No, this isn’t some clickbait story about people joining the mile high club. Instead, it’s a story of a woman who was (seemingly) incorrectly accused of raunchy inflight behavior, leading to her being banned by the airline.
In this post:
American (incorrectly?) puts woman on no fly list
There’s a video going viral on TikTok, about how a 24-year-old woman was placed on American Airlines’ no fly list. She had no clue why she was banned by the Fort Worth-based airline, but later found out it was because she was accused of having sex with a man inflight while intoxicated.
This is quite the story, so let me summarize the details:
- In June, this woman was supposed to fly to New Orleans (MSY) for her sister’s bachelorette party, and when she went to check-in online, she got an error message
- When she arrived at the airport, she approached an American agent, who also received an error message while trying to check her in; after the agent made a phone call, she informed the traveler that she had actually been put on the carrier’s no fly list, but she couldn’t tell her why
- This caught the woman by surprise, because she claimed she had never done anything questionable with the airline, and had never been informed of this ban; she asked the agent why she was banned, and was told that she couldn’t say why, but that she “should know why”
- The American agent told the woman to call customer service, so she did that, but was told she needed to contact customer relations by email
- At this point she had missed her flight, so she booked a separate $1,000 roundtrip ticket on another airline, in addition to the $400 ticket she had already booked on American
- While waiting for eight hours at the airport for her next flight, she sent an email to customer relations explaining that she didn’t understand why she was banned
- Some time later, she heard back from customer relations, and was told that corporate security would reach out to her; 12 days after the planned flight, corporate security informed her that she has been banned from American for having sexual relations with a man on a flight while intoxicated
- She then emailed back corporate security explaining that this was a misunderstanding, and that she never did what she was accused of
- Corporate security requested she write an appeal, to explain exactly why she didn’t do what she was accused of; she responded humorously that “I don’t know how to prove it wasn’t me, except for the fact that I’m literally a lesbian”
- After a couple of months nothing was resolved, but then the woman’s mother sent an email to the “law department” at American, and two days later she got a call from someone informing her that her case had been reviewed, and that it most likely wasn’t her, so she was conditionally taken off the no fly list
- While American ended up refunding the woman’s $400 ticket (which she wasn’t able to take due to the ban), the airline refused to compensate her for the amount she spent to buy a more expensive ticket on another airline
You can watch the TikTok for yourself below.
@erin_wright_ Thanks for being the worst @American Airlines #storytime #funnystory #funnyvideos #airlinetiktok #airplanestory #funny #fyp ♬ original sound – Erin Wright
While American still hasn’t made this woman whole, there is a silver lining. The woman made a follow-up video, explaining that the ad revenue from the initial video has now surpassed $1,000. That’s at least good, since the added expense of buying a new ticket was putting a strain on her finances.
@erin_wright_ Update!!! @American Airlines #storytime #airlinetiktok #airportlife #funnystory #funny ♬ original sound – Erin Wright
What exactly went wrong here?
There’s no denying that this is a strange story, and one has to wonder what exactly happened here that caused this. Here’s my take on this situation:
- This woman’s version of events comes across as genuine; after all, the issue was eventually resolved, with her being removed from the carrier’s no fly list
- The woman has a pretty common name (Erin Wright), so I can’t help but wonder if she was maybe accidentally mixed up with someone else? When airlines put someone on the no fly list it should be based on more than just the first or last name, but rather it should use additional details, like date of birth
- If this was in fact a mistake, this really demonstrates how much people can end up being the victim of a mix-up, and how one-sided contracts are with airlines; she had to purchase a ticket that was way more expensive than what she initially booked, even though she did nothing wrong
- While I’m supportive of airlines putting people on the no fly list for inappropriate behavior, this also has to be done carefully, to avoid situations like this; it’s bad enough that the mistake happened in the first place, but it’s even worse that it took months for this to be resolved, and for the airline to admit a mistake
- Proving the absence of having done something, especially when you’re not told exactly when and where you did something, sure isn’t easy; of course in this situation, the funny part is that this woman is a lesbian, and is accused of having sex with a man on a plane
I think it’s worth drawing attention to this story because American should do the right thing, and compensate her for the ticket she had to book on another airline.
Bottom line
American Airlines placed a woman on its no fly list, which she found out the hard way, while trying to check-in for a flight. She had no clue why she was banned, and it took quite some time before corporate security told her what she reportedly did — having sex with a man inflight while intoxicated.
However, this woman insists this story isn’t true, and American ultimately listened to her appeal, and unbanned her. She still hasn’t been compensated for the much more expensive ticket that she had to book due to this apparent mixup.
What do you make of this American Airlines no fly list story?
