“Thanks for being the worst, @American Airlines”
A woman was shocked to learn that she was banned from flying on American Airlines just as she was about to board a flight to attend her sister’s bachelorette party.
When Erin Wright (@erin_wright_) tried to find out why the airline didn’t let her board the flight, it took her nearly two weeks to find out the reason.
The article continues below the ad
Erin posts a viral TikTok about her experience, which she records from the interior of her car.
“If you’ve ever wondered how to get a permanent ban on American Airlines, I’ve done it,” she says directly into the camera lens.
“So I flew to my sister’s bachelorette party in June,” she explains at the beginning of her story.
In her video, a caption reads: “How I was permanently banned from flying with American Airlines because I had sexual relations with a man on the plane, even though I am a lesbian.”
She said she was having trouble checking in for her flight on her phone, but the mobile application didn’t allow it, which made her nervous.
The article continues below the ad
So she went to the kiosk at the airport to check in in person. There, an airline employee initially told her that she might have entered her information incorrectly. She was told they would get back to her shortly to look into the problem, but because it was taking so long, Erin became worried that she might miss her flight.
The article continues below the ad
When the airline representative finally hung up to speak to Erin, the TikToker said she seemed “nervous.” The representative told Erin that she had essentially been “banned from flying on American Airlines.”
Shocked, the TikToker asked why she was banned while racking her brain about what she could have done to end up on the airline’s S-list. The employee told Erin that she couldn’t tell her the reason because it was an “internal security” issue, so the TikToker called American Airlines’ customer service hotline.
The article continues below the ad
However, she was told the same story about “internal security,” which only confused her further. After realizing she wouldn’t be taking the AA flight, Erin had to book a $1,000 round-trip flight that same day to make sure she got to her sister’s bachelorette party in New Orleans on time.
The article continues below the ad
After being stuck at the airport for another eight hours waiting to board the next flight, she decided to email customer care at the behest of the agent on the phone. In her message, Erin expressed how confused and upset she was at the turn of events, while also inquiring about the refund she had been expecting after being told out of the blue that she couldn’t fly.
After enjoying a bachelorette party with her friends over the weekend, she received an email from American Airlines informing her that her message would be forwarded to corporate security, who would then tell her the reason for her flight ban.
Not understanding what all the secrecy surrounding her flight ban was about, Erin received an email explaining why she would never be allowed to fly on that airline again.
The article continues below the ad
The airline accused her of “having sexual relations with a man while drunk during a flight.”
She said that as a 24-year-old lesbian, there was no way she would have drunken sex with a guy on an airplane. Erin also added how angry she was that American Airlines took a full 12 days to tell her why she was no longer allowed to fly with their airline.
The article continues below the ad
She responded to the company’s security team by telling them that it couldn’t have been her and that they would have to refund her money for the flight because they had made a mistake that had cost her $1,400.
Erin was then informed that she would have to start an official appeal process, where the airline would request proof that she was not on board the plane. To which Erin responded that there was no way for her to prove this other than receiving letters from acquaintances who could confirm that she was a lesbian.
The article continues below the ad
After three months passed with no new developments, Erin’s mother finally emailed American Airlines’ legal department, which apparently led to a call from corporate security 48 hours later.
The article continues below the ad
Eventually, they concluded that the person who had sex with a guy while drunk on a flight was “most likely not” her, and she was ultimately removed from American Airlines’ “no-fly list.”
She adds that the airline still does not want to tell her why she was denied a flight because if they come to the conclusion that it was not actually her, it would be a breach of the woman’s confidentiality.
Additionally, she was only refunded the difference for the flight she had booked, so she was only paid $400 in total and was still $1,000 short.
Many TkTokers reacting to her video had a lot of questions. For example, this person asked: “Aside from everything else, how could they let you book if they banned you?”
The article continues below the ad
Someone else suggested she contact the Ministry of Transport: “Fileave a complaint with the Ministry of Transport. They are legally obliged not only to refund your money but also to give you an answer.”
