you might get something.

If safety was not an issue, they are not going to turn it around for something like this.

I'd reference the flight, the manager that met you, and the record and indicate you want a voucher equal to the cost of the one-way segment. You won't get it, but you might get something.

You'll definitely get something....

That does royally suck however.

If it wasn't a safety issue, I certainly don't think that you should expect the airline to massively inconvenience 167 other passengers, many of whom undoubtedly had connections at PHX, because of a single broken seatback.

Certainly I think you should apply for some sort of compensation for the inconvenience to you - but if you had returned to the gate, there's no particular way to be sure they'd have been able to fix the seat there. If it couldn't be fixed, the seat would have been inoped and they'd have to bump another person off the plane. That means you'd go out *even later* - throwing off the whole downline schedule for the aircraft.

If it's not a safety issue, then why are you not allowed to recline during takeoff and landing? I thought it was in case you had to exit your seat quickly in an emergency.

If it's not a safety issue, then why are you not allowed to recline during takeoff and landing? I thought it was in case you had to exit your seat quickly in an emergency.

I'd imagine the reasoning there to be that, if everyone were allowed to recline, there would be safety issues as no-one behind an aisle seat would have quick access to the aisle. The captain seems to have decided that one single seat with a recline problem does not impact on the flight's overall safety, provided that the seat involved is monitored by an FA who is aware of the problem... just a thought.

Since you are not a DM member and from outside US I think they will give something like 5 000 miles, let us know about the outcome.

IANA pilot or FA, but from everything I've read, departing with a non-functioning seat that blocks egress of a seated passenger is a violation of FAA safety regulations. I seem to recall several threads documenting this fact. Any pilots/FA's/folks-who-know-what-they're-talking-about care to chime in?

Maybe they will refund your $138.10 ? :D

Maybe they will refund your $138.10 ? :D

Sorry, I paid more than $138.10 :rolleyes:

I am going to contact cust service and see what they are willing to do. If they offer nothing, I will let them know I am filing a complaint with the FAA. As a non-dividend miles collector, miles in that program are useless to me.

Is a voucher unreasonable here ($$ or flight??)

Sorry, I paid more than $138.10 :rolleyes:

I am going to contact cust service and see what they are willing to do. If they offer nothing, I will let them know I am filing a complaint with the FAA. As a non-dividend miles collector, miles in that program are useless to me.

Is a voucher unreasonable here ($$ or flight??)

I guess I don't understand... Although I personally *hate* people in front of me reclining their seats (and never recline mine), it is their right. If it was a person in the seat, reclining the whole trip, would that be compensable as well?

I'm not qualified to speak to the "on takeoff or landing" issue.

The seat was reclined far beyond what a normal seat reclines. First it smashed into my knees at take-off, then after being tied up with seat belt extenders, it slowly creeped back over the 4 hrs to the point where it was a much greater recline than normal.

The seat next to to this broken one was reclined all the way and the one in front of me was at least 6" further reclined.

In some ways I am saddened with people thinking there is nothing wrong with this scenario. Apart from the safety aspect, clearly standards for US carriers (at least US Airways) is way lower than what I would expect. The guys in coach had more room than me...

I guess I don't understand... Although I personally *hate* people in front of me reclining their seats (and never recline mine), it is their right. If it was a person in the seat, reclining the whole trip, would that be compensable as well?

I'm not qualified to speak to the "on takeoff or landing" issue.

The issue isn't it reclining beyond a normal level.. the issue is that it snapped off its rocker (literally) and was leaning with a 100degree recline.

I don't think this would be an issue if it was 3 degrees off the normal incline but the fact is that it was basically in the lap and needed to be tied up to maintain a respectable posture.

Compensation? I have no idea - I never fly US so I don't really know what is reasonable for a situation like this, but some would be due, IMO, due to the lost productivity and overall lack of comfort.

This is a major safety issue. In actuality, the crew should have returned to the gate for this problem. As said, the flight was running late and , obviously , no one wanted to deal with the situation. I find it interesting the station manager would meet your flight. This 'means' US is in the wrong and is just doing hospitality to appease you.

