‘They kicked me off the flight’: American Airlines customer is asked to move her bag. Then a passenger steps in

A woman has recently sparked outrage online after sharing her experience of being removed from a first-class American Airlines flight.

In her video, which has gone viral with over 2.7 million views, TikTok user Erica (@lovergirlmagic) details the encounter she says led to her and her partner being kicked off a plane over what a flight attendant allegedly called a “race thing.”

A simple dispute on an American Airlines flight takes a turn

The issue started when Erica boarded a flight from Chicago to Austin, Texas, which had already been delayed for three hours. As she explains in the video, the issue started out of nowhere. 

“When I got on the flight, I put my backpack under my front seat, and the flight attendant asked me to move my backpack,” Erica explains. “I said, ‘That's fine. I can put it above me if there's any more space up there.’”

Then, she says she attempted to adjust a bag in the overhead compartment to make room for hers, but the man seated next to her objected loudly. “Do not touch my bag. Do not touch my stuff," she says he yelled.

Erica quickly apologized, saying, “OK, like I’m sorry, my bad. I could put my bag somewhere else, even though this is right above my seat.”

The flight attendant tried to find another spot for Erica’s bag, but Erica expressed concerns about it being too far away since her backpack contained valuable items like a MacBook and iPads.

She explained, “I don’t know anyone on here, and I have [my] MacBook, iPads in my backpack.”

The situation escalates 

According to Erica, this is when the man begins whispering to his wife before suddenly standing up and announcing to the crew, “I’m threatened. I feel threatened.”

He then claimed Erica had made a racist comment, though she says she never addressed him directly.

Erica says the man’s accusations led to her being removed from the flight. 

“They pulled me off the flight and said, ‘It’s a race thing,’” she says. “The flight attendant said verbatim, ‘This is a race thing.’” Erica repeatedly asked for clarification, saying, “What’s the race problem? Clarify to me because I don’t understand.”

Despite her efforts to de-escalate and even suggesting involving Chicago police, Erica says she and her partner were pushed off the plane. Erica expressed her confusion, questioning how a white man complaining about her, a Black woman, could ever be classified as a “race thing.”

She ended her video by calling out the airline: “American Airlines, y’all.”

@lovergirlmagic #americanairlines ♬ original sound - MAGIC ✨

More details of the story

Subsequent videos Erica posted provide more context.

In one clip, she films as she and her partner are escorted off the plane, during which her partner is allegedly pushed by airline staff. Erica also captured a flight attendant who appeared to be smiling and waving as they were being removed.

In another video, Erica captures an interaction with a member of the airline staff, who explains that the crew jointly decided to remove them, as he repeatedly asks her not to film. 

The same video also shows part of Erica’s interaction with the man who accused her of making racist remarks. In the footage, Erica attempts to defend herself while the man avoids the camera and refuses to engage further.

Has this happened on American Airlines flights before?

As other online users have alleged, incidents involving race have occurred on American Airlines flights before.

For instance, a Black woman previously shared that she had booked a first-class ticket for an eight-hour flight only to find a white woman sitting in her assigned seat.

She claimed the airline allowed the woman to keep the seat while attempting to accommodate her in Economy. Although she ultimately received a full refund from American Airlines, she believed the incident was racially discriminatory.

In another case, a woman alleged that American Airlines refused to offer her accommodation after they caused her to miss a flight, despite providing it to a white family. She added that her white husband later approached the airline and successfully secured the accommodation.

In fact, the NAACP issued an official warning to Black travelers against using American Airlines, first in 2021 and again in 2024, following a high-profile incident where eight Black men were removed from a flight due to “body odor.” Three of the men have since filed a lawsuit against the airline.

In response to these incidents, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom wrote a letter vowing to improve the travel experience for Black customers and work with the NAACP and similar organizations to rebuild trust.

The Daily Dot reached out to American Airlines via email for further details and an official comment on these incidents.

Viewers are outraged 

In the comments section, viewers expressed outrage over the incident and advised Erica on her next steps. 

“And everyone else sat there and watched it all happen,” remarked one viewer. 

“As a flight attendant, i would’ve had your back,” said another. “So sorry.”

“Per the new DOT regulations, you’re required a full refund,” noted a third. “Also, get a lawyer.”

The Daily Dot has reached out to Erica via TikTok and Instagram direct message for more information. 

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