A domestic United Airlines flight was diverted and two passengers were removed after one of them used a locking device to stop the seat in front from reclining.
A male passenger is believed to have used the banned device, called a Knee Defender, during a flight from Newark to Denver, the Guardian reported
After refusing requests from a flight attendant to remove the device, a female passenger in the seat in front of him is reported to have thrown a cup of water at him.
The flight was diverted to Chicago’s O’Hare airport after the dispute escalated, and both passengers, aged 48, remained in the city as the flight continued to Denver.
The Guardian said the argument occurred in United’s Economy Plus section, which has four more inches of legroom than economy.