In another eyebrow-raising incident, American Airlines is slammed after a Black TikToker alleged she was the only first-class passenger denied food (given only a drink) during a flight. The content creator, known as @johbidoo_official on TikTok, shared a video that showed an empty tray table despite being in first class.
She captioned the video, “When you’re the only Black person in first class and the food apparently ran out… Well thank you American Airlines,” she called out the airline, accompanied by the caption “MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!” According to her, a flight attendant told her that the aircraft had run out of meals.
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
As per the outlet Black Enterprise, many online viewers and followers of the influencer called out the airline and said that they were uncertain about them not having enough food, owing to the high cost of business class. “First class and ran out shouldn’t even be in the same sentence,” one TikTok user said.
“I work for a service like this for another airline, and I can guarantee they did not run out of food. Report it!!!’ exclaimed another. Meanwhile, many other users also shared their own experiences of losing out on basic amenities and etiquette as women of color flying with American Airlines. “I flew first class and I was the only Black woman there,” explained the commenter. “They assumed that I was in the wrong line. I had looks the whole time. It was wild.”
After the woman’s video went viral and garnered over 4.8 million views on the popular streaming app, certain users on Instagram took the moment. Also, they labeled her as an attention seeker and pointed out that she had pre-booked her meal, as several other media outlets posted the news.
In an Insta post by hoodreport_, a user commented, “You made a video for Social Media but you didn’t report this to corporate because you were baffled?” Soon after, American Airlines issued a statement saying they had contacted her to probe the incident further.
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“We want all of our customers to have a positive experience during their travels with us. We have reached out to the customer to learn more about their experience.” Alas, this isn’t the first instance that the popular airline company has received complaints of racial allegations earlier, in January 2025,
According to the outlet Miami Herald, Anthony Williams, a former police officer, and his white wife, Katiaryna Shasholka, filed a lawsuit accusing the airline of falsely accusing Williams of human trafficking during their honeymoon flight traveling from Phoenix to Miami in September 2022.
The incident reportedly left the couple ashamed, as they were humiliated and did not conduct any official inquiry as other passengers watched. Similarly, in December 2024, American Airlines settled a lawsuit brought by three Black men after they claimed that they were removed from a flight as they faced discriminatory treatment and were accused of having body odor, which was a false accusation from other passengers.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which is an American body led by the president and CEO Derrick Johnson that actively works towards eliminating racial prejudice and barriers of all kinds as well as fighting for the rights of minorities and people of color, had earlier called out the airline, urging it to address repeated complaints of racism dating back to 2017.
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It is shocking to witness such a globally recognized airline being accused of such unacceptable discrimination in today’s time. Owing to American Airlines’ strict travel and check-in rules, such incidents should be condemned immediately. Social media sites like TikTok and Instagram are truly a boon in certain above-mentioned circumstances, where people can voice their concerns without fear, as it can be exposed at the tap of a button.
