Woman ‘stole passenger’s first-class seat because hers wouldn’t recline’

A woman has been accused of waking up a fellow first-class passenger and demanding his seat as hers wouldn’t recline.

Justin Escalona was fast asleep ahead of the 6am flight from New York to Los Angeles on Monday when he was disturbed by an unknown flier.

Justin, 27, said the passenger asked to switch seats, assuming she wanted a better view for the five-and-a-half-hour flight.

Yet after he refused, she allegedly hopped into his seat in 6A anyway and refused to move.

He said: ‘I thought she wanted a better view but no, hers won’t recline and somehow it’s my fault. She won’t get out of my seat; she’s just in it.’

Justin, who runs the streetwear brand 1340 COLLECTIVE, filmed the moment he told the American Airlines flier that she was ‘crazy’.

She stared at Justin for several seconds in silence before sighing and saying, ‘I’m going to UCLA,’ referring to the University of California.

‘I went to USC, so that makes it even worse,’ Escalona joked about the University of Southern California, a private research university.

‘You’re holding up the entire flight. You’ve got to get out of my seat.’

After turning the camera around to show rubber-necked passengers listening in on their squabble, the woman says Justin was ‘moved’.

The footage cuts to show her grabbing her bag to move, ending with Justin sitting back in his seat.

Despite the exchange, the flight departed on time and arrived at Los Angeles at just after 9am, according to aviation tracker FlightRadar24.

Justin shared the footage on his Instagram account, captioning it as ‘fighting a Kren in first-class’.

He said in a comment that he was only flying in first class as he was upgraded for free, while the woman had paid for her seat in 3F.

Justin said the woman ‘bolted’ into his seat without thanking him for agreeing to swap seats.

‘Even if she was polite about it maybe I would’ve said whatever just take it I’m feeling nice. Sadly not the case,’ he added.

‘Also shout-out to the random passenger in first (not shown in this vid that came up to me saying, “Are you really not going to trade with her? You’re a dick”.

‘Yet… He didn’t offer to trade her either lol.’

American Airlines and Justin Escalona have been approached for comment.

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