It seems she went about this completely wrong and tried playing the LGBT card rather than simply asking what flight the "act" occurred on and then being able to show they had the wrong person. Now if she had been on the flight and had been too drunk to even remember, maybe she forgets having sex. Either way, her sexual preference is not remotely relevant in this case.
Lesbians can have sex with men. They can even eagerly, consensually have sex with men. That's not a defense.
The rest is... Whatever. I guess.
It can't be that she isn't the same Erin Wright as the one on the original flight, as her first and obvious line of defence would have been that she never took that flight - not that she was a lesbian. That would presumably rule out any misidentification by American Airlines on the basis that it's a common name.
So was she actually on that infamous flight? Does she deny any knowledge of an...
It can't be that she isn't the same Erin Wright as the one on the original flight, as her first and obvious line of defence would have been that she never took that flight - not that she was a lesbian. That would presumably rule out any misidentification by American Airlines on the basis that it's a common name.
So was she actually on that infamous flight? Does she deny any knowledge of an issue between her and the crew? Did she maybe change seats on board?
There must be more detail to this story than we are being presented with.
Do airlines not inform passengers at the time that they are placed on a 'no-fly' list? This is a genuinely naive inquiry.
As someone with a common name (first and last), I can attest that there are likely people with the same first and last name AND birthdate as the woman who was put in the no fly list. It’s notoriously hard to identify people in the US, so I understand the possibility of error.
Of course, American is responsible for their errors, however understandable.
Just in case the passenger is reading this... If this was brought before a court, there is every chance the company would have to pay a very considerable amount as compensation (not just the added expenses, but also the stress, humiliation, pain and suffering and whatever else your lawyer comes up with).
American also knows it, so I am assuming even a suggestion of litigation would probably result in some settlement.
And to...
Just in case the passenger is reading this... If this was brought before a court, there is every chance the company would have to pay a very considerable amount as compensation (not just the added expenses, but also the stress, humiliation, pain and suffering and whatever else your lawyer comes up with).
American also knows it, so I am assuming even a suggestion of litigation would probably result in some settlement.
And to anyone asking... No, I am not offering my services here. Just think AA should not be able to get away with its negligence.
Not that I don’t believe everything posted on TikTok but is there any independent confirmation that any of this really happened?
Good, balanced article and actually a good headline. It captures one of the essential points of the story. It is also extremely relevant to miles and points as it highlights the sometimes arbitrary and capricious behavior of large corporations in the travel business vs people with little recourse to fight them. It is also an argument, unfortunately, for more regulation in certain areas. She should not have to go to court to get back her...
Good, balanced article and actually a good headline. It captures one of the essential points of the story. It is also extremely relevant to miles and points as it highlights the sometimes arbitrary and capricious behavior of large corporations in the travel business vs people with little recourse to fight them. It is also an argument, unfortunately, for more regulation in certain areas. She should not have to go to court to get back her additional expenses, as well as compensation for the aggravation caused by AA. At a minimum AA should have notified her before her flight, and probably at the time she purchased her ticket. In addition, the airline should be required to promptly provide her with the reason for her being banned from the airline and an expeditious way to resolve that, such as is done with credit reports. They are a regulated common carrier and, if existing regulations are not adequate, they need to be adjusted.
Sexual preference has nothing to do with the story.
Sexual preference has nothing to do with the story.
What makes you people think lesbians are somehow immune from doing stupid/irrational things like trying to have sex with a man when they are drunk?
You know... being a liberal make people think so.
Always making exceptions when something they support is involved.
I'm curious if a pax is on the no-fly list, why is she/he able to even initially make and $BUY$ a ticket in the first place ? ... If the pax was made aware initially, at least it would have done less damage for both parties ... Or is it just coincidental that AA has the pax's $$ and forces the pax to jump through even more hoops to be made whole ?
This article is important for the greater issue with just about any large company. They take zero responsibility and the burden is always on you to prove they screwed up. I remember arguing with the cable company many decades ago where the woman on the phone insisted that I was responsible for the charges to the pay per view movie hot college sl*ts. I told her, not my kind of movie nor was I even...
This article is important for the greater issue with just about any large company. They take zero responsibility and the burden is always on you to prove they screwed up. I remember arguing with the cable company many decades ago where the woman on the phone insisted that I was responsible for the charges to the pay per view movie hot college sl*ts. I told her, not my kind of movie nor was I even home that day. Back then ppv was ordered by phone. So I said unless my cat was feeling frisky and figured out how to use the phone that day it wasn't me and I have the phone records to prove it. Their response was sorry there is nothing we can do you're responsible for the charges. I had to write letters to the ftc and state attorney General to shame them into my $5 refund. At that point it was the principal.
They banned her but had no problem taking her $400 for the flight they would eventually prevent her from boarding. The other wild fact is that she emailed customer support and they actually responded rather than just delete it and go about their busy day of doing nothing.