I would, first, file a formal complaint to US, but mention all aspects of this flight. If you are not happy with your response, i would seriously compain to the FAA. This is a safety issue.

I formerly was a flight attendant with an airline for eight years. I had similiar problems and we returned to the gate.

First it smashed into my knees at take-off...

i agree with you (and, it appears, with most of the posters here) that you're entitled to compensation for your uncomfortable flight.

however, i am not inclinced to believe that anyone's safety was jeopardized here. i understand that you're not supposed to recline during takeoff and landing, but i've never heard a reasonable explanation for this (nor have i heard a reasonable explanation for why window shades must be up on takeoff and landing either). in my estimation, "for your safety" is a bu11$hit copout that is used ad nauseam in the airline industry to justify rules that appear to most reasonable people to exist only for the sake of having rules. the only better example out there is "for security purposes".

my two cents here, since you're asking for advice, is this: avoid verbs like "smashed". no doubt you were inconvienced, it might have even hurt a bit (though to be honest, i doubt it). but c'mon, you were hardly hobbled as a result. you sound a bit like the soft-neck-brace-wearing complainant in a frivolous personal injury lawsuit, don't you?

by all means, complain. state your case factually, and offer a reasonable proposal for compensation. us airways (or anyone, for that matter) is a lot more likely to respond favorably to that approach than to a drama queen who appears to want them to believe his legs were "smashed" by an improperly-reclining seat, right?

The seatbacks are required to be upright because it's hard enough to get out of the narrow rows. Having a seat reclined makes it harder.

Window shades are supposed to be open because in case of a crash the flight crew needs to asses the outside conditions. Takeoff and landing are the most likely times this is needed.

As for the seat, it wasn't just "reclined" it was broken. The seatback is required take a certain amount of force without collapsing, and obviously this seat didn't meet the standard. The correct action would have been to return and offload one more person. Even if you're going to chance not have a crash, the seatback could flap around in heavy turbulance, seriously injuring the person behind it.

Delays? Sure, but that's what you get for having safety rules. I was on a 6 hour trip to nowhere last week due to a mechanical issue and arrived 24 hours late. Obviously I would have rather arrived on time, but I'd also rather not need an airport right away while over the north Atlantic.

Personally I don't see how the experience described adds up to a "horrid" flight. Inconvenient yes, uncomfortable maybe, but I guess I missed the "horrid" part.

Sometimes, 'stuff' really does happen. It sounds like the airline did their best in a bad situation. If it were me, I think I'd prefer to keep going instead of returning to the gate and dealing with the delays, etc.

Compensation? Speaking for myself, I don't believe that a person is entitled to compensation for every little thing that goes wrong. But I'd be interested to hear what the OP thinks would be fair compensation.

Sorry, I paid more than $138.10 :rolleyes:

Is a voucher unreasonable here ($$ or flight??)
It is unreasonable because you did get transportation to PHX.
It is an FAA regulation that seatbacks must be in their fully upright position for take-off, taxi, and landing for unobstructed egress to the center aisle. This issue was skirted and had to have been okayed by the captain.
If you had returned to the gate, it would have been a lenghthy delay to fix or unbolt and replace the whole seat ( if there was one available).
The other option would be to remove all the passengers in the row behind the affected seat (that might mean you).
Since you said that the service was okay, are you saying that you think that it was a poor judgement call, and that the plane should have returned?
That you would have rathered been really delayed to enforce the seatback rule?

but c'mon, you were hardly hobbled as a result. you sound a bit like the soft-neck-brace-wearing complainant in a frivolous personal injury lawsuit, don't you?

Actually I am just the opposite - never filed a personal injury lawsuit and hopefully never will. My theory has always been turn the other cheek (but then again I am a Minister and that is what we do)

As for my thoughts on compensation, the incharge indicated I should be comped a roundtrip on US, that seemed a tad high to me so I thought I would ask. Next time I won't bother to solicit the opinions of folks in this forum.

