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Spirit Airlines makes embarrassed passenger downsize from two seats to one

Posted at 10:06 PM, Jun 23, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-24 13:59:06-04

He was just trying to be courteous. But a man flying out of McCarran says Spirit Airlines treated him rudely.

Joey Cordova bought two seats so he and the passengers around him could feel comfortable. But even though he paid for two seats, Cordova said, Spirit Airlines made him downsize to one, making for one very uncomfortable flight.

“Embarrassed you know, actually embarrassed,” Cordova said.

Cordova didn’t bet on the embarrassment he says he suffered on his flight from Las Vegas to Denver.

“I was asking him how his trip was. You could just tell, humiliated,” said Cordova’s friend, Scott Tenorio.

That’s exactly what Cordova planned to avoid.

“It backfired,” Tenorio said.

Cordova bought two seats on a recent Spirit Airlines flight so he could comfortable. “I am a big person, and I know one seat wouldn’t fit for me,” Cordova said.

“I even called and asked for a seatbelt extender. That’s how proactive we were trying to be,” said Tenorio.

The flight was overbooked. Cordova didn’t want to get bumped to a later departure. Instead, Cordova said, the airline forced him to change seats.

“I had told them I bought two seats (they said) we’ll take it up after, talk to them when you get off the plane,” Cordova said.

“People were just watching him and it’s almost like they look at ‘oh my god. I’ve got to sit next to that.’” Tenorio said.

Spirit Airlines issued a statement saying “we’re looking into the circumstances.  We’ve refunded Mr. Cordova for his flights and will work directly with him on making this right.