Woman stuck at airport for hours as American Airlines flight gets delayed. Then she receives a voucher: ‘$12 for a 6 hour delay is absolutely insane’

A delayed American Airlines flight left one passenger facing hours of disruption, and a $12 voucher she felt did little to make up for it. Natalier Collins (@nataliercollins) shared her experience on TikTok, explaining how an engine issue forced passengers off a plane headed for JFK after they had already spent time on the tarmac.

According to Collins, the flight was originally scheduled to leave at 11:30 a.m. She also described the difficulties she faced trying to find another flight.

In the clip, she described boarding the plane, starting to leave the gate, and then being told to return because of an engine issue. She said the aircraft had already been on the tarmac for about 30 minutes when the problem was announced.

Airline delay commitments and the $12 voucher

Collins explained that passengers were told the process would take a long time, so everyone had to deplane and collect their belongings. She noted that she had volunteered to check a bag containing her medication because the flight was full and she was seated in the last row. According to her account, no other American Airlines flights were available, and a later departure at 5:00 had already been full before the delay began.

After roughly one and a half to two hours, she said the airline announced the plane was cleared and boarding would resume soon. She described the mood shifting as paperwork was completed. About 30 minutes later, the airline reportedly reversed the all-clear, stating that more tests were needed and that the flight might be canceled.

Collins said passengers began trying to rebook while prices on other airlines rose to about $2,000 for flights to New York. She stated that she booked a Southwest flight to a different location on Long Island scheduled for 5 o’clock. At around 2:30, she went to the counter and asked about a voucher because more than three hours had passed, but she was told the airline no longer provides them.

She explained that she could cancel her American Airlines ticket but would not be able to retrieve her checked bag immediately, and that the bag would be sent to a carousel if the flight was canceled. Because her medication was inside the bag and she had none at home, she said she felt unable to leave the airport even though she lives locally.

She said she canceled the Southwest booking, reserved a morning flight instead, and kept the original ticket in case the delayed flight still operated. She is not the only traveler to be stranded by back-to-back American Airlines delays.

Collins said the airline indicated it would know by around 5 o’clock whether the flight would depart. She then received a $12 voucher for the inconvenience. In the video she asked, “What am I going to get at the airport that is $12?” and noted that the voucher could not be used for alcohol, leaving a bottle of water as the main option at that price. She added that food items on the menus started at $15 or more.

She calculated that the delay had already reached four hours and would reach six hours by 5:00, with no firm promise the flight would operate. The caption of her post reads, “$12 for a 6 hour delay is absolutely insane.” She described sitting in the terminal with a Dirty Martini while waiting for an update and for a grilled cheese she still had to pay for. She ended the video by saying, “So f–k you, American Airlines.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard lists commitments by major carriers for controllable delays and cancellations, which include issues such as maintenance problems.

For American Airlines, the dashboard shows a commitment to rebook passengers on the same airline or a partner at no extra cost, and to provide a meal or meal voucher after a wait of three hours or more. It does not list a commitment to cash compensation or a credit/travel voucher for delays of three hours or more.

Viewers who commented on the video shared their reactions to the $12 amount and the overall situation. One commenter wrote, “$12 is ridiculous.” Another remarked on the presentation, stating, “Love the mid sip of martini while telling us about what happened lol.”

A third commenter compared carriers, writing, “AA is the worst now that Spirit Airlines is gone!” One more viewer pointed to a different airline, saying, “this is why united is the goat. 50k+ plus miles this year 0 issues.” In another incident, passengers were left stranded after the crew timed out following a fuel warning.