Maybe the crew typed the wrong seat number when filling out the CERS report? (CERS is the internal system AA uses to track reports on numerous things, including customer misconduct.)
What is a lesbian woman? Different species than a woman? How is it relevant to the story to add that to the title. Asking for a friend…
Perhaps it's relevant since she was accused of having sex with a man?
Ben has earned a reputation as a very good writer. While I see the article itself as well written, it may be in the title where some may feel he went below the standard he has set. If the article's title was "American Airlines Bans Wrong Passenger" or "Mistaken Identity Lands Passenger on No Fly List" , it may not be looked at by some as "click bait" and drawing attention away from a well written article that could help someone.
I actually agree with Ben covering this. I don't think he wrote anything in a particularly sensational way and I honestly think it's great that he's putting heat on bungled customer service disasters. There needs to be a lot more accountability from large corporations, and it's kind of surprising that so many here want AA to be able to skate by without accountability just because there's a sexuality aspect to this story.
Despite what some of the naysayers are writing in the comments, this story was definitely worth including in the blog (and why wouldn't it be). It's got relevance in that its about misuse of a no-fly list along with being about the customer relations of an airline. I don't understand the complaints from other commenters.
"I don't understand the complaints from other commenters."
Snowflakes get triggered easily.
@TravelinWillly
Like, how you got triggered by a fake accusation, just because it involves a lesbian?
I cannot for the life of me understand why people commenting are upset by this story. It fits perfectly within Ben's usual mix of stories and reviews.
Is it because he said the word "lesbian" or is there some element to this story I'm not seeing?
Because this isn’t germane to miles or points, and the sexual element is gratuitously salacious. The airline made a mistake here, but it’s not something any of us, lesbian or otherwise, can do anything about. In other words, there’s no reason for us to care other than to gawk at a lesbian woman.
We know the obese dweeb at View From the Wing to be shameless in posting salacious drivel. We hold the classy slender...
Because this isn’t germane to miles or points, and the sexual element is gratuitously salacious. The airline made a mistake here, but it’s not something any of us, lesbian or otherwise, can do anything about. In other words, there’s no reason for us to care other than to gawk at a lesbian woman.
We know the obese dweeb at View From the Wing to be shameless in posting salacious drivel. We hold the classy slender professional here at One Mile At A Time to a higher bar of decorum.
You state that the "the sexual element is gratuitously salacious". Yet you feel the need to use unnecessary, judgmental terms such as " obese dweeb" and "classy slender professional".
Please leave this sort of story for Gary or the Daily Fail to cover.
If this was a case of mistaken identity, I wonder if the "real" Erin Wright was notified about being placed on the no fly list instead of this Erin Wright.
If men can now be women why can't lesbians have sex with men?
Moronic
dolt
Ignore those libtards, but that's a fair point. Those who say that they support homosexuality are actually more like to a homophobic.
Typical liberal double standards, as always.
You have made at least 3 comments here railing against "liberals". Sounds like someone is an easily triggered snowflake with a political obsession. You know how you can tell someone is obsessed? Because they can't change their mind and won't change the subject. Look in the mirror, Mason ... you're projecting like iMAX.
Well said!
this story tells me to NEVER fly american
I know it might shock people to hear this – please hold on to your seat – but this would never, never happen on Delta.
Your point about using more detailed info than a name on a no-fly list is a good one. People with Muslim names have been struggling with this for decades.
i'd become gay/lesbian real quick too if it was a way out of a no fly list action lol
This is the way.
Not just getaway from no fly list.
You get laid too.
Win Win Win.
I'd love to see in the comments the actual Erin turn up and say "yes, that was me, we had such fun lol. I can assure you I'm no lesbian!"
"American should do the right thing, and compensate her for the ticket she had to book on another airline."
... And give her $20k for the humiliation, hassle, and stress.
What an awful airline.
What about the man she supposedly had sex with? Is he on the no fly list? Was the supposed sex any good?
What a stupid post. Now people are going to read this as "Lesbians are banned from American" smh. Cancel American lmao.
This. That's pretty much of an expected behavior tho.
Very bizarre and scary. You would think that other information you give to the airline would be used for a No Fly ban,
Hotel chains do this, too.
While I'm not surprised because AA has gotten absolutely horrible in every way shape or form and this is as a longtime EXP. I find myself hsving to email customer relations during almost every flight due to how horrible the FAs have become and how filthy the planes are.
But one part of the article illustrates why we as a country are in for a huge decline when this new generation be becomes the majority.
...While I'm not surprised because AA has gotten absolutely horrible in every way shape or form and this is as a longtime EXP. I find myself hsving to email customer relations during almost every flight due to how horrible the FAs have become and how filthy the planes are.
