Airline Passenger Forced to Pay $50 for 'Emergency Exit' Seat After Flight Attendant Claimed He Was 'Too Short' to Sit There Mid-Flight. Fact Check: This story is an altered version of a real incident where a passenger was involuntarily moved from an exit row due to height requirements—but the reported $50 fee and 'mid-flight' confrontation are fabricated. The viral screenshot showing a receipt with a "short passenger surcharge" is fake.