"Mr. Chen," she said after examining his documents, "it would probably be best if we placed you in economy for this flight. We can offer travel credit for the difference."
"Why would that be best?" he asked.
"The crew has raised concerns about your conduct."
"What conduct?"
Janet glanced at Santos, who remained standing nearby. "You disputed their directions."
"Because they contradicted a paid reservation. Do you have the transaction history showing the seat change?"
Janet tapped her screen. She had access to the same misleading final manifest Sarah had used, and she knew her way around the reservation software better than most crew members. The earlier confirmed assignment was only two screens away. Yet a note from flight services marked the reassignment as an operational courtesy for a priority passenger, and Janet's first instinct was to protect the company decision rather than question it.
"Our latest manifest shows you in 26C," she said.
"Then please explain why my application and issued boarding pass show 1A."
Janet hesitated. A real booking problem would require a clear answer to that question, but answering meant opening the log, identifying the employee who had modified it, and potentially delaying departure longer. Behind her, staff were already fielding calls about the stalled flight. She pictured the report she would have to write and chose the explanation that demanded the least additional work.
"You have two options," she told him. "Accept the coach assignment or take another flight."
Marcus took a breath. "I'd like to speak with the district manager."
"I'm the senior supervisor here. You can submit an online complaint afterward."
"That doesn't resolve whether a boarding pass your airline issued can be canceled without an explanation after a passenger sits down."
Janet's expression stiffened. "Sir, arguing with me won't help your cause."
He looked at her for a long time. "I don't think this is a cause," he said. "I think it's a reservation that your company needs to honor or explain."
Behind them, Nia's short videos began reaching people who had not been at gate 23. Her account was no longer the only one documenting the encounter; other passengers shared overlapping angles, allowing viewers to compare statements rather than rely on a single selective clip. Some comments accused Marcus of holding everyone hostage. Others noticed that the passenger had not requested anything beyond the seat printed on his ticket.
Patricia came off the aircraft to add her account. Daniel Pierce followed, carrying his laptop bag and looking irritated about the delay but more irritated by what he had witnessed. Both told Janet that the dispute had begun before Marcus raised any objection and that the crew had refused repeated offers to verify the reservation. Janet told them the matter was internal, and Patricia replied that the facts had unfolded in a public cabin with paying witnesses.