But one part of the article illustrates why we as a country are in for a huge decline when this new generation be becomes the majority.
The "women's mom emailed the law department." She is a grown adult and her mom is doing stuff for her? I don't blame the 20 and 30 year old. It the parents who have babied the crap out of this generation, let them live at home in their 20s and 30s and have done everything for them their entire lives. We are screwed.
Thabkfully, my 17 and 15 year old will be productive members of society. The 17 year old, drives, works at jersey mikes, and has saved 20k in his bank account.
Really, mommy stepped in. Your a Fing ADULT!!!!!!
I support you posting this kind of air travel story as it provides a realtime and detailed portrayal of what can happen to innocent people in many sectors of commerce, but with considerable consequences when impacting flight travel. There is virtually no corporate accountability for this kind of error and a major burden is placed on the consumer traveler to fix the problem. The story outlines the cumbersome bureaucracy that corporate airlines have created which...
I support you posting this kind of air travel story as it provides a realtime and detailed portrayal of what can happen to innocent people in many sectors of commerce, but with considerable consequences when impacting flight travel. There is virtually no corporate accountability for this kind of error and a major burden is placed on the consumer traveler to fix the problem. The story outlines the cumbersome bureaucracy that corporate airlines have created which their own employees can barely navigate. While No-Fly Lists are necessary for security and to control bad behavior, and airlines have every right to choose whom they will serve, with the public need to reliably access air travel comes a responsibility to administer this process fairly and judiciously or be called out for their failure to do so.
Maybe the girl's mom is a lawyer and knows how to handle the situation better. Maybe it's something else. Regardless, its a bit arrogant of you to say "its the parents fault" and "my kid is this and my kid is that". Stick to parenting your own kids.
You are better than this story Ben.
You put so much hard work into genuinely expert advice and then trash your brand with junk like this.
Usually I am very much like “it is his blog, he can write what he wants”, but this time I would also like to encourage Ben to focus more on airlines, miles and reviews.
I think it makes sense to highlight the really bad behavior by the airlines, but this is just standard corporate mess, no bad intentions, in my opinion.
I think it's a good story to have on here and it addresses an important topic.
I'm confused how this is "junk" or if it's just because this site is now infested w/ MAGATs and boomers. Is it because this story was on TikTok or the woman is a lesbian?
This is a genuine customer service issue that happened w/ American Airlines. This is no different when other airlines deny boarding or cause other problems for customers.
Please explain why you think this is "junk", when this very much falls in line with the standard content on this blog.
@yoloswag420
If anything about this was true, and anything went wrong (in a POV of a sane person), that person wouldn't have posted on TikTok.
By mistake the customer was put to no-fly list. She tried to reach airline, it took ages. Finally she was removed from the no-fly list. The airline is a messy corporation with tons of internal rules, where no one is willing to use his/her brain. It takes ages to talk to someone, it takes ages for someone to make the decision.
What an epic story.
It is just crapy customer service we see...
By mistake the customer was put to no-fly list. She tried to reach airline, it took ages. Finally she was removed from the no-fly list. The airline is a messy corporation with tons of internal rules, where no one is willing to use his/her brain. It takes ages to talk to someone, it takes ages for someone to make the decision.
What an epic story.
It is just crapy customer service we see with many airlines every day. Thats it.
And her being lesbian has no link to the point, it is just clickbait.
So you'd prefer them to post this story on Twitter instead of TikTok? I don't see people complaining when Ben covers stories on Twitter, even if the Twitter video is just a reupload from TikTok like the Ethiopian Airlines story recently.
Would posting to Twitter legitimize her story somehow? The platform used to share it makes no meaningful difference. Y'all are looking to hate simply because.
It's your blog but this type of story is really beneath you. Please don't become VFTW 2.
I don't know what you're complaining about. Read another website if you don't like it. The post is about an airline screwing over a customer (as usual) with their negligent and inadequate procedures. The woman should never have been put on the "no fly list" in the first place, and wouldn't have been if AA had proper procedures in place. I'm sure it's not the first time a mix-up like that has happened. Plus the...
I don't know what you're complaining about. Read another website if you don't like it. The post is about an airline screwing over a customer (as usual) with their negligent and inadequate procedures. The woman should never have been put on the "no fly list" in the first place, and wouldn't have been if AA had proper procedures in place. I'm sure it's not the first time a mix-up like that has happened. Plus the airline should have informed her of the ban when she tried to check in online instead of making her come to the airport and jump through hoops to find out. Absolutely ridiculous! She should hire an attorney and sue AA.
Forgive me for thinking there should be more details ( copy of ID, mug shot, description, credit report) something other than just a name to make the no fly list.