Originally Posted by
Lioneye
I can't believe the vitriol directed towards this family.
As someone said, the fault here lies with BA for selling seats twice.
This scam should be illegal and the airline prosecuted.
Imagine you bought something on the net - went to the shop to get it and someone had beat you to it because the vendor sold it multiple times and gave it to whoever turned up first. If you then moaned the vendor said "It would have been a bit dearer if I had sold it properly."
This family - probably not frequent flyers - deserve a bit more sympathy here.
Your argument doesn't stand. For starters, it's not a scam. Secondly, does (in your analogy) the shopkeeper then ensure you receive your goods either later in the day or the next, along with compensation?
Like it or not, overbooking is used by airlines all over the world, usually with excellent results for all parties involved.