Good luck all flying your broken airplanes.

but c'mon, you were hardly hobbled as a result. you sound a bit like the soft-neck-brace-wearing complainant in a frivolous personal injury lawsuit, don't you?

by all means, complain. state your case factually, and offer a reasonable proposal for compensation. us airways (or anyone, for that matter) is a lot more likely to respond favorably to that approach than to a drama queen who appears to want them to believe his legs were "smashed" by an improperly-reclining seat, right?


LOL :D

delete

Next time I won't bother to solicit the opinions of folks in this forum.



Seems to be a certain type of flyertalker nowadays who HAS to be combattive and snide when it comes to resolving this type of issue, doesn't it.

Forgetting the request for compensation for a bit, if any of us had to deal with the "mostly reclined" seat for 4 hours they would certainly find it worthy of note.

That the airline is responsible for the functionality of it's equipment is a fact.

And this particular piece of equipment was clearly broken, to the significant detriment of this passenger.

We should take the OP's question at face value. What should be the compensation for having to deal with a seat virtually "in your lap" for a 4 hour flight?

It's not necessary to debate whether it happened at all, whether it was horrid, whether the OP was trying to get something he didn't deserve, or rany other aspect of the OP's particular experience.

If you cut away all that part, and get back to the core issue, the OP was (to my mind) trying to get a feel for what other "frequent" fliers would think would be a fair compensation (and even, what other frequent fliers might have gotten in similar circumstances), so he can pursue US Air from a position of strength.

Rita

Actually I am just the opposite - never filed a personal injury lawsuit and hopefully never will. My theory has always been turn the other cheek (but then again I am a Minister and that is what we do)

As for my thoughts on compensation, the incharge indicated I should be comped a roundtrip on US, that seemed a tad high to me so I thought I would ask. Next time I won't bother to solicit the opinions of folks in this forum.

Good luck all flying your broken airplanes.

I agree with you on a few things.

Number one : It may seem *TACKY* to ask however for a situation like that - darnit, ASK.

Number two: Those who act all 'holier than thou' probably would act the same way. You're just being honest about it.

Number three: Companies are paying people to surf the internet and leave messages that "muddy the waters" on complaints in casual forums like this one. It's called "STEALTH MARKETING." I had two horrible experiences with Best Buy.com this year and left details on the experiences on several electronics web sites. There were several posters offering all kinds of excuses and appearing angry at me for expecting decent customer service and having a broken Nintendo DS exchanged 4 days after I bought it. Don't be surprised if when you leave negative feedback about a company people show up posting counter-opinions that seem to purposefully muddy your complaint.

How do you tell if someone's offering an honest counter-opinion or if there is stealth marketing going on? No way to be sure unless the counter-opinion is stretched so far to the point of ridiculousness that it's quite obvious as my Best Buy.com experience.

Actually I am just the opposite - never filed a personal injury lawsuit and hopefully never will. My theory has always been turn the other cheek (but then again I am a Minister and that is what we do)

As for my thoughts on compensation, the incharge indicated I should be comped a roundtrip on US, that seemed a tad high to me so I thought I would ask. Next time I won't bother to solicit the opinions of folks in this forum.

Good luck all flying your broken airplanes.

You always turn the other cheek?? ROFL...Oh come on, I know you better than that! ;)

Sorry to hear about your poor experience. In all the 60+ US segments I've flown this past year, I've never been on any with broken seats. It's safe to say "Broken airplanes" is not the norm on US. Dirty yes, but definitely not broken :) You should contact customer relations and mention what the incharge indicated. If they're willing to offer a free ticket, I say go for it! There are several ways to contact them - they're listed here (http://www.usairways.com/awa/content/contact/customer_relations.aspx). Please let us know how they respond.

I'm curious...why did you choose US metal for a QUPUA ticket? I recently flew on one for ANC-BUF and I made sure all segments were UA mainline. It just seems like a waste. First class on US is only ideal for upgrades!

MapleLeaf,
I do believe you are entitled to some comp, though a full ticket seems like a lot if that's what they offered. Too bad they don't reimburse me for flights on RJs where I wind up next to the 300+ pound person that spills over onto my seat so much that the armrest between our two seats can't be put down!!

