ADDISON – The fallout continues after multiple passengers were kicked off a Spirit Airlines flight heading from LAX Airport to DFW International Airport Monday.
One of the deplaned passengers on Flight 868 says she was just caught up in the fray.
Alexandria Wright of Dallas and her attorney Scott Palmer held a news conference Thursday morning at Palmer's office in Addison. Wright said she wants Spirit to apologize, while Palmer said he's launching his own investigation.
It all started Monday night, apparently over a seating issue on the plane. A broken seat on the plane required flight attendants to re-seat passengers, said Spirit spokesman Paul Berry.
"Two customers were upset and became uncooperative, to the point that law enforcement was called to remove them from the aircraft," said Berry. "Reacting to their removal, other customers became disruptive, and they too were removed."
But Wright said it was the flight attendant who escalated the situation. She says the first couple was kicked off the plane because they refused to change seats, after apparently working out a seating arrangement with another passenger.
Then, Alex Wright and three of her friends were also kicked off after they questioned when the plane would take off, and pulled out their cell phones to take video.
Several other passengers did the same, said Wright.
Wright believes discrimination played a major role because everyone deplaned was black.
"It's not fair, it's unjust, it's embarrassing, to be kicked off a flight for no reason in front of so many people, it's horrifying," said Wright.
"What we have is a flight attendant that took a situation that was routine and normal and it's unfortunate that he was not deplaned," said Palmer.
"Spirit does not tolerate discrimination of any kind," said Berry. "Our primary concern is always the safety of our customers and team members."
Palmer wants to take a look at airline reports and talk to the other passengers, as well as the the responding Los Angeles police officers, to get a better sense of what happened.
Palmer said he'll file a lawsuit if he has to, but it will be a last resort.
Wright said she has taken Spirit many times before, but will never fly the airline again.
Other deplaned passengers are working with other attorneys.
