At least he had a seat!
Three years ago I boarded a KLM flight AMS – JFK to find there was no seat cushion at all, just an empty metal frame. I immediately pointed this out to the Cabin Crew, and yes, in my mind there were thoughts of an upgrade, as economy was filling up around me.
However, after a short wait a technician appeared who fitted a seat cushion into the frame. Ah well.