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Just a few short months ago, United Airlines faced one of the worst public relations nightmares of recent memory, and the airline industry as a whole was criticized for its seating policies and the cost and inconvenience passed on to customers. That case, of course, involved Dr. David Dao, who was dragged from his seat after refusing to comply with United and security at Chicagos OHare International Airport. He wasleft bloodied and bruised, his cries of refusal fully captured on a viral Twitter video.

Fast-forwardto this past weekend.Right-wing columnist Ann Coulter attacked Delta Air Lines in a tweet storm for moving her from a seat with extra legroom. Sheexpressed outrage and evidently expected sympathy similar to what the Kentucky-based Dao received.

Problem is, following Daos incident, Coulter said he should have been deported, Mediaite reported Monday.

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Coulter referred to a story that said Dao had his medical license suspended for drug abuse. Responders to the tweet largely thought she may have gone too far.

Daos incident involved violence, and even if the airline technically had the right to switch his seat at the time, its hard to say he deserved his treatment. Meanwhile, Coulter employed her 1.61 million-follower Twitter account to call out Delta, its employees and even the passenger who ended up in her original seat.

Coulter also claimed that the time she spent picking out her seat ahead of time was worth $10,000, a huge difference fromthe $30 refund that Delta gave her for moving her to a seat with less legroom.

She also called out Delta CEO Ed Bastian.

Tweeting directly at Coulter, Delta defended its employees and customers.

Delta also released a statement that fired back at Coulter.

We are sorry that the customer did not receive the seat she reserved and paid for, the statement read, according to USA Today. More importantly, we are disappointed that the customer has chosen to publicly attack our employees and other customers by posting derogatory and slanderous comments and photos in social media. Her actions are unnecessary and unacceptable.

For Dao, the viral nature of his storyplus the graphic videocaused enough of a national stir that United quickly and confidentially settled a lawsuit filed not long after the incident. While the settlement amount is unknown, rumors in China claimed it was for $140 million, according to The Washington Post.

Given that Coulter was not harmed physically, a lawsuit and subsequent settlement seemhighly unlikely.

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Ann Coulter Had a Tweet Storm About Losing Her Seat but ...

Last Updated Jul 17, 2017 2:13 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- Delta Air Lines has pushed back at Ann Coulter after the conservative commentator berated the carrier on Twitter over a changed seat assignment.

Coulter began tweeting about the episode Saturday in which she said the airline gave away an "extra room seat" she reserved before a flight from New York to Florida departed. Coulter had booked an aisle seat, but got a window seat.

She joked that Delta hires people who seek to be prison guards, animal handlers or East German police.

She also tweeted a photo of a woman she said took the seat she booked and labeled her "dachshund-legged."

Delta responded to Coulter on Twitter on Sunday night that it was refunding her the extra $30 she paid for her preferred seat. It added that "your insults about our other customers and employees are unacceptable and unnecessary."

"We are sorry that the customer did not receive the seat she reserved and paid for," the airline said in a separate statement. "More importantly, we are disappointed that the customer has chosen to publicly attack our employees and other customers by posting derogatory and slanderous comments and photos in social media."

Coulter was moved to a window seat at the time of boarding as the airline was "working to accommodate several passengers with seating requests," Delta said in the statement.

Delta said that during some confusion over the assignments, a flight attendant asked everyone to move to the seats listed on their tickets. Coulter and the other passengers complied, according to the airline, and the flight departed.

Coulter responded to Delta's refund by claiming that the amount of time she spent selecting her seat was worth more than $30.

"$30! It cost me $10,000 of my time to pre-select the seat I wanted, investigate type of plane & go back periodically to review seat options," she said.

She continued her online rant against Delta on Monday.

2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ann Coulter gets pushback from Delta Air Lines over seat ...

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Conservative writer Ben Shapiro said the University of California at Berkeley is treating him the same way they treated author Ann Coulter.

Last year, a melee ensued when Shapiro visited California State University-Los Angeles.

He said he gave Berkeley ten weeks' notice, only to get an email saying it wasn't a good time to come.

Shapiro said he wasn't given any alternative dates and only vague reasons why he shouldn't come.

He said there are reports that the college has relented and will even cover his fees, but that such reporting was not given to his sponsor, the Young Americas Foundation.

Shapiro said the treatment he is getting is very similar to what Ann Coulter experienced when her May speech was cancelled then postponed and entwined in red tape.

He said he's experiencing somewhat of a "heckler's veto."

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Ben Shapiro: UC-Berkeley Giving Me the Ann Coulter Treatment - Fox News Insider

Delta came onboard Ann Coulters flight tonight and booted her from her pre-assigned extra legroom seat without explanation.

Just when you think it's safe to fly them again, the worst airline in America is STILL: @Delta

Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 15, 2017

I suspect David Dao might disagree with that characterization. If she was talking merely about SkyMiles shed have a better case.

Does your union hate you, @Delta? Not really worth spending all that money on planes when @Delta gate staff give your seat away.

Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 15, 2017

Apparently she was moved out of extra legroom seats. And shes tall.

