Woman Emails Airline CEO After Being Wrongfully Placed On No-Fly List

If you’ve never been accidentally put on a no-fly list, it’s hard to really understand how difficult it can be to resolve. Every year, people are refused entry to the United States after being confused with somebody else who has a similar, or identical, name.

Others get placed on no-fly lists with airlines without even realizing it – and one woman was so mad about what happened that she cold emailed the CEO of American Airlines to set things straight after being wrongfully accused on engaging in inappropriate behavior with a man on a flight.

The problem? She’s a lesbian – and it didn’t happen.

At a glance:

  • Erin Wright was wrongfully placed on American Airlines’ no-fly list, accused of engaging in sexual activity with a man on a flight.
  • Wright, who is a lesbian, fought back by emailing the airline’s executives, including CEO Robert Isom.
  • American Airlines removed her from the list after she proved the allegations were false, though she received no further compensation beyond a refund for her original flight.

Erin Wright was shocked to find herself barred from flying with American Airlines while trying to check in for a flight to her sister’s bachelorette party. The 24-year-old whitewater rafting guide from New Mexico had flown with American numerous times before, so she initially assumed there was a system error. However, after agents at the desk made a phone call, they informed her that she was on the airline’s internal no-fly list.

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Wright recalled receiving an email months earlier claiming she had been banned, but dismissed it as spam because it came from an odd email address and didn’t provide specific details. After booking a last-minute flight with another airline, at nearly double the cost of her American Airlines flight, she reached out to the airline’s customer relations department to resolve the issue.

American Airlines did not provide a reason for the ban until Wright, frustrated by the lack of response, cold-emailed several top executives at the airline, including CEO Robert Isom. A few days later, she was informed that she had been placed on the airline’s internal refuse list for allegedly being intoxicated and engaging in sexual activity with a man during a February flight.

However, Wright, who is openly lesbian, pointed out the obvious flaw in the accusation. She stated in her emails that she would never engage in such behavior, particularly with a man. She also emphasized that she was not intoxicated during the flight and had no connection to the man the airline referenced.

After persistent communication, American Airlines finally admitted they couldn’t confirm what had happened but removed Wright from the no-fly list. The airline offered her a refund for the original flight but did not compensate her for the additional expenses or inconvenience caused by the mistake.

Sometimes emailing the CEO gets the job done…