Between ticket prices, miserable TSA agents and unruly passengers, we love Joke that air travel is homophobic. But for Erin Wright – who was denied boarding an American Airlines plane in June – it actually was.
But not in the way you would expect.
In a recent TikTok, the 24-year-old queer content creator explained how she learned she was being “banned” for life by the airline when she tried to board a flight to New Orleans to celebrate her sister’s bachelorette party.
How about we take this to the next level?
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The video, aptly titled “How I was permanently banned from flying on American Airlines for having sexual relations with a man on an airplane despite being a lesbian,” has been viewed over 2.7 million times.
Trust us, it’s as crazy as it sounds!
Regard.
@erin_wright_ Thanks for being the worst, @AmericanAirlines #storytime #funnystory #funnyvideos #airlinetiktok #airplanestory #funny #fyp ♬ Original sound – Erin Wright
It all started when Wright tried to check in for her flight by phone and “it wasn’t working.” Then she got a similar error message at an airport kiosk. Finally, she went to the American Airlines help desk, where the agent also couldn’t process the ticket and made a call.
Ten minutes later, Wright learned that she had been “barred from flying on American Airlines” due to “an internal security issue.” The agent explained, “I can’t tell you why, but the person on the phone told me you should know the reason.”
What the hell!
Ultimately, Wright missed her original flight and spent another $1,000 on a round-trip ticket. another airline. Still, it took days of back and forth emails with American before they wild Explanation.
“Finally (I received an email) telling me that I was suspended for having sexual intercourse with a man while intoxicated on a flight,” Wright said.
She turned to the camera wearing a baseball cap and a comfortable T-shirt and added: “I am a 24-year-old lesbian. Do you see me? Do I have sexual relations with any Man? No.”
Wright was not provided with any evidence or further explanation, and the airline asked her to file an “official appeal” explaining “exactly why (she) did not do it” before she was removed from the no-fly list.
What did they expect – a copy of their gay card or something like that?!
The New Mexico-based creator then sent a “serious” but “somewhat funny” email attempting to make her case.
“I thought, ‘I don’t really know how to prove it wasn’t me, other than that I am a lesbian in every sense of the word. And I can get you letters from other people confirming that’s the truth,'” she explained. LOL.
However, her mother did not receive a response until she contacted the legal department in August – two months later.
The airline acknowledged “that it most likely wasn’t you” and removed you from the no-fly list “until we either find out if it was actually you or someone else.”
Worse still, she was only refunded the $400 for her original ticket, with no additional funds for the inconvenience. The is why Pete Buttigieg is attacking these airlines so hard!
@erin_wright_ Update!!! @American Airlines #storytime #airlinetiktok #airportlife #funnystory #funny ♬ Original sound – Erin Wright
Nevertheless, there is a happy ending!
As Wright explained in a follow-up, her original storytime clip went viral on TikTok and allowed her to get back “the exact amount” she lost when purchasing a new ticket. However, at the time of publication, American Airlines had not “reached out” or “commented on the video to make things right on their side.”
Maybe now is a good time to travel by Amtrak?
