Medical student claims forced removal from Frontier flight led to missed wedding

A passenger on Frontier Airlines flight 1449 from Atlanta to Denver on Saturday evening reported being removed from the aircraft after boarding to make room for staff. The medical student stated she was "threatened with arrest" if she did not relinquish her seat, resulting in her missing the wedding she was traveling to attend. The flight subsequently experienced a delay of approximately 40 minutes before departing without her.

The passenger described the gate staff as unhelpful and dismissive, refusing to rebook her on any flight that would arrive before the wedding and declining to provide hotel accommodations or compensation. She eventually rebooked herself on a Sunday morning Delta flight but still missed the event due to Delta's operational issues.

Frontier Airlines reportedly used a smaller aircraft than initially planned, leading to fewer available seats. In such cases, the airline is not obligated to provide involuntary denied boarding compensation. However, regulations stipulate that once a passenger has boarded or been accepted for boarding, they cannot be required to deplane unless necessary for safety, security, health reasons, or due to unlawful behavior.