Please keep us posted on how things shake out.

I have actually been in one of those seats, on numerous occasions, that just will not stay upright. Especially with the force of takeoff, next thing I know I am in full recline and we're only 100ft off the ground!

Number three: Companies are paying people to surf the internet and leave messages that "muddy the waters" on complaints in casual forums like this one. It's called "STEALTH MARKETING." I had two horrible experiences with Best Buy.com this year and left details on the experiences on several electronics web sites. There were several posters offering all kinds of excuses and appearing angry at me for expecting decent customer service and having a broken Nintendo DS exchanged 4 days after I bought it. Don't be surprised if when you leave negative feedback about a company people show up posting counter-opinions that seem to purposefully muddy your complaint.

How do you tell if someone's offering an honest counter-opinion or if there is stealth marketing going on? No way to be sure unless the counter-opinion is stretched so far to the point of ridiculousness that it's quite obvious as my Best Buy.com experience.

I'd be SHOCKED if US was that coordinated.

Bestbuy -- I'd believe. That company seems to strive to provide horrid customer service.

Actually I am just the opposite - never filed a personal injury lawsuit and hopefully never will. My theory has always been turn the other cheek (but then again I am a Minister and that is what we do)

As for my thoughts on compensation, the incharge indicated I should be comped a roundtrip on US, that seemed a tad high to me so I thought I would ask. Next time I won't bother to solicit the opinions of folks in this forum.

Good luck all flying your broken airplanes.
Go for it.....If I had to sit for 4 hours with the passenger in front of me almost on my lap, I would have been livid....and so would anyone else on here, despite what they post on here that you should do. Go for as much as you can get....you deserve it!!

Actually I am just the opposite - never filed a personal injury lawsuit and hopefully never will. My theory has always been turn the other cheek (but then again I am a Minister and that is what we do)

As for my thoughts on compensation, the incharge indicated I should be comped a roundtrip on US, that seemed a tad high to me so I thought I would ask. Next time I won't bother to solicit the opinions of folks in this forum.

Good luck all flying your broken airplanes.

Good lord! You ask for opinions and then get all bitter when people offer them.

I suggest you write a very professional and factual letter to them about the event. I think you will get some kind of compensation. May not be a free round-trip but maybe some dollar amount voucher.

And about the whole safety issue. If it was really a threat to the safety of the flight or FAA violation the captain would have turned around and went back. I doubt he want's to risk his awesome good paying job over a broken seat. And obviously the station manager knew about it, and if it was an FAA violation the crew would have been pulled off immediately by the FAA and questioned, drug tested, etc...

I am sorry about your experience, I hope the next one is better!

To bad life isn't always perfect. Just think if it was, what would all those people in consumer affairs do? ;)

I can't believe some of the responses I have read on the thread. The OP bought a ticket in F, whether it was a discount ticket or not is irrelevant, as far as I understand service and facilities is based on the class you choose to travel in not the price you pay. US offers a first class product, which is what the OP paid for, they did not deliver the product/service that was promised. Those of you who say the OP got to where he needed to be and therefore should not be entitled to anything, seem to forget that he paid for a premium cabin and a premium experience. Regardless of the obvious safety concerns, if a similar situation happened to me I would be rightly furious, and want my money back, I hardly see how this is akin to filing "frivolous lawsuits", I think more likely there are some US stooges on FT.

Sadly I think this whole thread reflects on how little American's now expect from their airlines, that it has come down to them thinking of themselves as nothing more than self loading freight.

Is it the FAA that regulates safety in the air? Wouldn't the prospects of a letter to them get US's attention?

Certainly they could track the repair of that particular seat right after your flight as confirmation of your experience.

Yup. I'd be waving that flag around a bit.
Rita

however, i am not inclinced to believe that anyone's safety was jeopardized here.The fact that you're "not inclined to believe" doesn't change the fact that this is a violation of FAA safety regulations. Do you believe that these rules only need to be followed when the pilot is inclined to believe they are true?

i understand that you're not supposed to recline during takeoff and landing, but i've never heard a reasonable explanation for this
Would an explanation from a pilot be "reasonable" enough for you? Or do you know better?

