VIDEO: Avianca passenger denied boarding due to double booking

A frustrated traveller on an Avianca flight from Los Angeles to Bogotá caused a delay after claiming he had a confirmed reservation but was denied boarding due to a double booking.

The viral video making rounds on social media shows the passenger's hour-long standoff with the flight crew.

“Don’t be disrespectful, is my money worthless?” said the unnamed flyer during the confrontation with the flight crew.

The flyer reportedly purchased his ticket three months in advance, however, flight attendants informed him that the flight was oversold, leaving no seats available for him.

Regardless of being asked to deplane, the flyer refused, according to the Columbian media.

The clearly upset passenger launched into a heated argument with the flight attendants. He felt he was being treated unfairly and demanded, "Stop offering me lousy alternatives, I have to be on that flight!" In an attempt to gain leverage, he declared, "I'm a lawyer, you should show me some respect."

“I paid for it, they deducted it from my card, you haven’t given me anything, it wasn’t a favour! It seems disrespectful to me that you would sell something you don’t have,” he stated.

As he noticed the camera, he rebelliously said, “And film what you want, I hope I become famous.”

Tension escalated as the flight attendants, faced with the man's disobedience, warned they'd call the police.

The passenger shouted back that he welcomed their arrival. "Bring them on," he yelled, "I'll file a report myself!"

He argued, “You can’t be playing with people’s plans.”

This caused the man to voluntarily leave the plane out of logical concern for the passengers indoors. The other travellers clapped as he left.

In Colombia, the selling of flight tickets is regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority.

According to regulations, the airline should have offered the affected passenger an alternative way to reach their destination on the same date and via the same route.

If the airline couldn't get him on another flight to Bogotá that same day, they were obligated to compensate him at least 30% of his ticket price.

(With inputs from agencies)