A husband and wife decided to take an American Airlines flight after honeymooning in Curaçao. Then, on the way back to their home state of New York, American Airlines delayed a number of flights due to severe weather conditions.
The couple expressed frustration with the situation on the wife, Ena’s, page (@every1lovesenaaa), adding that any attempts to contact American Airlines were futile unless it was a message to the company’s X account. American Airlines ended up re-routing them to New Orleans and then New York, making their total flight time “40 hours” by the end of it. In a video over 38,000 views, they detailed the entire situation, including the ways in which customer service discussed their options with them across varying channels.
American Airlines Flight to New York Gets Delayed
After a peaceful honeymoon to Curaçao, Ena says she and her husband were ready to head back home. But they ended up experiencing a full-day detour that would circumvent their plans to travel back.
They had a flight from Curaçao to Miami that was supposed to take off to give them a perfect 50-minute layover in Miami. They were supposed to leave at 4:41 p.m., but due to multiple delays, they ended up leaving the airport at 6:45 p.m. instead.
The delays cost them, as they were definitely not going to make their flight from Miami to New York, which was going to leave later in the night. On the plane over to Miami, they desperately tried to fix the situation.
The Couple Gets on the Phone With an American Airlines Agent
Ena says she and her husband both immediately tried to remotely contact a customer agent while on their flight to Miami. While they did try the American Airlines customer service line, they actually got help sooner with one of American Airlines’ social media accounts. Ena’s husband ended up sending the company’s X account multiple messages. He heard back within a short amount of time.
It’s unclear how long Ena and her husband actually waited for a customer service representative to speak to them. However, Ena says American Airlines estimated that representatives would take an hour and 30 minutes to even speak to them. Finally, after some time, they did have a conversation about their flight.
When they tried to ask about any flights they could take that night, the customer service representative immediately booked them for a flight. They would fly from Miami to New Orleans to New York the next day. That route would effectively keep them on a plane or in an airport for 24+ more hours. So, they immediately tried to find something else.
American Airlines Offers Little Help
Ena says American Airlines refused to rebook for them, instead emphasizing that the flight to New Orleans and then to New York was their only option. The representative they chatted with told them it was the “best option,” something that Ena specifically refuted. Ena emphasized that she told them to “literally check any other airport. … Find me a better flight with a shorter layover,” but the agent wouldn’t budge.
Meanwhile, the social media representative that Ena’s husband was discussing the issue with on X was saying the same thing. That representative added that there was nothing they could do about the situation, either.
That left them with one option. Sleep on the floor of the Miami airport for a long day of flying the next day or keep trying. They still wanted to get home at a reasonable hour, so they persisted.
The Couple Tries To Find Their Own Flight—With Mixed Results
Ena decided to take the situation into her own hands, and she found another flight they could take. But, while waiting for an agent to respond to their request for that flight, the entire flight got booked. They didn’t even have an opportunity to get a ticket.
Then, when they finally did land in Miami, they ended up having to wait around three hours in “zone four.” During that time, they realized that their original plane to New York had also gotten delayed. It was still there, and they could theoretically still get on it.
They tried to reach out to a customer representative—again—only to hear devastating news. The company had booked their original seats, giving them away to other passengers. The only option they had left, then, was to sleep in Miami and take a flight the next day. The couple was extremely frustrated, but they ultimately accepted the situation.
There were almost no restaurants open in Miami either—except for a Subway with an extraordinarily long wait—so after having no food throughout the day, taking a long flight from Curaçao, and getting delayed, they had very little energy. While grateful for the representative on social media who tried to help them, they reflected that they wouldn’t be flying with American Airlines again.
Commenters Add Thoughts on Delayed American Airlines Flights
Many people had sympathy for the couple and what they went through. But others thought it was risky to book a flight with a 50-minute layover, especially considering they had to go through customs. Viewers told the couple that they should have planned for some delays and booked a later flight, considering.
“Yea so obviously you guys haven’t flown a lot because 50 minutes its NOT ENOUGH TIME and have you not seen the weather reports,” one viewer said.
Another added, “It’s called extreme severe weather and thunderstorms in Miami and other areas of Florida. [It] makes it unsafe to fly, which [has] caused grounding [and] delays all throughout Florida and other places inbound. It’s called the domino effect [and] it’s part of flying. It’s a risk [you] always take, but be grateful they didn’t try to fly it because the plane could easily crash…. That’s why they grounded the planes.”
Ena’s Response to Online Criticism
Ena emphasized in the comments section that the issue wasn’t that their flight got delayed. It was that American Airlines essentially forced them into a flight the next day to New Orleans and then again to New York. Ena said that the airline should have at least compensated them with a hotel room or something for the issues.
But airlines don’t have to provide lodging for weather-related delays and rebookings, nor do they have to provide compensation.
After 40 hours in airports and the sky, Ena and her husband did finally make it home. They added that the entire situation was horrible, but they were home safe.
AllHipHop reached out to Ena via TikTok direct message and comment. We’ve also emailed an American Airlines press contact for more information. We’ll let you know if either party responds.
@every1lovesenaaa DO BETTER!!!!!!! @American Airlines @Miami International Airport #miamiairport #americanairlines #travel #nyc #fyp ♬ original sound – ena 💌💌💌💌