American Airlines passenger stayed in Italy to collect flight vouchers

After accepting the offer, the 36-year-old said she got into a car provided by the airline which took her and seven other passengers to a four-star hotel, where they spent the night for free.

Berry arrived at the airport the next day, where she learned her next flight was also full. She said she volunteered again, then an airline employee told her the flight was full until mid-August.

After some quick math, Berry realized she could spend the next 10 days getting flight vouchers, staying in free hotels and dining in free Italian cuisine.

It was an opportunity the freelance fashion photographer couldn’t pass up. At the end of it, she hoped to have more than $10,000 in vouchers for a trip around the world.

Berry’s $10,000 goal was dashed, but she extended her trip by three more days and has $3,550 in flight vouchers.

The airline offered passengers a hotel stay, free food and a $1,200 flight voucher

For most travelers, a full flight can be a nightmare, but Berry said she saw it as an opportunity, especially after the first day in Naples was a success.

The group of deported passengers quickly became friends: they traveled together to their hotel, dined on a meal of prosciutto, mozzarella and fish, and cracked jokes.

Berry initially thought it was a one-time event until he arrived at the airport the next day, where volunteers were needed again.

As a freelancer, she could work from anywhere in the world, including a free hotel in Naples. Plus, an extra $1,200 in flight vouchers would allow her to shoot in new destinations.

“I could go on a really nice trip or travel all year,” Berry said. “It could be fantastic for my career.”

Berry said she decided to continue volunteering and wouldn’t return to Philadelphia until the airline had more space available. She started calling the experience “Camp American Airlines,” and on Aug. 6, she posted about it on TikTok. A following quickly formed, rooting for Berry to win more than $10,000 in flight vouchers.

For three nights, Berry stayed at various hotels in Naples. She said American Airlines booked her into four-star hotels that varied in quality and location. Some were in the heart of Naples, while others were on the outskirts.

The first hotel, the Grand Hotel Vanvitelli, was the most luxurious, she said. Rooms cost between $122 and $138 a night, according to TripAdvisor, and the property has a pool, an elegant restaurant and rooms with balconies.

“This is definitely the nicest hotel I stayed in during my trip,” she said.

Berry said every hotel she stayed at while waiting for her flight had a restaurant where she charged breakfast, lunch and dinner to her room and ate for free.

His free hotel stays, meals and flight vouchers ended on August 7, three nights after his first cancelled flight. BI verified that Berry had earned $3,550 in flight vouchers, including one worth $1,150 instead of $1,200.

In a statement to BI, an American Airlines spokesperson said: “When you volunteer to give up your confirmed seat on a flight, we will compensate you in a form and amount that we deem fair.”

Flight vouchers expire after a year, but Berry isn’t afraid to travel to new destinations. Taking photos in places like Rio de Janeiro and the Seychelles are at the top of her list.

After a tough start to the year, Berry said that summer in Italy, along with a new travel fund and memories of the experience, have left her “grateful.”

“It makes me feel like myself again,” she said. “I feel like I’m engaging in a community. I’m saying yes to things that I don’t know, and that’s what makes me tick.”