Originally Posted by AerMail

I booked a premium seat FAO to DUB in a wide body long haul A330 - so basically you pay an extra €90 to sit in a business class seat but without the business class meals etc. Booked 6 months in advance and opted for the throne seat 5K.

Unusually for me, I checked in the morning of the flight so kind of late.

When I arrived at the check-in I was handed seat 29 something, economy directly in front of the toilet.

I was told they had to move me to "accommodate a family" and that the flight was overbooked by 3 people.

Completely confused but wanting to go home I took the ticket.

To be fair to Aer Lingus when I called the Platinum Aer Club help desk they refunded my €90 over the phone.

As I boarded I said it to the steward and he said he couldn't do anything, but he'd come find me when everyone had boarded.

When I got in my toilet adjacent seat, I talked to another steward who was equally confused and took my phone with Aer Lingus app and old 5k ticket on it to show her colleagues. Said as a Platinum customer and having paid for the seat I'd be the last person they should move around.

20 mins later, one of the ground staff (not Aer Lingus) came and got me and led me to 5k.

Air steward came over to me and said the seat had never been occupied and asked what the ground staff had said to me about moving me out of my seat.

I explained they said they had to move me to "accommodate a family" (odd because 5k is a solo seat).

And so ended the most bizarre game of musical chairs.

But had I not spoken up to the Aer Lingus staff on the plane I'd be sitting at the toilet and 5k would be empty.