Air travel has come to a halt.
Passengers flying with American Airlines are feeling let down, thinking they booked a flight only to find themselves on a bus instead.
A woman journeying from South Bend, Indiana, to Chicago O’Hare made it through security and reached the gate, only to discover her luggage had been loaded onto a parked bus.
She thought the bus was just transportation to the plane, but that wasn’t the case.
“There are no planes,” Kennedy Woodard Jones expressed. “I took a moment to realize that this wasn’t about flying.”
It was only when the American Airlines-branded bus left the tarmac and hit the road that Woodard-Jones figured out the flight she paid for was essentially a bus ride.
Feeling a bit panicked, she shared her unsought road trip experience online.
In her post, she wrote, “When you buy a plane ticket from American Airlines, you board a bus on the tarmac and think it’s taking you to the plane, but it just starts driving you to your destination.”
She wasn’t alone; a group of travelers unintentionally made bus reservations using American Airlines’ landline phone service.
Launched in 2018, Landline provides a “premium coach experience” connecting travelers between Philadelphia and Chicago O’Hare and smaller nearby airports.
Woodard Jones, who flies regularly, pointed out that there was no indication of a bus when she booked her travel.
The Landline service also collaborates with Air Canada and Sun Country Airlines to facilitate transport from rural areas to major hubs that used to be serviced by smaller planes.
“We’re saving them time and money while delivering a great travel experience,” noted Landline Company CEO David Sunde.
He mentioned that the service operates “like a plane,” even though it doesn’t mirror actual flight schedules.
According to the airline, customers can earn AAdvantage miles and points, check baggage, and enjoy free Wi-Fi with power at every seat.
Sunde defended the transparency about bus services when bookings are made, stating that the motorcoach journey ensures travelers avoid airport parking fees.
However, Woodard-Jones maintained that there was no hint of bus transportation at the time of her booking.
Still, Sunde argued that individuals like Woodard-Jones, unaware they were booking a bus trip, could find the experience “pleasantly surprising.”
But feedback suggests otherwise.
A roofing business owner voiced his frustration, calling out American Airlines for selling a first-class ticket redeemable only for a one-hour bus trip.
“Can I sell my roof and install a new driveway instead?” he quipped. “How obscure was that fine print? It’s ridiculous.”
His ordeal echoed that of a woman from New York who gained attention last year for a similar surprise bus ride.
A TikTok video detailing her experience garnered over 2 million views.
“POV: When an American Airlines ‘flight’ was actually a bus,” wrote user Alex, overlaying text on her video of the startling ride.
She highlighted confusion because her boarding pass displayed a flight icon.
The Upstate woman also passed through security only to see an American Airlines flight number on the board, alongside an airplane icon, with passengers boarding by group number.
She was particularly perplexed as American Airlines clearly states when the first leg of the journey involves a bus, contrasting with the more vague mentions on Google Flights.
“I went back and checked to see if I missed something, but I didn’t,” she clarified. “That part is definitely unclear.”
On Google Flights, she argued, it’s reasonable to expect you’re booking actual flights.
According to Sunde, the ultimate aim of Landline is to “enhance America’s airport infrastructure and make it more accessible to everyone…”
