Two women passengers travelling on an American Airlines flight on 2 May have claimed that one of them faced “racist” behaviour from one of the staff members.
The incident took place when Rane Baldwin, who is African American, was flying with friend Janet Novack, who is white, from Kentucky to Charlotte.
Baldwin – an AAdvantage Platinum Select/World Elite cardholder – had purchased the two tickets and decided to upgrade them both to first class. Despite her frequent flyer status, she was asked to go to the back of the plane while issuing her boarding pass. Novack, on the other hand, who holds no status with the airline, was directed to first class. Baldwin was told her seat had been reassigned because there weren’t enough first class seats available.
According to Baldwin, the behaviour of American Airlines flight attendants from there added up to “the most blatantly racist thing that’s ever happened to her. She also added that her complaint about seat reassignment went entirely ignored. Meanwhile, Novack was asking the same questions and raising the same concerns, but receiving a completely different response.
Since most of the seats were empty, Baldwin ignored her seat allocation and went to sit at the front of the main cabin. Novack, too gave up her first class spot to sit with her friend, but they were again troubled by AA’s flight attendants.
Baldwin demanded an “admission of wrongdoing and an apology” from American Airlines although the airline has not replied to her complaints. Strangely, Novack received platitudes in responses to her tweet.
