North Carolina couple boards American flight for international trip. Five hours later, they are still on North Caroline

A couple’s summer trip just got off to an incredibly rocky start. The traveler, Kenna, took to TikTok and Instagram to document a grueling wait and subsequent cancellation when they were on their way to Switzerland. What was supposed to be a straightforward American Airlines red-eye flight from North Carolina to London, which was their connection to Geneva, quickly devolved into a situation where they were stuck in limbo, allegedly with little information.

Kenna captured the progression of the ordeal in a video where she bluntly stated, “@americanair you did not have to do us like this.” The video began with her happily telling her viewers, “I’m gonna take you guys along with me” as she went on her flights to Switzerland. However, the tone shifted dramatically once they boarded. She claimed, “We just boarded our plane, and we have a 45-minute delay because of lightning. We’re gonna be here for a while.

The clip then cuts to an hour later, when Kenna alleged, “We got delayed again. I’m going to lose my mind. Losing hope on our connecting flight with every minute that passes by.” After two hours of waiting, she had a realization, ”We’ve already missed our connecting flight and our bus. I’m so mad right now.” The clip cuts forward a few times, with Kenna noting that they still hadn’t moved. 

Five Hours Later

“It has been five hours, and we are still sitting here, no movement. Yet we’ve not heard anything from the captain for hours. American, what are you doing?” Kenna complained. The next time the clip cuts ahead, almost fifteen minutes later, it’s Kenna recording an announcement from the flight attendant. 

The crew member said, “Unfortunately, at this time, the flight is going to cancel. We’re going to go ahead and deplane. So if you could gather all of your belongings, make sure that you have everything from your seat, back pocket, um, and. And around you. Once again, we would like to apologize for this awful experience.”

Many of her viewers took to the comments section to wonder at the tarmac wait time. One user on Instagram wrote, “Aren’t there laws about how long they can keep you on the plane while not in the air? If it was going to be more than a 3 hour delay they should have deplaned.” Another commenter on TikTok added, “That should be illegal to keep you on the plane for 6 hours only to cancel the flight.”

According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), there are specific rules regarding tarmac delays for flights at U.S. airports. These regulations state that for international flights, airlines are required to provide passengers with an opportunity to safely get off the airplane before four hours have passed. Exceptions to these time limits are only allowed for safety, security, or air traffic control-related reasons. 

DOT also mandates that airlines provide food and water no later than two hours after the start of a tarmac delay, unless the pilot determines it is unsafe to do so. Furthermore, airlines must provide updates regarding the status of the delay when it exceeds 30 minutes. Recently, another AA flight was rerouted because of low fuel and then delayed at that stop with limited information.

American Airlines has its own tarmac delay contingency plan based on DOT guidelines. Their policy states that for international flights departing from or arriving at a U.S. airport, they will not permit an aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than four hours without providing an opportunity to deplane. 

The policy also includes requirements for maintaining comfortable cabin temperatures, providing working toilets, and ensuring adequate medical attention is available. A recent Ryanair flight failed some of these requirements when an hour’s wait with no AC allegedly led to some passengers fainting.

One TikToker who identified as a pilot noted, “As a pilot there’s nothing we can do. Lightening stops ground crew for safety and each strike within a certain distance resets the clock. After that we have duty times. We’ll do everything we can with some provisions but once a certain time hits we can get in serious trouble if we leave. I get it’s frustrating but I promise you we want to do the flight as much as you want to.”

Following the cancellation, Kenna shared that she and her boyfriend were rebooked on a flight for the next day, though it involved a different route with additional stops. To make matters worse, when they finally arrived at their destination, they discovered their luggage had not made it. It was, by all accounts, a tough start to their summer travel plans.