A man and his wife had to spend $900 trying to get to Las Vegas after American Airlines rerouted and canceled their flight. The most audacious part of the debacle? American Airlines gave them $67 per ticket as compensation, barely covering their overall costs.
In a video with over 7,000 views, Jason Fritz, a customer service professional and TikToker, explained how a planned trip to see Falling In Reverse in Las Vegas was upended by bad weather and poor airline management.
“A few months back [my wife and I found out] that Falling in Reverse was going on tour and they had Slaughter to Prevail opening [for them]. We’re pretty hyped about that. Falling in Reverse is one of our favorite bands, and Ronnie [Radke] is our favorite,” Fritz said at the start of his video.
Fritz explained that they purchased “diamond VIP tickets,” a special occasion since the couple rarely splurged on concert experiences. “There was special merch. You get early entry. We had pit passes, the whole nine yards, and spent over $650 on this,” he said.
They flew out because Radke, the lead singer for Falling In Reverse, is from Las Vegas. “This show is gonna kill. Right? So we [picked] this one and we planned a weekend around it,” Fritz added.
A Delayed American Airlines Flight to Vegas
Their flight with American Airlines was scheduled to leave Tulsa that morning, with a connecting flight to Phoenix, arriving in Vegas around 2:30 p.m., leaving them hours to get to the concert.
Then, they were delayed for four hours in Tulsa. “They didn’t have a crew,” Fritz said. “We overheard the staff saying they didn’t have a pilot. They didn’t know why.”
The crew explained that they’d have enough time to make their connecting flight to Phoenix, as they had a four-hour layover, but it was cutting it incredibly close. “On our way to Phoenix, we’re just kind of holding our breath, you know, hoping that nothing else happens… Shortly before we land in Phoenix, they tell us that there’s a storm and they’re gonna send us to Palm Springs,” Fritz explained.
According to a steward familiar with their plans, no one could fly into Phoenix. He said they’d stop and refuel the plane, allowing passengers to get right back on. “It won’t be long,” Fritz recounted the steward promising.
When they landed in Palm Springs, they were in for a surprise. After chatting with an attendant at the counter, they realized they might get stuck again. “An hour and a half later, they come over the loudspeaker. ‘All flights have been canceled. Sorry. Go see the ticketing booth.’ So naturally we’re [expletive],” Fritz said.
How American Airlines Handled the Couple’s Predicament
According to Fritz, American Airlines “couldn’t care less” about his predicament. The best they could do was put Fritz and his wife on standby for a flight the next morning. He tried to explain that they were also going to the Sphere to see The Wizard of Oz, which they’d miss if they didn’t leave that day. “They said, ‘Sorry, nothing we can do. Next,’” Fritz said exasperatedly.
They then had to find a rental car at the Palm Springs airport and drive more than four hours to Las Vegas through a terrifying storm.
“We got there safely. We still had fun and did our thing. But it was very… It was very disappointing to miss this concert and to be treated like we’re not a [customer]. I’m in customer service, an that’s not how you treat people,” Fritz said.
Fritz reached out to American Airlines for compensation, but they only received $67. Considering the missed concert, the rental, and the missed flight, they spent $900.
“You’re living in a dream world, American [Airlines]. This has happened to my daughter [too], She was stranded in Mexico,” Fritz said. “Everybody we’ve told [about] this, they’ve said they’ve had the same problem with American Airlines, so obviously they have some issues,” he added.
Viewers React to the Man’s American Airlines Experience
While most were empathetic to Fritz’s situation, some commenters thought it was “crazy” that the man booked a flight the day of for an event he and his wife planned to attend.
Many people criticized Fritz placing blame on American Airlines for missing the concert. One commenter wrote, “I understand it could have been handled better but how was [you] missing the concert American’s fault? The flight was cancelled due to a storm and it was not safe to fly.”
Another added, “Personally I wouldn’t travel on the day of an event that was that big a deal to me. And it sounds like you experienced a terrible storm. Airlines are not responsible for weather related issues. I’m surprised you [got] anything at all.” Fritz liked the comment, possibly agreeing with the sentiment in the aftermath.
Finally, one person bluntly said, “Nah, this is on you. [Never] travel day of.”
All Hip Hop has reached out to Fritz via TikTok direct message for more information. We’ve also sent a message to American Airlines to see if it has any comment. We’ll let you know if either party responds.
@jasonfritz8 Let’s hold American Airlines accountable! @Fritz Shenanigans @American Airlines @ronnieradke @Slaughter To Prevail #tiktok #fyp #foryoupage #vacations ♬ original sound – Jason Fritz
