Sympathy for woman who was offered $1,500 to get off the plane but couldn’t accept

A video of a passenger who declined an offer of $1,500 to give up her seat on an oversold flight has gone viral on TikTok.

The moment was captured in a clip shared by @collinskaye, which has racked up nearly 700,000 views since it was posted on June 19. The footage shows a woman sitting on a plane, while an announcement from a flight attendant is heard in the background.

A message superimposed over the clip reads: “I hate (that) my (annual) vacation ends today, because I wanted to give up this seat for that $1,500.”

The flight attendant says, “Who’s going to take it? $1,500.” A later comment by the author of the article indicates that the $1,500 was offered in cash. A few seconds later, the flight attendant is heard saying, “Okay…understood,” presumably after a passenger steps forward to accept the offer.

Airlines can sometimes “kick” passengers off a flight that has been oversold. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) says the practice of bumping, in which airlines oversell scheduled flights in an attempt to compensate for no-shows, “is not illegal.”

The DOT states: “Travelers who cannot fly are often entitled to compensation for denied boarding in the form of a check or cash. »

The department requires airlines to provide “all passengers who are involuntarily bumped a written statement describing their rights and explaining how the carrier decides who gets to board an oversold flight and who doesn’t,” according to the DOT website.

To be eligible for compensation, you must meet the following requirements, as defined by the DOT:

• You have a confirmed reservation.
• You checked in on time for your flight.
• You arrived at the gate on time.
• The airline cannot get you to your destination within one hour of your flight’s original arrival time.

Individuals involuntarily removed from a flight are not entitled to compensation in the following cases, as outlined by the DOT:

• A change to a smaller aircraft for safety or operational reasons.
• Weight and balance issues.
• Demotion to a lower class.
• Charter flights.
• Small aircraft (flights on aircraft capable of carrying fewer than 30 passengers).
• Flights departing from a foreign destination.

“I quickly gave up my place”

The caption shared with the post states that the airline “offered $1,500, a hotel and a 9:30 a.m. (9:30 a.m.) flight home.”

“Would you like to come down?” », asked the poster in the caption.

Several users on TikTok were understanding of the opportunity missed by the passenger in the viral video, with many saying they wouldn’t have hesitated to take up the offer.

Candase Carey Everett posted: “I would have quickly given up my seat and said my flight was in trouble lol (laughs out loud).”

Cee noted: “The way I jumped without thinking.”

“Mannnnn, I would have said my flight was delayed and taken that 1500,” commented @t3davibe.

“I would have told my boss ‘oh no, my plane is delayed and there’s nothing I can do about it,'” exiledgiraffe11 wrote.

Newsweek contacted the author of the original video for comment via TikTok and email. This video has not been independently verified.

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