An American Airlines first class passenger was the only one not to get a meal on their flight, and she’s taken to social media saying it’s because she’s Black.
The influencer believes that she was singled out for her race. This does not make sense to me. She did not pre-order her meal (which any passenger can do until 24 hours prior to their flight) and she was seated in the last row. That put her last on the list to make a meal selection.
- She wasn’t in the last row because of her race.
- There was a catering issue. If they ran out of meals as she says, then the flight was under-provisioned. That’s was done by the caterer, not knowing who’d be shorted a meal – so also not a race issue.
- Where she’s sitting, rather than what she looked like, is clearly why she wound up without a meal.
American Airlines is under fire after the only Black first-class passenger, an influencer, claimed that they conveniently ran out of all their food when it was her turn to be served, and everybody else was served. ️ ✈️
— Rain Drops Media (@Raindropsmedia1) May 15, 2025
The passenger complains that she wasn’t offered anything in lieu of the meal (like ‘chips’). That’s fair – but flights under 1,300 miles don’t have food for sale in economy on American Airlines. I imagine that the flight attendant could have been more empathetic and apologetic, but there wouldn’t have been coach meals or snacks to offer.
1,300-mile flights and longer may have cheese plates for sale in back, with usually only around 4 loaded
Here question of ‘how could this happen’ that American runs out of meals, when they know how many first class seats there are, is a reasonable one! It doesn’t usually happen, but catering is done quickly, and sometimes carelessly. And it happens enough that flight attendants have gotten a memo reminding them to apologize (but not to delay the flight to fix it). A year ago Chicago and Philadelphia flights were frequently having catering issues.
I had one reader ask about the person next to her clearly eating. Assuming that the flight was literally short a meal (rather than being short what the woman making the video wanted) then it’s possible her seatmate had pre-ordered, or just ordered before her when the flight attendant came to their row for meal selection.
There may not have been enough meals (miscatered flight). It’s possible that the flight attendant working the front cabin of this 737 dropped a meal in the galley. There are any number of things that could have happened that are more plausible and more benign than ‘what she looked like’ as the reason for not getting a meal.
My American Airlines first class meal on Thursday
I don’t think I’m known for giving American Airlines a pass on issues. I’d just want more facts in evidence here before suggesting race was a factor, when the balance of probabilities likely leans in a different direction.
If the woman was seated in the first or second row and was the only one refused a meal, then we might have something to at least delve further into.
Reading these posts really confirms that we have a lot of racist white people in this country. @Gary, I am quite sure you do not understand how racism works. Maybe try talking to a black friend for a better perspective
All a flight attendant had to do was get on the intercom and say “will anyone trade their meal for some snacks so this b1tch won’t pull that worn out overplayed race card” I’m sure someone would have volunteered. It’s called problem solving.
@Jill is that true? I had a broken seat on a United flight and I barely even complained about it (it was the footrest on a longhaul in J) and the flight attendant promptly showed up with a little card and explained she was very sorry and I would get points into my account (can’t remember how much, it was a few years ago). Seemed like it was up to her. Or the purser I suppose.
It must be exhausting going through life constantly blaming race for every small problem you run into.
13%
@miguel95 I read this as an indictment of the author shilling unnecessary excuses for AA
@92% Well said.
The airline may have a legitimate reason for coming up short on meals. However, whatever their reason, it does not excuse a complete lack of communication or apology on the matter.
It happened to me on Delta ! (I am caucasian ,sitting in last row)!
The idea of boarding “a few extra meals on every flight” is absurd. They certainly should board the correct amount, but with 4000 flights per day, 365 days per year this is a ridiculous band aid solution to the issue. The cost would be staggering.
“it is always front to back now”
Like how I was taught to wipe.
I hope her crappy attitude also meant that she didn’t get comped any miles for the inconvenience either.
Anytime anything is posted by or attributed to an ‘influencer’ my credibility gadget drops to near zero on its bs meter. It’s all about clicks, not reality.
Always a “look at me” issue. It’s always a 13-14 percent chance that someone will have their feelings hurt enough to make everyone else have to hear about it.
The real shame was that the yacht with 30 “influencers” (of all races, genders, background) that sank a few weeks ago in Miami Beach didn’t result in a recovery operation rather than a rescue situation. The world would be a better place without “influencers”.
Just another mad angry black woman doing what they do best and wanting the world to bow to them and kiss their a** GTFO. BTW when I see the word “influencer” their credibility goes to zero with me.
Tim Done wins the comment of the day. We collectively bow to your sick humor 🙂
There is no excuse for running out of food when the cost of the flight includes it, especially in first class! I would be very upset too. The passenger should get plenty of miles from the airline to make up for it. It’s the airlines job to count passengers and the catering company must get it right. If they can not do these and would not have much confidence in the airlines ability to comply with safety rules either…
When does the fishing season for elusive circumstances where one can pull out the race card end?!? It’s been open season for well over a decade now. You will find what you seek in life, even if in reality it isn’t there. Bias is funny that way.
This is a 1½-sided article: the pax perspective, the columnist’s opinions, but nothing from AA. Until then, everyone sit down.
My bet would be on a catering or dropped meal screw up. Also, all we have is her claim that there was no apology from an FA. Since that latter claim makes the story better for the influencer’s basic theme (didn’t get a meal or apology because I’m black) I’m unconvinced the cabin crew didn’t serve her and didn’t apologize.
Influencer…that says a lot. She hiked those fake puppies up high enough and her fly swatter fake eyelashes make her look like a…wh… er “lady of the evening”. If she slept too close to a wall heater, she’d wake up with a pair of moulded ashtrays. ME…ME…ME. The airline made a mistake. Granted, the flight attendants could have come up with something but, then again, it’s American Airlines. What do you expect?
