A woman trying to return home from her Italian vacation told how an airline compensated her after her flights were overbooked – prompting social media users to voice their opinions.
Susan Berry is a 36-year-old freelance fashion photographer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who recently spent two months in Italy on business.
Berry said she was able to spend three extra nights in Naples, Italy, after her flights were sold out.
“I got to the airport and the manager from American Airlines said, ‘Hey, we’re overbooked and we’re looking for volunteers to stay overnight. You’ll get $1,200 in vouchers, a four-star hotel, all meals.’ And before he could finish his sentence, I said, ‘I’ll do it,'” she said of the credit she received for the first overbooked flight.
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Berry said that while she was initially excited to return home, she was “not willing to turn down $1,200 worth of travel vouchers” for her next adventure.
Susan Berry (pictured) spoke to Fox News Digital after finally arriving back in the US (Fox News Digital)
Berry said she and eight other passengers – who also had to stay an extra night – were then taken to a hotel just outside Naples.
She said, “Everyone else was kind of… forced to stay, and so I was the only one who was motivated and rallied the troops, so to speak.”
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Berry decided to document her experience in TikTok videos, one of which now has more than 1.4 million views. She called the experience “Camp American Airlines” – she said it felt like she was at a day camp with strangers.
She said the hotel where the airline put her up was nicer than the one she stayed in in Italy, and the free three-course meal at the hotel made her “thrilled” to be able to spend an extra day there.
American Airlines had overbooked Berry’s original flight to Philadelphia, so she was able to voluntarily claim a travel voucher and a free night’s stay in Naples, Italy. (iStock)
The next day, however, the group of stranded passengers was taken back to the airport to catch the next flight to Philadelphia.
“So, I get there and I’m ready to board the flight because I’m flying home that day,” she said. “But when I get there, I hear the manager again say, ‘Oh, we’re overbooked and we need a volunteer.'”
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Berry said that after hearing that the airline was offering $1,200 in vouchers for an additional night’s stay, she was more than happy to continue the vacation.
She said: “At that point I realised they were overbooked for a while and I heard about it through the grapevine. That’s when I started thinking I could do this forever – for a few days and collect some good vouchers.”
Social media users commented on her viral TikTok video detailing how much travel vouchers she could potentially earn by continuing this extension – most advised her to give it a try.
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One user wrote: “I wonder what it’s like to be one of God’s favorites.”
Berry sought advice on TikTok about whether she should continue accepting the travel vouchers to see how much credit she could earn. (@berryfacecreative /TMX)
Another agreed, saying, “Well, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
However, some users advised Berry to proceed with caution.
“Do they expire? That would be my problem,” commented one TikTok user.
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Another said: “Look for cash instead of vouchers.”
Berry said American Airlines put her up in a four-star hotel just outside Naples, Italy. (iStock)
American Airlines’ conditions of carriage, which an airline representative emailed to Fox News Digital, state: “We will ask passengers who agree to voluntarily give up their seats for compensation, the amount and form of which will be solely at American Airlines’ discretion.”
“If you voluntarily give up your confirmed seat on the aircraft, we will compensate you in a form and amount we deem appropriate,” the terms and conditions, which are also listed on American Airlines’ website, continue.
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Berry said that after her second night at the hotel, she ended up at the airport for the third time – and the staff there couldn’t help but laugh.
“So this time the whole airport knows me,” she told Fox News Digital, adding that airport staff said, “You’re the only person we’ve ever seen so excited about staying home.”
“At that point, I was just the leader of the pack,” she said.
For her third voluntary overnight stay, Berry received a voucher worth $1,150 – but on the fourth day, her luck ran out.
“To be honest, I’m pretty sure American Airlines got wind of what I was up to because of the whole TikTok thing,” Berry said of her now-viral video.
A woman trying to return home from Italy to Philadelphia had to stay three days longer because her flight was overbooked. (iStock; @berryfacecreative/TMX)
Berry said she had $3,550 in airline travel credit at the end of the trip.
When asked if she would do it again, Berry said, “I would definitely do it again.”
Berry said she was in no rush to get home by a specific date, so she felt like she was doing a good deed for someone who needed to be home at a certain time.
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“I have all the time in the world right now,” she joked.
As for how she will use her credits, Berry said she would like to book tropical destinations such as Rio, the Caribbean and Hawaii as they would be great for photography.
