Couple Boards American Airlines Flight From Dominican Republic. Then The Pilot ‘Randomly Selects’ 41 People To Stay Behind: ‘I Felt Like We Were In The Hunger Games’

Much to many travelers’ chagrin, it’s pretty common for airlines to deny some passengers from boarding.

Usually, this is because the airline overbooked the flight. As a result, they’ll frequently offer passengers incredible sums to give up their seats — such as in 2022, when passengers were reportedly offered $10,000 to take a later flight.

Other times, however, airlines will simply give passengers the boot with little explanation. One flyer recently shared that, after her flight was determined to be overweight, the crew had a strange method for determining who would get to stay.

What Went Wrong On This Couple’s Flight?

In a video with over 2.3 million views, TikTok user Keara (@kearyuh) shows herself and her partner seated on an American Airlines flight.

Over the course of the video, several names are read aloud. Keara and her partner listen intently with a look of worry.

“Listening to see if we were 1 of 41 people who American selected to leave the plane because it was too heavy,” she writes in the video’s overlay text.

“Imagine the pilot saying they are randomly selecting 41 people to be left in the Dominican Republic because the plane is too heavy,” the TikToker adds in the caption. “Do better @American Airlines.”

In a comment, she adds that the flight was eventually diverted to Miami. She calls the entire experience a “[expletive] show.”

How Can This Happen?

While removing 41 passengers, as Keara claims, is especially uncommon, many airlines occasionally remove passengers to ensure proper weight distribution.

Sometimes, this occurs because an airplane has gone over its Maximum Takeoff Mass (MTOM). This is the maximum weight that the aircraft manufacturer says the plane should be before it is certified for takeoff.

Normally, this is not an issue. Airlines use standard estimates to get an approximation of the total weight of the aircraft. This is usually adequate to ensure that the plane will be under the MTOM.

However, several factors can change this calculation. For example, the captain may determine that, due to things like excess cargo and weather conditions, the plane is too heavy to fly. Consequently, they may decide to remove passengers.

How Do They Determine Who Gets Kicked Off?

Keara says the airline determined who would have to leave “randomly.” However, airlines tend to have their own methods for deciding who will be asked to leave the plane first, and who’s likely to stay on.

First, some airlines will simply ask for volunteers. If that does not result in enough people leaving, they may then ask for “non-rev,” or “non-revenue” passengers, to depart. These are passengers who are flying for free. For example, retired airline employees, travel industry workers, and family of airline staff may fall into this category.

From there, every airline has its own method for deciding who can stay and who has to go. Daily Passport suggests that American Airlines may bump passengers in the reverse check-in order — as in, the later someone checked in, the more likely they are to get bumped. That said, they note that American says that bumping decisions are at the airline’s discretion.

How Do I Make Sure I Don’t Get Kicked Off?

Provided that the airline isn’t randomly removing people, there are a few things you can do to ensure you’re last on the list of people to be removed from the flight.

To start, Daily Passport suggests that those with airline status are less likely to get bumped. The same applies for those requiring special assistance or those traveling with unaccompanied minors. If one pays extra for higher-class seats, such as Premium Economy, First, or Business Class, they may also be less likely to be bumped.

If these factors do not apply to your next flight, the best way to ensure you’re not bumped is to check in early. Additionally, some claim that solo flyers are less likely to be bumped than those who book in a group.

Commenters Are Frustrated

In the comments section, users voiced their annoyance and anger at airline behavior.

“How is this even possible,” asked a user.

“41 is a crazy amount! That’s like 1/4 of the flight. They must have been asked to haul something they weren’t planning!” offered another.

“I never win anything and of all things this would be the time my name would be called,” joked a further TikToker.

BroBible reached out to American Airlines via email and Keara via TikTok direct message and comment.