Couple Headed To Costa Rica For Wedding Forced To Leave United Flight In Houston

HOUSTON, TX — A bride and groom headed to Costa Rica for their wedding were made to leave a United flight at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport on Saturday when they reportedly sat in seats that were not assigned to them.

The couple was flying to Costa Rica from Utah along with some friends and had a layover in Houston. According to KHOU, when they boarded the flight in Houston, they found a man spread out and sleeping in the row where they had been assigned seats and so they decided to sit three rows up, not thinking much of it as the flight had many empty seats.

When a flight attendant asked them if they were in their ticketed seats, they explained the situation and asked if they could get an upgrade but were told to return to their assigned seats. The couple told KHOU they complied and after doing so a U.S. Marshall came on board and asked them to get off.

United Airlines, however, says the pair repeatedly attempted to sit in upgraded seating they did not pay for and did not follow crew instructions to return to their assigned seats.

"They were asked to leave the plane by our staff and complied," an airline spokeswoman said in an emailed statement Sunday. "We offered them a discounted hotel rate for last evening and rebooked them on a flight this morning."

The couple's wedding is still planned for Thursday.

The incident comes as United is embroiled in a public relations nightmare after a man was aggressively dragged off a plane and left bloodied when he refused to give up his seat for a crew member. The passenger, Dr. David Dao, suffered a "significant concussion," a broken nose that will require reconstructive surgery, two lost teeth and other injuries, according to his lawyer, who added that a civil lawsuit is likely. Since then, the airline has implemented an updated policy requiring crew members to be booked 60 minutes prior to departure.

>>>How United Passenger's Physical Nightmare Became Airline's PR Nightmare And What's Next

In another incident last Sunday, a passenger traveling from Houston to Canada was reportedly stung by a scorpion that fell from an overhead bin and landed on his head. All this comes as the airline took a major beating in March when two girls, who were "pass travelers" and subject to a certain dress code as a result, were denied boarding for wearing jeggings.

Joe Vince contributed to this report

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