Couple found 3 seats on an easyJet flight and paid to get home. Then the airline told them there was nowhere to sit: ‘This shouldn’t be legal’

Featured Image: Screenshot via @iamgabymendes/TikTok; Image by foilman, CC BY-SA 2.0.Buying a plane ticket should mean having a seat waiting for you. But one couple returning from Paris learned that paying doesn't always guarantee a place onboard. Their attempt to fix one travel problem only brought more trouble.

Airlines have faced complaints about paid-for seats being given away. This couple thought they had found a solution after their flight was canceled. Instead, hours at the airport led to another problem.

TikTok creator Gaby Mendes (@iamgabymendes) shared the experience in a video with 1.1 million views. She claims they booked an easyJet flight showing three available seats. However, staff allegedly told them the flight was already full.

Mendes explained that she and her partner traveled to Paris to see Celine Dion. They planned a 24-hour trip, returning to Manchester on a 9:25 a.m. Air France flight.

After waiting more than an hour past boarding time, passengers learned their flight had been canceled. Air France directed everyone to a transfer desk across the airport. While waiting in line, the couple received a message informing them that their replacement flight would depart the following afternoon.

The new itinerary involved traveling through Amsterdam, waiting three hours, and eventually flying to Manchester. Mendes was frustrated about the overnight stay, especially without information about hotel arrangements.

Determined to return sooner, they searched for alternative flights. They found a 2:30 p.m. easyJet departure showing three seats remaining and booked tickets. Air France reportedly agreed to provide a refund or compensation.

Reaching easyJet's check-in area required taking a bus across Charles de Gaulle Airport and passing through security multiple times. They then waited approximately an hour in line.

Mendes recalled being moved into a priority queue with only one employee serving passengers. Others who had originally been waiting alongside them had already finished checking in.

When they finally reached the counter, staff delivered unexpected news. "So even though when we checked in and book the flight, it said 3 seats available, there are no seats on this flight," Mendes recalled.

Staff allegedly instructed them to wait near the boarding gate in case other passengers failed to check in. Their flight was also delayed. Mendes claims employees told them a 9 p.m. flight was already overbooked, despite tickets seemingly remaining available online.

"This is absolutely criminal," she complained. "There's something wrong with the system. This shouldn't be allowed."

Mendes went further, declaring, "This shouldn't be legal." She called the experience "completely misselling." Passengers have also complained about losing seats on overbooked flights, but viewers questioned an important detail.

"You're saying easyJet's website at the end, but it's skyscanner," one commenter pointed out. Another asked, "If you went on the easyJet website, does it say there are seats available for the 9pm flight? Or just the third party site sky scanner telling you that?"

Others suggested taking the train. "Get your refund and compensation then jump on the Eurostar. Then train home from St Pancras," one viewer advised.

Another criticized overbooking, writing, "They should only be allowed to sell the number of seats that they are on the plane."

In a follow-up video, Mendes confirmed they reached home 24 hours late after spending approximately 12 hours at the airport. She also addressed the Skyscanner criticism, acknowledging that her screenshot showed the third-party platform. However, she insisted easyJet's website displayed three available seats. "I promise you it said 3 seats available," she maintained.

According to Mendes, easyJet offered to cover their hotel, transportation, and food expenses, although she had not submitted her claims. The experience convinced her to pay extra for seat selection on future flights, even though she acknowledged it might not guarantee boarding.