Seven passengers were removed from a Spirit Airlines flight on Monday before it left Los Angeles, bound for Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The incident appears to have started with a double-booked seat and escalated when other passengers questioned the conduct of the flight crew. The fliers, all African-American, and at least one fellow passenger using Twitter  have accused the airline of racism.

Regardless of the cause, being ejected before take-off at L.A.X. is not rare, according to a spokesman for the L.A.P.D.

Under what circumstances can you be ejected from a plane and what can you do about it? We asked George Hobica, the founder of Airfarewatchdog.com, to clarify. The following are excerpts from an interview.

N.Y. Times
​