 Although the FBI subsequently cleared the passengers and called the incident a "misunderstanding", AirTran refused to seat the passengers on another flight, forcing them to purchase last minute tickets on another airline that had been secured with the FBI's assistance.A spokesman for AirTran initially defended the airline's actions and said they would not reimburse the passengers for the cost of the new tickets.Although the men had traditional beards and the women headscarves, AirTran denied that their actions were based on the passengers' appearance.