A passenger thought she had the deal of a lifetime, until the offer was abruptly withdrawn and she was forced to take a humiliating ‘walk of shame’.
NBC 10 Philadelphia news anchor Frances Wang Frances Wang posted a TikTok video documents the ’embarrassing’ incident in which airline staff asked passengers to voluntarily board a later flight in exchange for a handsome paycheck.
The clip starts with her sitting in her chair, covering her mouth and laughing at herself.
“Guys, I just had a very embarrassing experience with American Air. I cried in front of the entire plane,” she wrote in a text overlay accompanying the clip.
Wang was excited when the intercom announced a $1,200 voucher for anyone willing to take another flight, and she jumped at the chance.
“Without even thinking about it, I’m like, ‘I’ll take it!’” Wang said. “I’m so excited, everyone’s cheering me on as I walk down the aisle. You’d think I just won a million dollars on a game show.”
Newsreader Frances Wang Frances thought she had made the deal of a lifetime to take a later flight, until her offer was met with a humiliating reality check that ended in a ‘walk of shame’ back to her seat
The clip begins with her sitting in her seat, covering her mouth and laughing at herself. “Guys I just had the most embarrassing experience on American Air in front of the entire plane, I’m in tears,” she wrote in a text overlay on the clip
Frances reached the front of the plane excitedly, ready to collect her voucher and disembark. Her joy turned to disappointment when she learned that another passenger had already taken the voucher.
Even the people sitting next to her in the seat commented on her ordeal in a short interview she conducted with other passengers.
A man told her, ‘She was cheered along the way.
“She made everyone’s day because everyone shared her joy and enthusiasm.”
Another passenger added: ‘You said “eh, never mind.” She had to walk back down the aisle, walk of shame. You owe her $1200 plus the refund of her ticket.’
But she walked up and down the aisle not once, but several times, after forgetting her backpack in another row.
“I had to walk up and down the aisle so many times,” she said.
The video has received over 51,000 likes and has become a viral hit, with viewers raving about its entertainment value.
The newsreader’s joy turned to disappointment when she learned that the passenger who was initially rejected had already accepted the voucher, but she made the best of it with her new friends from the plane
“I love the eyewitness accounts,” said one user, while another said the video was “a masterpiece, including the interviews with strangers.”
“Your fellow passengers are such a vibe! They will remember you, best friend,” added a third.
According to their website, American Airlines overbooks flights to avoid empty seats and potential price increases. They often ask passengers to voluntarily give up their seats for compensation, but in rare cases they may involuntarily deny boarding.