‘How Is This Legal?’: Woman Books American Airlines Flight A Month In Advance. Then She Tries To Go To The Capital One Lounge

A woman booked a flight with American Airlines a month in advance. When she arrived, she was in for an unpleasant surprise. She found out the airline can put passengers on the standby list if they don’t check in 24 hours in advance. 

Content creator SFlyer MD (@sflyermd), an anesthesia and critical care physician who primarily posts educational content on TikTok, switched up her routine posts after getting put on standby by American Airlines.

In her post, which has over 162,000 views, she expresses her frustration with American when compared to other airlines. “[This] has never been an issue when I was flying United and I’m flying American,” the content creator said.

SFlyer didn’t respond to a direct message sent via TikTok.

The Creator’s American Airlines Experience

When the doctor arrived at the airport, she originally thought there was something wrong with her ticket. She kept getting confusing messages when she tried to check in for her flight. Nevertheless, she made it through security and headed to the Capital One Lounge, a spot for credit card holders who pay $125 annually for access.

That’s when she learned she didn’t have a seat number and thus wouldn’t be allowed to enter the lounge. It turned out that American Airlines had put her on standby because her flight was oversold. She says staff explained that because she didn’t check in for the flight 24 hours in advance, she was deprioritized and placed on standby.

“How do you buy a ticket a month ago to go to work and they just put you on standby?” she says in the video. “…Never been an issue when I was flying United. Now I’m flying American. God forbid.”

This was news to her. SFlyer had no idea she could be penalized for not checking in early.

“ I thought that [expletive] only happened on [expletive] Frontier and, and Spirit. That [expletive] happens with American. I am so pissed right now,” she said.  “I can’t get into Capital One Lounge ’cause I don’t have a seat assignment. I came extra early to eat dinner. I can’t. I may not be able to get on my flight.”

She also says that because she had a “bad attitude” about the situation, airline staff told her they may not even let her on the flight if a seat did open up.

American Airlines did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Can Airlines Legally Put Passengers On Standby?

SFlyer notes that airlines are allowed to put ticketed passengers on standby. Many airlines bump paying passengers to other flights if a flight is oversold.

Typically, though, when a flight is oversold, gate agents seek volunteers to take a later flight. They receive compensation, such as meal vouchers or credit with the airline. In worst case scenarios, American Airlines even pays upward of $1,550 to people who are bumped from their flight. 

Sometimes, though, airlines automatically put passengers on standby or a different flight entirely. Checking in helps them account for who is most likely to show up for the flight.

People who commented on SFlyer’s post pointed this out.

“Baby, I don’t care what airline I’m flying; in 24 hours I’m checking in. Yes, they oversell flights and if it’s full and need to standby passengers, that check-in order better be right,” one said.

Others were more sympathetic, however. As one wrote, “The check in system is kinda bizarre anyway—I have to buy a ticket and then check in to prove I’m going somehow ? Buying the ticket isn’t enough?”

@sflyermd Yes I am pissed. This is a first for me. #americanairlines #flying #travel #bullshit #airlines ♬ original sound – SFlyer MD