‘When I exited the gate’: American Airlines’ new ‘landline’ service is a new way to avoid the train but make everyone mad at the airport

American Airlines has officially entered a partnership with The Landline Company to replace some shorter regional flights with luxury bus connections. This is a move that is making some people absolutely lose it. If you’re booking what you think is a flight and it’s a connection between two major hubs, you might find yourself on a bus instead of a plane. That’s exactly what happened to creator Krista Moats (@kristamoats) when her connecting flight from South Bend, Indiana, to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) was swapped out, and she was stunned to find a luxury bus at the end of the gate ramp.

As she put it, “When I exited the gate to get on the plane… it was a bus.” This new service is wild because you board at the gate like any other flight. We’re talking zone by zone, just like normal, only to walk out the door and see a massive coach bus sitting there. At least it wasn’t that same airline bus with the Karen on it.

Moats shared her whole experience, explaining that it was a 2 1/2 hour bus ride from South Bend International Airport straight to Chicago O’Hare. She even mentioned the sheer absurdity of the moment, noting that the flight crew was “taking pictures of the unusual event on the tarmac” and that they were “driving beside planes when they were taxiing.” It sounds like something out of a comedy sketch.

Getting charged plane ticket prices for a bus

The Landline service is American Airlines’ attempt to reduce congestion at massive hubs like Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport. The idea is to create a “seamless” connection that cuts down on air traffic by moving regional passengers by ground instead of in the air. This sounds like a great idea on paper, since air travel is a mess at the moment, and anything that can reduce the number of short-haul flights is probably a plus.

On the other hand, the initial reaction from the actual traveler, Krista Moats, was surprisingly positive. She found the experience to be “super awesome” and that she “would totally do it again.” It’s better than being trapped on a terminal.

She had to make a follow-up video, though, because commenters were immediately confused and mad about the whole thing. It turns out Moats’ trip originated in New York, and the South Bend to Chicago leg was just a connection, which is important context. People were initially skewering her for booking a flight on such a short route, but even with the clarification, the new ground service is getting some major backlash.

The internet’s main problem is that this new “landline” service blurs the line between air and ground travel in the worst possible way. As one commenter put it, you have to ask yourself, “So they made you pay airplane money for a bus ticket?” That sentiment was everywhere, with another user demanding, “That better have been a bus ticket price for bus service.” This is the core issue for anyone who loves a deal: you’re using airport infrastructure and prices for a bus ride.