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American Airlines lifts ban on lesbian passenger after disputed misconduct claim

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American Airlines lifts ban on lesbian passenger after disputed misconduct claim
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An American Airlines passenger was prevented from flying from Albuquerque to New Orleans in June after being added to the airline’s banned customer list for past behavior. The passenger, who identifies as a lesbian, disputes the airline's claim that she had drunken sex with a man on a previous flight.

Erin Wright shared her experience on social media, stating, "Thanks for being the worst @American Airlines." She recounted that she was unable to check in for her flight to attend her sister’s bachelorette party and was advised to contact customer relations via email. Consequently, she purchased a walk-up ticket on another airline for $1,000 and lost the original $400 spent on her American Airlines ticket.

Wright said that after 12 days, American Airlines' corporate security team revealed the reason for the ban and subsequently lifted it. Her $400 ticket was refunded. Despite the inconvenience and additional cost of $1,000 for an alternative ticket, Wright noted that her TikTok video about the incident generated enough revenue after amassing 2.5 million views.

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In another update shared by Wright on TikTok, she reiterated her dissatisfaction with American Airlines. The airline has not publicly commented on this specific case. However, they confirmed that since travel was refused, the ticket had been refunded.

The broader issue highlighted by this incident is how airlines handle investigations into passenger behavior and decisions regarding bans. Clear communication with customers about such decisions is crucial.

During the pandemic, incidents involving passengers increased despite lower travel volumes due to mask mandates and alcohol restrictions in coach class. Although conditions have largely returned to normal post-pandemic, there are still more incidents per capita than before.

Airlines like Delta proposed extending bans across all airlines without judicial review if one airline decided to ban a passenger—a move criticized as unfair given each airline's differing standards for banning customers.

Several cases illustrate potential issues with such policies:

- Spirit Airlines mistakenly banned passengers over a mask incident.

- JetBlue called police on a passenger who objected to a flight attendant wearing certain pins.

- An American Airlines passenger faced a ban due to an agent’s rebooking error.

- United Airlines altered its rules so frequent complainers could be banned.

While these instances were eventually resolved or reversed individually, implementing Delta's plan could have exacerbated such situations unfairly.

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