When someone steals from you, you’re left with a kind of awful emotional stew of rage and helplessness. Not only did you lose an object you own, you lose a little trust in humanity.
That’s the allegation one frequent flier is making against American Airlines. In a recent flight from Phoenix to Pittsburgh, she says that the security of her luggage was breached: Her makeup bag was stolen. And Fahimah (@feefeleef) says the airline was totally dismissive of her claim.
Fahimah says, “Let me make one thing very clear, I never get online to be speaking negatively about anything.” But this is something she’s willing to make an exception for. She’s an AAdvantage member and a very specific and meticulous packer. “When I landed in Pittsburgh my make-up bag was missing from my bag. It was stolen. It was removed,” she says.
But when she sought redress, she says that the person she spoke to told her they have “no ability whatsoever” to help her.
In her video, which has been viewed 9,373 times, Fahimah says she was told to wait. She flew in on Friday, and then had to delay her conversation until Monday. On Monday, she says American Airlines told her to file a “delayed baggage claim report” in order to process the event.
Fahimah did not respond to a TikTok direct message.
In her video’s caption, Fahimah says “@American Airlines DO BETTER! I’m so disappointed. This is so unlike me and I hate it but I’ve never felt so violated. Literally have travelled internationally/domestically so many times and this has neverrr happened. I know it’s just makeup but it matters to me idc!!!! I already filled a missing contents claim, but ig that’s not enough.”
She’s upset and disappointed in a company she trusted. But people were hardly surprised. Some offered solutions. Others commiserated.
Annalise suggested, “This can’t help you now but for the future, the Knog luggage lock is great. It’s super annoying to put on, but it’s super difficult to take off without it being obvious. It’s also able to be tracked via find my friends and you can set it to beep if tampered with.”
A couple of other users offer joking solutions. “I put a note in my checked luggage that says ‘I got bed bugs,'” said 42383user).
Veritas12215 recalled, “Years ago on this app I saw a girl put brown concealer on a Maxi pad and placed it at the top of her luggage. After getting robbed at Lisbon airport I get it.”
Another user agreed that American Airlines is particularly prone to this type of opportunism. “Girl American Airline is bad abt stealing like it’s forever embrassing but i literally gotten dirty panties stolen and it was the entirety of what I brought and my bag was completely repacked (they were dirty bc very end of my trip),” said blah5424.
American Airlines did not respond to an email.
The video touched such a nerve that Fahimah posted two updates. In the first, she said that she was disappointed by the company’s treatment, not because of the make-up, but because of the representatives’ alleged rudeness. So in a last-ditch effort for accountability, she sent an email all the way up the corporate ladder.
“I don’t know if its the Howard [University] in me, I emailed all of their executives…we’ll see how it goes.”
Update: It went well. In her final video, Fahimah reported that American Airlines agreed to give her 10,000 miles.
For those who are concerned about tracking and preventing airline theft, there’s no one answer. This is in part because of the nature of Transportation Security Administration security protocols, but also because people do travel with valuable things. That’s where a traveler has some control. “The best plan is to travel as light as possible—for example, I recommend everyone leaves the jewelry at home—and keep anything you can’t afford to lose on you at all times,” advised one user on the Rick Steves’ traveler forum.
Other advice includes heading straight to baggage claim once you land, because brazen thieves have tried to walk away with luggage that isn’t theirs. Another suggestion is to travel with slightly shabby-looking luggage. Thieves assess the potential score that might be in your luggage based on its appearance.
Finally, consider a TSA approved lock. The internet’s consensus seems to be that TSA has too many cameras for its agents to take anything. So chances are, the theft of things like makeup bags is happening elsewhere.
@feefaleef_ @American Airlines DO BETTER! i’m so disappointed. this is so unlike me and i hate it but i’ve never felt so violated. literally have travelled internationally/domestically so many times and this has neverrr happened. i know it’s just makeup but it matters to me idc!!!! i already filled a missing contents claim, but ig that’s not enough… #plane #traveltiktok #fypシ #airport #storytime ♬ original sound – fahimah
