OK, an action like this is clearly unforgivable, given the circumstances. I am curious, though, what type of aircraft is was. A 737 is going a lot more flexibility in spreading passengers around than, say, a regional jet. Could the crew have gotten overly concerned about weight and balance requirements (seems unlikely to me, but I'm not a pilot), or was it just a case of "blind obedience to corporate policy?" Either way, it seems highly irresponsible to me.
