Back-to-back flights can be stressful enough, but for two brothers landing in Atlanta from Japan, their experience with Delta quickly went from bad to worse.
From accused extortion by agents to a lack of presence, Delta hasn’t had the best reputation as of late. But this might be its biggest mistake yet.
In a series of viral TikToks, mother Cameron Luke (@lakeviewliving) walked viewers through the brothers’ intense experience flying Delta. She also included her own thoughts and involvement.
As she explained in the videos, her sons had traveled from Jacksonville to Okinawa, Japan. An hour before leaving for the flight, one of her sons felt unwell. So, relatives got in touch with her saying he was too sick to fly.
The only flight they could find was one with lots of layovers, including South Korea. By the time they tried to purchase the ticket, it was unavailable. Consequently, the boys decided to tough it out.
The Long Journey Home With Delta
They flew from Okinawa to Tokyo, but when they got to Tokyo, all flights were shut down, and they were sat on the tarmac for 4 hours. The boys then diverted from Tokyo to Atlanta, then to Seattle. As they took off for Seattle, the boy was still unwell. However, Luke later got an update that they landed in Seattle. But this good news didn’t last long: they sat on Seattle’s tarmac for an additional two hours. When they later arrived in Atlanta, they missed their connecting flight to Jacksonville.
Luke called out Delta, claiming that they didn’t do anything to help. Notably, the airline apparently didn’t tell those with connecting flights not to go through customs right now. If they did, they wouldn’t be able to get back into the airport because TSA is closed. So, predictably, when her sons go through TSA, it’s closing. This meant they were left to sleep outside of the airport. Luke is unhappy with this. She claims that the airport is the number 1 human trafficking spot in the U.S.
Luke then vows to never fly with Delta again before continuing her story.
She Tried To Get Security To Help
Luke says she then called security, asking for her children to be placed in a security office for the night. The guard refused, pointing out that one of the children is an adult (18). As for the 16-year-old, he argued that he was with his older brother. When she asked again for him to escort them somewhere safer, he refused. The guard says they’ll be fine as TSA opens at 1am.
According to Luke’s husband, her calling the 18-year-old a “baby adult” didn’t help matters. In response, she said, “If you can’t look at an 18-year-old and see that hey, he might need a little bit of help… hey, this is pretty stressful for a 50-year-old, much less an 18-year-old, but sure, OK.”
Because they were six and a half hours away, she couldn’t fetch them herself. She ends her fourth video by calling Delta “slimy,” expressing her disappointment, and highlighting how the security guard was unwilling to even help the two.
Did They Get Home Safely?
The TikToker then made multiple update videos.
She announced that the children were home, but maintained that Delta and Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport “dropped the ball.” She also repeated that Delta should have “unequivocally” known that they weren’t going to be able to get through customs fast enough. Luke also remarked how TSA told the whole group to come back in the morning despite knowing they had connecting/early flights.
With her boys left outside of the airport, the TikTok user says she gave her sons a “crash course” in human trafficking. She then remarked that Delta, as well as identifying that her sons weren’t going to make their connecting flight, should have asked TSA to stay open.
Luke says she stayed on the phone with her children all night, advising them not to act if they saw anything unusual. However, she did praise a Cascade Cab Company for driving one of her sons to McDonald’s when he was extremely hungry. The system was down, and they could take only cash. So, when her son asked to be taken just to the racetrack, the driver said he had cash in his wallet and could add it to the fare. There was no food at the airport, not even vending machines. She ended the first video by asserting that Delta should have done something and expressed her anger at the “condescending and rude” security guard.
She Stands On Her Decisions
In her second update video, Luke remarked that someone asked her who she thought she was. She said she was”not sorry” for calling security and asking for children to be put in the security office. She added that she will “never apologize” for doing what’s right for her and her boys.
The TikToker then praised her boys for being “phenomenal “at international travel, remarking that it’s not their fault that TSA closed and Delta didn’t warn anyone. She added that Delta shouldn’t have made the connecting flight and that they should’ve been prepared to put people up for the night.
Luke also remarked how the security guard referenced how she wanted him to prioritize her sons “out of hundreds and thousands of people.” But she doesn’t care.
Luke said she “cannot imagine begrudging a mother” for doing everything they can to keep boys safe.
Her final update was in response to a commenter who said they had a friend on the flight who said they wished she could’ve let them go to the hotel with their family. She repeated how she drummed it into her sons not to accept any help. So much so that they rejected a couple’s offer to include them in their food order. So, she said that if they offered, they’d have just said no.
“I wish we lived in a world where we could help our neighbors like this, but we can’t anymore because there’s just too many bad people out there,” she said.
BroBible reached out to Luke via Instagram direct message, the airport via email, and Delta via contact form.
People Are On Her Side
In the comments section of the fourth (and most viral) video, users shared their thoughts.
“Why does TSA close at all?” one asked. “That def feels like something that should be open all day/night.”
“Why do we say they’re adults at 18?” a second added. “They can’t buy tobacco products, alcohol, rent a hotel room or a rental car!”
“People in these comments who are unconcerned have clearly never been to the Atlanta airport,” a third remarked.
“He literally could’ve just went & checked on them you are SECURITY idk seems like that would fall under that,” a fourth said. “People need to have more of a heart.”
And a fifth commented, “I had the same exact situation 2 weeks ago. They had us wait in lines for an additional 4 hours and then didn’t even get us a food voucher. Look into the Westynn hotel. They have a shuttle service to/from the airport and affordable rooms.”
Is There A Human Trafficking Problem In Atlanta?
A 2019 news report by WTOC-TV indicates that human trafficking is a prominent issue in the city.
During Super Bowl 53, the FBI reported that, across 11 days, they arrested 169 people. Of those arrested were 34 people attempting to abuse minors and 23 traffickers. A total of nine victims were found, with the youngest being 14.
Brian Kemp, who was governor at the time, said, “In this city, Atlanta has become a hub for human trafficking. Innocent children are simply being sold for sex. Evil people committing evil deeds all to turn a profit.”
The outlet also cited non-profit Street Grace, which reported that 3,600 minors were sold in sex slavery a year in Georgia.
It has also been claimed that 9% of people who abuse trafficking victims do so near the airport.
Recently, ahead of the World Cup, the airport held a human trafficking summit to help tackle the expected rise of the issue.