A TikTok video has gone viral after a couple and their toddler were denied boarding on a flight because they were two and a half minutes late.
American Airlines disappointed the couple by not being able to fly out of Miami and allowing waiting passengers to board the flight instead.
A waiting couple in front, whose tickets had been reallocated, was allowed to sit.
The video, which has garnered 4.1 million views on TikTok, shows Miss Bauer confronting airline staff at the gate.
She captioned the clip: “The flight is open and they’ve given our seats to someone else, even though we have a… baby.” What a disgrace to American Airlines.”
Miss Bauer can be heard saying, “So you’re going to give them our seats?”
The airline employee replies, “Yes. There are 12 minutes and 27 seconds to go.”
“It’s still open. I’m a platinum executive, you know that? I’m a platinum executive and you’re transferring my ticket to someone else. Wait. The plane is open, you’re just giving out our seats,” says Miss Bauer.
The airline employee keeps telling her that she should know the rules as a platinum member.
Miss Bauer’s husband can be heard saying, “When [the flight] was closed, you will not give them to anyone else.’
The couple who had been assigned seats and the airline employee then exited and boarded the plane, leaving the disgruntled mother, her toddler and her partner standing at the gate.
The mother added: “They let them go. We were right behind them and they gave way to us. Can you believe it? With our child and everything here.”
The TikToker claims that American Airlines did not resolve her complaint about the March 21 incident to her satisfaction.
They reportedly responded to her email on April 28, saying that because the issue was related to a filed misconduct claim, no compensation was available.
In a separate video, Miss Bauer admits she got frustrated and became vocal, but said she did not disrespect or swear at anyone, nor was she violent or aggressive.
She claimed that initially when they reached the gate and were told by the flight attendants that boarding was over, she was calm and turned to her husband and said, “We’ve missed our flight.”
A passer-by apparently told the couple that boarding was not closed because they had given up their seats to a couple standing near the counter.
Many people in the comments believed that the airline was wrong in this case, and other passengers said that they had similar experiences.
Jasmin Shrestha wrote: “I missed my international flight! The gate was open, but it was like you can’t … I was stuck for 18 hours.”
However, there were some people who believed that the couple who were late for their flight were to blame.
“Stupid, get to your gate on time! Did they buy the plane and all the seats on that flight,” wrote one TikToker.
“Play stupid games, win stupid prizes,” said another, while another said: “Yeah, don’t drop ‘I’m a platinum executive’ if you can’t follow the rules.”
The American Airlines website clearly states, “Boarding for most flights begins 30-50 minutes before scheduled departure, but exact times vary by destination and aircraft.
Boarding ends 15 minutes before departure. If you are not on board, we may transfer your seat to another passenger. You will not be allowed to board as soon as the doors close.’
Flight attendant Mariah also expressed her passionate opinion on the situation on TikTok.
She said: “Just because the plane is physically there doesn’t mean you can still get on it. There’s a reason why you can only check in until a certain time before your flight departs.
“For most airlines, the flight closes 15 minutes before departure, which means if you’re not there before 15 minutes… the flight leaves without you.
“Get to your gate as fast as you can. You are late for your flight. Be better next time.”
American Airlines has been reached for comment.
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