She shared with us the flight attendant who insisted she move.

"Why are you taking me out of the extra room seat I specifically booked, @Delta?' Flight attendant: "I don't know. pic.twitter.com/a0M1faZXMu

Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 15, 2017

Twitter then exploded with a discussion of whether the flight attendants race had anything to do with her objection to moving (as opposed to, you know, being given less leg room).

.@Delta didnt give my extra room seat to an air marshall or tall person. Heres the woman given my PRE-BOOKED seat: pic.twitter.com/iDNB8xXXOd

Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 15, 2017

Ms. Coulter decided to shame the passenger who received her seat. Twitter exploded with a discussion of whether the passenger was a woman of color and that was the real reason Coulter objected to moving (as opposed to, you know, being given less leg room).

Hey @Delta, you mind telling me why it was an "emergency" to move someone else into the seat I had carefully chosen in advance and booked?

Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 15, 2017

Ann is also frustrated with the results of her Speedtest App. She wishes that Delta would hurry up with its installs of Gogo 2Ku satellite internet.

Also, @Delta, your wifi doesn't work probably to prevent passengers from tweeting from the plane about how they're being treated.

Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 15, 2017

.@JetBlue has free wifi and doesn't wantonly remove passengers from their assigned seats, booked in advance FOR A REASON. @Delta sucks.

Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 15, 2017

In which Ann Coulter reveals she uses Seat Guru and Expertflyer Seat Alerts.

So glad I took time investigate the aircraft & PRE-BOOK a specific seat on @Delta, so some woman could waltz at the last min & take my seat.

Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 15, 2017

But at least @Delta was nice @ it, summarily snatching my ticket from my hand & ordering me to move w/o explanation, compensation or apology

Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 16, 2017

Suckiest @Delta moved me from my PRE-BOOKED SEAT & gave it to some woman, not elderly, child, or sick. I have pictures so dont lie, @Delta!

Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 16, 2017

I understand how this must be extremely frustrating, Ann. I'd like to extend my sincere apology. (cont.) *HJB

Delta (@Delta) July 16, 2017

@AnnCoulter Can you please follow and share your conf. # via DM. *HJB https://t.co/6iDGBJAc2m

Delta (@Delta) July 16, 2017

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary

More articles by Gary Leff

Continued here:
Delta Kicked Ann Coulter Out of Her Pre-Reserved Extra ...

It's the summer travel season, and many of us have encountered challenges and frustrations during our travels - but few of us have the ability to tweet those frustrations out to 1.9 million Twitter followers. When Ann Coulter's specially-selected, pre-booked seat was changed on her Delta flight from New York City to Florida Saturday, she let loose on the airline and its employees, and even tweeted a picture of the woman to whom her seat was given.

Predictably, Coulter's fans lined up behind her and her critics defended and even praised Delta. After nearly a day, Delta replied and took her to task on Twitter.

Here's the controversy in a nutshell. Coulter claims that she pre-booked a specific seat and paid a premium ($30) for extra legroom. Once she had boarded and was in the seat, a flight attendant approached and "ordered" her to take a different seat, "without explanation, compensation, or apology." Coulter immediately started creatively tweeting her complaints.

By Sunday it was reported that Coulter's new seat was in the same row, but across the aisle, and offered the same extra leg room benefit she had paid for. At least one outlet reported that Coulter was asked to move so a female passenger could sit in the same row with her family.

UPDATE: The Washington Post reported Monday morning that in an email to them a Delta spokesman said, It appears her new seat was in the same row, just not the exact seat she had selected. It was an exit row seat (has extra leg room). She was moved from an aisle to a window. Same space, a few seats over.

However, a source close to Coulter tells me that it did not have extra leg room and was not an aisle seat. The source could not confirm if it was a window or a middle seat. The source added that Coulter was never given an explanation by Delta at the time or since as to why they would need to move her.

Coulter still wasn't having it.

Delta's social media team hit back Sunday afternoon with a pair of tweets.

Coulter is continuing to respond on Twitter and demanding an explanation from corporate. Tens of thousands of people are replying to both sides' tweets, each excoriating and demeaning the other side.

Unless there is more to the story than is currently reported, both sides could have definitely handled it better. If Delta had approached Coulter and said, "This young woman would like to sit with her family, and three seats weren't available together - do you mind moving?" perhaps Coulter would have willingly done so. And perhaps Coulter could have realized that moving over three seats for a short-haul flight isn't that big of a deal, and if she wanted more pampering she could have flown first class.

But neither did. And the ravenous hyenas on social media have taken that red meat and torn into it.

UPDATE: The additional information looks worse for Delta. The airline shouldn't be talking about details of her individual case to the media but not to Coulter. No matter your feelings on Coulter's politics, if you were in her shoes you would not want a company doing that to you. Some criticize Coulter's continued flame tweets at the company, but - they're effective. Behemoth companies believe they can treat customers any way they want to these days because essentially there's no recourse. And, I'm reminded of the words of Evan Sayet's column - She Fights.

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UPDATE: Delta Switched Ann Coulter's Seat, and a Political ...