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/columnist/getline/2004-10-25-ask-the-captain_x.htm

The fact that you're "not inclined to believe" doesn't change the fact that this is a violation of FAA safety regulations.

wow, thanks for your insightful response. i have thought all along that my opinions trumped federal regulations, but i'll now have to rethink my whole "what's the worst they can do if i don't pay all these so-called taxes" philosophy before it gets me in trouble. you wouldn't happen to have an authoritative reference from the usa today about federal tax codes for me, so i could brush up a bit?

Do you believe that these rules only need to be followed when the pilot is inclined to believe they are true?......Would an explanation from a pilot be "reasonable" enough for you?

although you seem less interested in facts than in preaching, humor me for a moment and consider the following contradiction: your "expert" pilot/columnist's explanation notwithstanding, it was the flight crew, including the pilot on the op's flight who apparently determined that your "FAA safety regulations" could be violated in the first place! apparently, someone else out there besides me considers himself above the faa and all its red tape, eh? and of all people -- who better to understand and enforce these rules other than the flight crew? you, armed with your newspaper clipping? please.... :rolleyes: at the very least, it seems to me like you and your soapbox could spend your time more constructively by aiming your contempt at the several parties involved whose irresponsible -- nay, blasphemous! -- actions demonstrated such blatant disregard for the faa's sacred principles. right?

you know, i'm pretty sure i qualified every potentially-controversial statement in my post with "in my estimation...", or "my two cents...." or whatever. you and i obviously don't share opinions; that's cool with me. i suggest only that you loosen the bowtie a few notches and pop an extra lopressor before you have your stroke there, rulesguy. and since i'm a physician, i expect that you'll take my authoritative opinions on the matter to heart. :rolleyes:

what a waste of time....

This was a very interesting discussion.
I'm going to plead the 5th as far as what is a safety issue, what is regulation, policy, and procedure; what coulda-shoulda-woulda happened.
I will say, next time you are on a flight that is delayed or returns to the gate for a mechanical issue that seems to you to be trivial, remember this thread.

"nor have i heard a reasonable explanation for why window shades must be up on takeoff and landing either"

This is to give the Crew and the passengers a bearing of what is up or down in the event of an accident upon takeoff or landing.

Does this make sense?




i agree with you (and, it appears, with most of the posters here) that you're entitled to compensation for your uncomfortable flight.

however, i am not inclinced to believe that anyone's safety was jeopardized here. i understand that you're not supposed to recline during takeoff and landing, but i've never heard a reasonable explanation for this (nor have i heard a reasonable explanation for why window shades must be up on takeoff and landing either). in my estimation, "for your safety" is a bu11$hit copout that is used ad nauseam in the airline industry to justify rules that appear to most reasonable people to exist only for the sake of having rules. the only better example out there is "for security purposes".

my two cents here, since you're asking for advice, is this: avoid verbs like "smashed". no doubt you were inconvienced, it might have even hurt a bit (though to be honest, i doubt it). but c'mon, you were hardly hobbled as a result. you sound a bit like the soft-neck-brace-wearing complainant in a frivolous personal injury lawsuit, don't you?

by all means, complain. state your case factually, and offer a reasonable proposal for compensation. us airways (or anyone, for that matter) is a lot more likely to respond favorably to that approach than to a drama queen who appears to want them to believe his legs were "smashed" by an improperly-reclining seat, right?

Ok 2.5 weeks later US has never gotten back to me on the issue. Is this normal or should I be getting on the phone and talking to someone about the problem?

Ok 2.5 weeks later US has never gotten back to me on the issue. Is this normal or should I be getting on the phone and talking to someone about the problem?

Unfortunately, this has become the norm lately. I'd call...

Well I just spoke to Customer Service. They are sending me a travel voucher for $25 towards the cost of a future flight with USAirways. When I asked the woman if that was standard compensation for an issue where they violated FAA regulations, she put me on hold for 10 minutes and came back and said her supervisor said no further compensation could be offered because I was not permanently injured.

