It’s a popular time to travel—which means that a lot of people are finding themselves facing issues at the airport.
For example, last holiday season, almost 30% of Southwest Airlines flights were delayed by 15 minutes or more. This holiday season, passengers are experiencing massive delays and widespread flight cancellations. Last Friday, there were over 7,600 delayed flights in the country in a single day.
Even if one manages to get on their flight, that doesn’t mean they’re actually going to get to their destination, as one TikTok user recently learned.
What Happened During This American Airlines Flight?
In a series of videos, TikTok user Jordann (@manic.jorr) recounts her unpleasant experience on an American Airlines flight.
Her first video shows a full flight that has landed at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. There’s just one problem. No one is getting off the plane.
“Currently the cabin door on my first ever American flight will not open!” she writes in the text overlaying the video. “Texting my lawyer now.”
Eventually, the captain came on over the intercom to inform passengers that they will be able to exit the plane via stairs, not a jet bridge. This requires a security escort. Still, even after the security escort arrives, the passengers are unable to disembark.
“Update: American Airlines has called the police yet we have been trapped on a plane for over a hour doors still locked,” the TikToker writes in the overlay text of a follow-up video. “what is the purpose of emergency exits if we can’t use them?”
The Problem Is Finally Solved
Eventually, Jordann says that everyone was able to leave the plane. The entire process took 2 hours and 33 minutes.
“Update: we are off the plane,” she writes in the overlay text of another video. “First and last flight ever on American Airlines.”
So what exactly went wrong on this flight? It’s unclear. There hasn’t been reporting showing that American Airlines had a notable issue during any recent flight into Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
Based on what the pilot stated and what was relayed by Jordann, it seems that there could be a misunderstanding about the issue that prevented passengers from disembarking.
What Causes This Problem?
Figuring out the cause of the issue involves determining what the problem actually was.
There are a few things that could have gone wrong. First, the flight crew may have noted pressurization issues within the cabin. This could make the door difficult to open, even after landing.
Second, the issue may not have been with the door on the plane but a different door or another part of the jet bridge. In her TikTok, the captain says passengers will deplane via stairs because no jet bridge is available yet. That suggests a ground logistics or gate assignment delay rather than a mechanical failure of the aircraft door.
Unfortunately for Jordann, she’s likely not entitled to any compensation for this issue. The Department of Transportation requires that passengers must be able to safely disembark within three hours after landing. Jordann’s 2-hour-and-33-minute wait, while long, fits within this limit. Additionally, the DOT notes that “exceptions to the time limits are allowed only for safety, security, or air traffic control-related reasons.”
The TikToker Responds
In an email to BroBible, Jordann said that American Airlines has not reached out to her since the incident.
“No one reached out nor did they apologize. The front desk was even worse. I was having a full-blown panic attack when I got off the plane as I have high function anxiety, and I’m known for panic attacks and a manager had to scream at an associate to take me to my medication, which is was on my carry-on because the flight was oversold and they asked for people to check their bags,” she started.
“Me being local, I said, ‘I’ll check my bag as I’m not in a hurry when I get off the plane,'” she continued. “Normally, I travel with my service dog — who just got retired because he has an enlarged heart and no longer can travel — so this was my first flight without him, which was very stressful, but in general, there was lack of communication.”
According to Jordann, the pilot himself admitted that he wasn’t certain how to handle the situation and that it was “not normal.” Jordann says that “wasn’t comforting.”
“They definitely were leaving us in the dark of what the actual issue was — and then next thing we know, two hours later, we’re surrounded by police,” she said. “So, it was definitely crazy.”
@manic.jorr @American Airlines 😭😭😭 #Fyp #americanairlines
Commenters Say It’s Not A Big Deal
In the comments section, some users weren’t convinced that this was as big of an issue as Jordann was making it out to be.
“Ain’t no reason to call a lawyer,” wrote a user.
“I love how everyone wants to sue everyone for a slight inconvenience,” said another.
“Just relax, it could be a jet bridge issue,” offered a third.
“Is your lawyer also a part time airplane mechanic? Cause I can’t see how an attorney could hold right in this moment,” shared a further TikToker.
BroBible reached out to American Airlines via email.