Either the flight was sold out, or it wasn't. Couldn't be both; no middle ground here.
Both the FA and pilot said it was sold out, so no other seat was or would have been available. But that's what they usually say on every flight. Speculate all you want, but no FT reader or poster can say whether that was actually true in this case. However, WN can. This is a fact important enough that they should get it right.
Similarly, either the COS passenger did reserve an extra seat ahead of time, or he didn't. Again, no middle ground. No FT reader or poster would have any way to verify this either, and it's not likely that the passenger is around to clear this up. But WN can.
Either way, it's a failure on Southwest Airlines' part. Fifty dollars sounds good.
Yes, this is a "teachable moment."
Last edited by Allan38103; Feb 8, 2017 at 11:44 am