Pregnant Maryland woman gets kicked off Frontier flight to Baltimore after she paid ‘too low’ for her ticket: ‘They sold my ticket…at a higher price’

A pregnant woman flying with Frontier Airlines says staff removed her from the plane after boarding, allegedly because the flight was oversold.

In her video, which got over 487,200 views, TikTok creator and vocal coach Fulvia Fossati (@fulviavocalcoach) says the situation left her stranded and exhausted.

What Went Wrong on the Frontier Airlines Flight?

“So yesterday, I got kicked out of a Frontier Airlines flight. Because the fare I paid for my ticket was too low to be respected if an overbooked flight situation occurred,” Fossati says at the start of the video.

Fossati says she’s currently six months pregnant. She had also already boarded when airline staff asked her to get off the plane.

“Boarding was done. Everyone was on the plane,” she says. “I guess not everyone.”

According to Fossati, staff said it all came down to the price of her ticket.

“They sold the ticket that I had already bought to another person for a higher price,” she says.

Fossati says she told staff she was pregnant, in pain, fatigued, and unable to carry her own personal item. She also says she explained that she needed to get home and could not be left alone to figure out where to sleep or how to travel the next day.

When she asked whether there were any considerations for pregnant passengers, she says the answer was no.

“My husband was sitting across the aisle, and at that point, he figured out what was happening,” she says.

Fossati says her husband became upset after realizing she was the only one being removed.

“Just me, not my husband, because his ticket was more expensive than mine,” she says.

According to Fossati, her husband argued that Frontier had oversold the flight and then decided his pregnant wife should be the passenger left behind. After they refused to leave, she says the airline called the sheriff.

Police Officers Then Forcibly Removed Them

“Four officers were there to take down this pregnant lady that wanted to go home,” she says.

Fossati includes a clip that appears to show officers at the plane. She says they asked the couple to gather their belongings and get off.

Once they were off the aircraft, Fossati says the officers tried to help them find a solution. However, she says she still did not receive the refund or compensation she says Frontier promised.

“They told us what other airlines were flying near DC, and that’s it,” she says.

Fossati says she arrived at the airport around 4 p.m. and did not land in Baltimore until 1 a.m. the next day. She and her husband allegedly had to buy last-minute tickets on another airline out of pocket.

“From Frontier Airlines, we didn’t even get an apology, not even the refund,” she says.

The ordeal, she says, was especially stressful because she was worried about her baby.

“The amount of stress that I went through yesterday had me even worried about my baby,” she says, adding that she did not feel him move for hours.

Fossati also says she had to walk between terminals while already tired and in pain as they tried to find another way home.

“I don’t know up to what point the greed of these companies is going to destroy what a human being means,” she says. “These people that were kicking me off the plane yesterday are aware they are dealing with human beings, and not with just seat numbers on the screen.”

“It’s unbelievable how greedy these companies are and how law enforcement is there to protect them and their profits instead of protecting the people. Please help me share this video,” she wrote in the video’s caption.

Is Frontier Airlines Allowed to Do This?

Airlines can oversell flights. They can also bump passengers from an oversold flight if there are not enough volunteers.

However, the rules are different once a passenger has already boarded.

Under U.S. Department of Transportation rules (DOT), if a passenger has a confirmed reservation, checks in on time, has their boarding pass accepted or scanned, and boards the plane, the airline cannot remove them because of an oversold flight. The only exceptions involve safety, security, health risks, or behavior that is obscene, disruptive, or otherwise unlawful.

So if Fossati’s account is accurate, and if she was removed only because Frontier oversold the flight after she had already boarded, that would raise a serious DOT issue.

Airlines also have to follow fair boarding priorities when they involuntarily bump passengers. The DOT says airlines can use criteria like check-in time, fare paid, or frequent flyer status, but those criteria cannot create unjust or unreasonable prejudice or disadvantage.

The DOT also requires compensation when an airline denies someone a seat due to overselling. For domestic flights, the DOT says no compensation is required if the airline gets the passenger to their destination within one hour of the original arrival time. If the delay is one to two hours, compensation is generally 200% of the one-way fare, capped at $1,075. If the delay is more than two hours, compensation is generally 400% of the one-way fare, capped at $2,150.

What Can She Do Now?

Fossati should file a written complaint with Frontier and ask for a written explanation of why she was removed, denied boarding compensation, and a refund of any unused ticket or ancillary fees.

Frontier’s customer service plan says passengers can contact the airline through its online form, chat, phone, or by mail. The airline says it will acknowledge written complaints within 30 days and provide a substantive response within 60 days.

If Frontier does not resolve the issue, Fossati can also file a complaint with the DOT. The DOT says passengers should first give the airline a chance to address the problem, but if the issue is not resolved, they can bring the complaint to the department.

Commenters Were Appalled

In the comments section, viewers urged Fossati to push the issue further.

“I hope this goes viral and you get a ton of money in the lawsuit!” one user wrote.

Another told her to file a DOT complaint.

“Look up the passenger bill of rights,” they wrote. “They sold you a ticket and accepted your fare. That’s a contract. Then they let you board. That’s admittance. File a case with the DOT. There is a form online.”

Others said they had dealt with similar issues before.

“This happened to me, too!” one commenter wrote. “The fact that you already boarded and they removed you is unacceptable. terrible, terrible airline”

@fulviavocalcoach It’s unbelievable how greedy these companies are and how law enforcement is there to protect them and their profits instead of protecting the people, please help me share this video #pregnant #baby #frontierairlines #airport #police ♬ original sound – fulviavocalcoach

The Mary Sue has reached out to Frontier Airlines via email and Fossati via TikTok and Instagram messages.

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