Some American Airlines travelers felt “kidnapped” after a recent flight gone wrong.
Every week , the cyberspace delivers newtravel contentthat make menever want to leavemy house again . This week , the TV that has me worried about getting on an airplane comes from @ItalianKate on TikTok . In a video viewed 6.3 million time , a traveller ( @griptape _ on TikTok ) contingent how a flight from Puerto Rico to Miami became a quasi - hostage situation .
As excuse in the TV , passengers aboard the American Airlines trajectory take off from Puerto Rico only to spend two hours fly in circle . The plane then made a landing in the Bahamas , where the passengers had to debark . But because it was a domestic flight , most passengers on the flight were n’t conduct their passports , which mean that they could n’t leave the gate .
“ Puerto Rico to the US is a different domestic flight of stairs , ” the speaker in the picture allege . “ The Bahamas is a different country … We landed at 8:30 , it is now 5:40 in the morning . ”
Screenshots via TikTok
The person explain that he had to read the information from gate agents into Spanish and that they had only been offered Biscoff Cookies in the six to seven hours they had been trapped at the airport . Some people had medication that was still on the airplane that they were n’t able to access .
For reference , the average meter for a flying between San Juan , Puerto Rico and Miami , Florida is two hours and 34 instant . By the metre the TikTok was filmed , eight or nine minute had passed since the expiration from Puerto Rico . Reportedly , by the clip the plane departed , the passengers without passport had been pin in the airport end , lock away behind the walls of a single gate for 14 hours .
" We have one bathroom for 100 citizenry , dogs , children , " the verbalizer continues . " Hopefully , we get a refund at the end of this . "
In the remark segment , mass described the rider from the flights as " kidnapped " and encouraged passengers to speak with an lawyer . While watching TikTok , I could n’t help but wonder : should we always be packing our passport on domesticated flights ? Fortunately , no .
This is unquestionably an uncommon scenario that we do n’t often find out about , so no wonder citizenry were fabulously defeated when they learned they could not pull up stakes the airport,“Going’stravel expert Katy Nastro tell apart Thrillist . " One of the benefits of locomote between the US and Puerto Rico is the fact that you’re able to move passport - less . "
Nasto say it is rare for domestic flight to be rerouted to international destinations . " Even when taking hurricane time of year into account , when we see flight recreation befall more commonly due to weather , it ’s still less common , " Nastro said .
grant to American Airlines , atmospheric condition is what stimulate this nightmare ( and rare ) position .
" On August 3 , American Airlines flight 2421 with servicing from Puerto Rico ( SJU ) to Miami ( MIA ) was impacted by severe atmospheric condition and diverted to Nassau ( NAS ) , " an American Airlines representative tell Thrillist . " The flying retain on to MIA once the weather precondition allowed us to safely do so . Operating safely is always our antecedence — especially in dynamical weather events — and we rationalise to our customers for the inconvenience experienced as a resultant of the atmospheric condition . "
The airline business did not comment on whether or not the passengers on the flight of stairs were compensated for the time they were trapped at the Nassau , Bahamas drome . As grave weather does become more vulgar , specially in regions of the reality known to have hurricane and other major storm systems , pack your passport — even on domestic flights — definitely ca n’t hurt . " There ’s no say you ca n’t use your passport as a strain of ID , so if it throw you a morsel more peace of mind ( of travel ) judgement , then go for it , " Nastro says .
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