‘Do THEY know its not a plane?’: American Airlines traveler shows up to flight only to discover its not a flight at all

In the ever growing roster of hilarious flight stories on TikTok, we may have just found a winner! Imagine showing up at the airport, boarding pass in hand, only to find that your “plane” is actually… a bus! That’s exactly what happened to the TikTok video creator, Devan Donahue’s husband. 

Donahue recently shared his bizarre American Airlines experience, and it’s sure to set off a belly laugh or two. Devan’s video has since taken off, sparking a wave of hilarious reactions from viewers who could relate all too well to her husband’s unexpected journey.

Boarding passes ready?

In a video posted a few days ago, Devan explains how her husband, who was traveling for work, headed to Philadelphia for a connecting “flight” to Allentown. Expecting to board a plane, he instead found himself staring at a bus waiting at the gate. 

Completely bewildered, he texted Devan right away, sending her photos of the bus and his boarding pass. The pass clearly displayed a flight number, making the whole thing even more confusing. Devan laughed as she shared the story, joking that she’d never heard of this kind of travel mix-up before. 

At first, she thought the bus might just be there to shuttle him to the plane on the tarmac. But once he stepped inside, he realized it wasn’t a temporary ride to the runway — this was his actual “flight.” 

Interestingly enough, the bus had some surprisingly plane-like features. According to Devan’s husband, it included a safety card and even a pre-departure announcement, just like on an airplane. And that’s not all! The cramped seating was all too familiar, and when he tried to switch seats to get a bit more space, he was told he couldn’t due to weight distribution concerns on the bus. 

The “flight” gone wrong

Despite her husband’s initial frustration, the two have found plenty of humor in the story since. Their followers did too, and the video’s comment section is full of similar “bus disguised as a flight” tales. One commenter mentioned that they’d once thought “BUS” on their ticket meant they’d been upgraded to Business Class, only to be surprised by the bus ride awaiting them. Another shared their experience of misreading “BUS” on a ticket as an Airbus jet, only to learn it meant an hours-long road trip, instead of a quick flight. 

As the comments kept rolling in, a traveler finally provided some clarity for Devan and her husband. They explained that the little plane icon on his “boarding pass” was automatically added by Apple Wallet and not American Airlines. Apparently, the fine print stated several times during booking that this connection was a bus ride, but he clearly missed it. 

While he was understandably annoyed at the time, Devan’s husband has since let go of the frustration and joined in on the laughs. The couple now looks back on what is now a funny travel memory and a great story to tell. In the end, this mix-up brought a bit of unexpected fun to what would’ve been a routine work trip. And for Devan’s TikTok audience, it’s just another reason to check the details, maybe more closely than her husband did, when booking a flight that might just turn out to be a “road trip” in disguise.