by American Airlines Faces Backlash After Black Woman Claims She Was Denied First-Class Meal
American Airlines is once again under scrutiny following a viral TikTok video in which a Black passenger claims she was the only person in first class who didn’t receive a meal.
The passenger, known on TikTok as @johbidoo_official, shared a video showing her empty tray table—something unusual for a first-class experience. The video quickly went viral, racking up over 4.8 million views and sparking a wave of comments from others who shared their own similar experiences.
“When you’re the only Black person in first class and the food apparently ran out… Well thank you American Airlines,” she captioned the video.
According to the content creator, a flight attendant told her there was no food left. But many viewers weren’t buying it—especially given the premium price paid for first-class tickets. The Daily Mail reported that commenters were outraged by the explanation.
“‘First class’ and ‘ran out’ should never be in the same sentence,” one person wrote.
Others, including airline employees, expressed doubt that food could really run out in first class. “I work in the industry and I GUARANTEE they did not run out of food. Report it!” one commenter urged.
Many TikTok users also shared their own experiences of flying first class while Black. One woman recalled getting dirty looks because people assumed she didn’t belong in the line. “They thought I was in the wrong place the whole time. It was wild,” she said.
This isn’t the first time American Airlines has faced allegations of racial discrimination. The airline is currently being sued after staff allegedly accused a Black man of trafficking his white wife. In another incident, three Black men were removed from a flight in January 2024—a case that was settled in December.
Due to repeated incidents since at least 2017, the NAACP has called on American Airlines to take stronger action against racial bias.
In response to the latest accusation, American Airlines released a public statement saying they had reached out to the TikToker.
“We want all of our customers to have a positive experience during their travels with us,” the airline stated. “We’ve contacted the customer to learn more about what happened.”
The TikToker also confirmed that she’s now in communication with the airline regarding the incident.
