MAKING IT RIGHT

United Airlines ‘Sorry’ After Passenger Says It Gave Her Seat to a Congresswoman

Jackson Lee said she didn’t ask for anything “exceptional or out of the ordinary.”

United Airlines on Tuesday apologized to a passenger who was allegedly booted from her first-class seat and protested after she says it was given to U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee instead. The airline reportedly gave the passenger, Jean-Marie Simon, a $500 voucher in addition to the apology. Through a spokeswoman, United Airlines said Simon canceled her Dec. 18 seat after a weather delay, which Simon denies. She was reassigned to a seat in an economy section after what United called a ticketing mix-up during boarding and later told reporters she saw Jackson Lee sitting in the seat that was initially assigned to her. United said it upgraded the Texas Democrat automatically through its internal system, not because of her title. Jackson Lee said in a statement that she did not request anything “exceptional or out of the ordinary” from the airline.