Friday, March 29, 2024

Woman Accuses American Airlines of Racism Over Downgraded Seat

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*A black woman, who was traveling with her white friend, has accused American Airlines of racial discrimination after she was bumped from first-class, reports the Daily Mail.

Rane Baldwin says she and her white friend, Jane Novack, had tickets to fly from Louisville, Kentucky to Charlotte, North Carolina on May 2. Earlier, those tickets had been upgraded to first-class, said Baldwin.

But when the pair arrived at the gate and their boarding passes were scanned, Novack was assigned a seat in first-class, while Baldwin was given a seat in the back of the plane. The agent explained that the aircraft had been changed and now had less first-class seats than did the previous plane.

American Airlines said it has reached out to Baldwin with an apology, but maintains the decision to downgrade Baldwin’s seat was not based on lack of space, not her race.

Baldwin, however, told The Root that the discrimination extended beyond the seating shortage. She told the publication after the pair boarded the plane, Baldwin asked a flight attendant for an explanation but was ignored. But when Novack asked the same questions, she was given a much fuller explanation of what had transpired.

Although Baldwin was assigned a seat at the back of the plane, there were empty rows near the front of the aircraft, although not in first-class. Baldwin told The Root, “I’ve never felt so unimportant in my whole life.” She said she was the one who bought the tickets and believes the airline made incorrect assumptions that she was travelling with Novack, not the other way around.

Baldwin added she felt like she was in a time warp and being sent to the back of the bus. She asked herself, “Is this what it felt like to be black 60 years ago?”

Novack was just as angry, noting her friend held an AAdvantage Platinum Select/World Elite card and should have not been treated as she was. Novack agreed she received full answers to her questions while Baldwin did not.

Novack ended up leaving her first-class seat and both women sat together in the empty rows near the front of the plane.

In its apology to Baldwin, American Airlines said that what happened was as a result of “agent error” and the company is working with the agent to prevent this situation from ever happening again.

American also said the two women were never charged for first-class seats; they were upgraded at no cost after their initial flight was cancelled. According to the airline, Novack was allowed to remain in first-class because her ticket was processed first.

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