spoiled seat
n.— «The revenue lost by leaving a seat empty—a spoiled seat, in industry parlance—typically exceeds the cost of compensating a bumped passenger. Only fear of angering people keeps airlines from overbooking more.» —“Bumped Fliers and No Plan B” by Jeff Bailey in Phoenix, Arizona New York Times May 30, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Brian from Lafayette, Indiana, wonders why chicken is abbreviated CHX in the restaurant industry. Using X as a substitute or shortener has a long history. Medieval scribes sometimes drew a line through the final stroke of an abbreviated word. This...
Lizzie calls from Bromgrove in the West Midlands of England to ask about the phrase Would you jump in my grave as quick? She remembers hearing friends say it when, for example, someone took their nice warm spot on the sofa when they got up to make a...