I politely thanked the woman for her time and let her know that my next step is to report it to the FAA. Then hung up.

Anyone want a $25 US voucher? I can honestly say that if they take safety issues this lightly, I won't ever step on their planes again.

I'd be SHOCKED if US was that coordinated.

Bestbuy -- I'd believe. That company seems to strive to provide horrid customer service.


I think Best Buy invented it... they must be training others...

I can honestly say that if they take safety issues this lightly, I won't ever step on their planes again.
First, I hope and believe that this was an exception.

Having said that, the plane shouldn't have left the gate unless the seatback would lock in the upright position. It should have been fixed or placed on the MEL (making it unusable and assuming that it would remain upright with no one in it). Period. End of story. Finito.

The F/A screwed up by 1- not knowing it was a problem, and 2- not informing the pilots in a timely manner (before leaving the gate). I would hope and certainly expect that the front end crew would have known that a broken seatback was indeed "a big deal".

Jim

Nice to see the FAA is taking this matter seriously. Someone called me from there this a.m.

We spoke for close to 20 minutes, asking detailed questions about the flight, clarifying points in my letter etc. She asked me to expand on some key issues in my initial letter and send it to her as a addendum.

What she found most interesting is that the PAX knew about using the seat belt extenders as a way to fix the seat, not the FA. Apparently that is a workaround suggested by the seat manufacturers and is generally not known by anyone outside of the airline industry.

Bottom line a formal complaint has been lodged and a request is being sent to US Airways for their side of the story, names of the crew involved, detailed maintenance logs etc. All because US Airways decided that this issue wasn't serious enough.

Good job FAA ^

(oh yeah, they also asked if I would be willing to testify in court if it came down to it - of course I said yes) (note to self, if/when testify wear clerical collar... harder to call someone a liar when dressed in clerical outfit :D)

(note to self, if/when testify wear clerical collar... harder to call someone a liar when dressed in clerical outfit :D)

Oh, you're so funny. I love it. Give 'em the full treatment.

Great good luck. Make 'em pay. I'd settle for lifetime First Class seat (s) (2 if you want them) on any flight to any where guaranteed.

But then, I'm just greedy.

Rita

Well I just spoke to Customer Service. They are sending me a travel voucher for $25 towards the cost of a future flight with USAirways. When I asked the woman if that was standard compensation for an issue where they violated FAA regulations, she put me on hold for 10 minutes and came back and said her supervisor said no further compensation could be offered because I was not permanently injured.

I politely thanked the woman for her time and let her know that my next step is to report it to the FAA. Then hung up.

Anyone want a $25 US voucher? I can honestly say that if they take safety issues this lightly, I won't ever step on their planes again.


They just gave me a $75 voucher for losing my bag for 6 hours.
So, I guess your inconvenience = 2 hours of a lost bag.

I was once on a Delta plane that pissed fuel out of the overwing fuel port for 6 hours and called the FAA. The crewmember (engineer) in flight informed me that they had been "watching" that problem!!!! So apparantly he took off knowing it leaked

Cheers

Well today I received a call from the Executive Offices; I had sent a copy of my FAA complaint to Mr. Parker. US is refunding me the value of my ticket in vouchers for use on USAirways.

The woman who called also clarified a few details of the incident and wanted to know if I specifically spoke with the Captain of the flight. Apparently the logs indicate that the flight should have been turned around but there is no notation as to why it was not.

MapleLeaf,

Thanks for pushing that all the way to the top of the chain. There are very clear FAA regulations concerning mechanical problems prior to leaving the gate - in your case with the seat it should have either been fixed or placarded as inoperative (move the affected passenger or remove someone from the flight if there was no other empty seat).

Hopefully your "pushing" will ensure that something like this doesn't happen again.

Jim

Very glad that you were finally able to receive appropriate compensation. Whoever offered you that $25 voucher should be fired!

That's excellent. $25 for a paid F fare is absolutely ridiculous.
Hopefully they won't allow this to happen again, the FAA, and especially the DOT, cc'd to the CEO are very effective.