The airline employs the caterer so it’s American s fault. Having no 1st class meal on a 1300 mile flight is bad business but apparently normal for American these days.
I would like to know if she pointed out her lack of a meal to the FA. It may have been a simple error.
Anything is possible that happens on American Airlanes. I have tons of bad experiences and tha is why I hardly use AA. I found them to be rude to senior citizens among other things.
Running out of meals is unfortunate, steps should be taken to avoid it but can happen.
When it does happen the FA and airline needs to make it right. From everything we have here that’s what did not happen. That left open the airline to be accused of racism. But from everything we have here the airline didn’t do their customer right and left themselves open for such an accusation. It was dumb of them not to try to make some accommodation for their mistake.
I’ve got news for her: it happens to other people, including me as a white male, countless times per year on all airlines.
Sucks, but it isn’t racism, it’s a simple error by the catering people.
So who is the real racist here? The not-on-board caterers, who never knew who was going to get shorted by their error, or the woman saying white people were racist for stocking error by people who didn’t know her race? Hint: she’s the racist.
Im sure if she was the last person io reach a sale item and they was already sold out, she would play the race card as well
I wonder if she got upgraded at the last minute. Her attitude is so coach class and not First Class.
The biggest problem and credit is that we all have our own opinions. Like a..holes most stink and depend on the upbringing of the owner. You don’t know what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes so why be so judgemental. I say if they didn’t apologize or offer substitutions, shame on them. If the woman is lying, the truth will be revealed. Stop hating on someone for their observation of the facts. Because unless you were there, you don’t know the truth. You just want someone to agree with you so you can feel better about yourself.
I feel the need to weigh in here. Too mmany people cry “racism” over the smallest thing. The reasons @gary suggested seem more likely than racism. We Ada society have cried “racism” so much that I now roll my eyes whenever I hear hear it. The sad part is if there were ever a true hate crime committed no sane person would believe it.
And here I’m just hoping I can stow my carry-on instead of holding it
I must admit that I wish airlines had a policy of randomizing the order in which they take food orders. They always start at the front and go to the back, so it’s fairly often that by the last row some or all but one of the food choices have run out. Or, as in this case — but it’s very rare — they have run out of food entirely.
So yes, some passengers know this and will not pick seats at the back if they care about the meal choice. But of course if you only get on that flight just before it flies (when you often pay a lot more) you may see only those seats at the back are available. Or if you upgrade (though some would argue that’s fair as you weren’t counting on a 1st class meal at all.)
But just roll some dice (on your phone) and sometimes take orders from the back instead of the front.
She might try looking less like she’s going to a brothel. Just plain ugly.
“When u the only black person…”
I believe what she means is: “When you are the only black person…”
The disgusting replies on here remind me that this country is going up in flames. People have become so horrible to each other, there is no grace only vulgar rhetoric. You can disagree with someone without saying you’d like to see them die or any of the other terrible things said. I’d like to see common decency come back into fashion.
Perhaps a FA or someone who work for one of these caterers can elaborate
How many cards are in the racial grievance deck? An infinite amount, apparently. Which row gets served first (and last) is generally a function of direction of travel. Not sure the target audience this so called “influencer” is trying to influence, but they must be a fairly ignorant lot.
My husband and I were given crappy meals one time on an AA flight because we supposedly ordered vegetarian, which we had not (yes, we were in the back). We are not against vegetarian at all, but these things tasted like they were pulled out of the trash when no one else would have them. So, we left the full plates minus one bite to go back into the refuse pile. I wondered why we weren’t given the cheese pizza everyone else had; until I saw through the curtain where the flight attendants were pulling pizzas out of their little ovens and eating them! Haven’t flown American since.
@ Wenwood Jenkins. WTH?
What??? Princess Waukaunda was denied her inalienable human right to a choice of snacks on a 2:25 flight? How could this be anything other than racism? Only racism of the most utterly racist kind could allow this. And look at the extra clicks the little racist racisty racistic racist onfluencey-racist is getting. Mission Accomplished. Race bait starts in…….
It is stupid race whining crap like this that makes it hard to separate when something happens that was racist. Most claims of racist acts are just a way to get attention. Maybe don’t act like this. So tired of hearing this garbage.
the flight should always have one or two extra meals even if economy meals. Never risk going short it really upsets people esp. if they are paying 1sr class rates.
Failing that the FA could have told the manager at the arriving airport that the first class pax had missed a meal and could he recommend a few FF miles as compensation? Yes I know that AA is cheap.
She’s flat out LYING! Influencers are becoming the stains on Social Media.
She didn’t hear the FA apology because she was running her mouth non-stop bitching about how she didn’t get any food because she’s black. Reverse prejudice on show! Influencer = 0 cred.
And yet, Leff feels the need to repost this dreck…giving this “influencer” the clicks and views that this whole contrived incident was meant to drive for her.
the “influencer” doesn’t care about racism (which certainly exists and is widespread in inherent social bias)…she knows this had nothing to do with racism…she only cares about the faux outrage and clicks.
If she is an influencer, she could have used her influencer skills to persuade a flight attendant to find her something to eat. But perhaps she didn’t think to ask.
After all, if she did get something then she’d have nothing to complain about.
Why was I compelled to read this click-bait titled article? Of course to confirm my suspicion that many others seemed to know/share. It’s always them. Influencers… am I right?
This is certainly an interesting article.
She got her X picture posted for more hits – mission accomplished
When all else fails, use the Race Card!