[gunsequalfreedom]

The airline staff tells him they need the seat because the flight is overbooked and the original passenger whose name was on the seat isn’t using it.

There you go. The passenger assigned to that seat did not check in. The seat becomes available to someone else that is at the gate waiting to board.

The airline employees saw a seat that was unoccupied.

The parents boarded the child without a ticket.

[Red Badger]

They paid for that seat.
They told the agent at the gate before boarding..................