That flight departed with an unserviceable aeroplane. They SHOULD have delayed the flight and fixed the seat or made alternative arrangements for him, but to depart with him in a stuffed seat is unforgivable.
The MEL usually says lock seat in the upright position and depending on what has failed the seat may or may not be occupied, but it is NEVER ok to go with it (a) unresolved by fixing it or applying a MEL and (b) occupied when they know it is stuffed!
It would be interesting to see if the Capt knew because if he/she did what does that say about the safety culture of the organisation.
I know it is off topic, but frankly it is a big issue and if that is the culture of the airline even 369 bucks is too much to pay as they will try and kill you at some point
Last edited by Snakecharma; 15th Aug 2016 at 07:03.