“So unacceptable”: American Airlines passenger forced to crawl off plane after wheelchair never arrives
A viral video of a disabled teen crawling down an airplane aisle has renewed criticism of American Airlines' disability accommodations.
On June 28, 2025, TikToker Susan Grove (@susangrove) posted a now-viral video showing her daughter, who has special needs, crawling off an American Airlines flight. The text overlay read, "The Aisle Chair never came, so our special needs daughter had to crawl off the plane." The mother added in the caption, "This cannot happen to special needs people/families." The video quickly gained traction, reaching over 17.8 million views and 1.2 million likes.
Grove explained in the comments that carrying her daughter wasn’t an option. "We tried to carry her but she is 150 pounds and carrying her down the small aisles is very difficult," she wrote.
Although some questioned why she filmed instead of helping, Grove responded, "Also, I am videoing so this never happens again and, yes, you can hear me encouraging because we had just finished a 7 hour flight (and a horrible 4 days of travel with AA) and I know she was exhausted."
Later that evening, Grove posted a follow-up video. She said American Airlines’ special services department offered $75 each to her, her husband, and her daughter as compensation. "I said that was unacceptable and that I would love to speak with a manager," Grove stated.
By June 30, Grove received a second response. This time, American Airlines refunded her daughter’s ticket and offered bonus miles. Grove noted she planned to speak directly with a representative to share the full story, hoping to prevent future incidents.
@susangrove American Airlines First Reseponse ????. I forgot to share that she did say they were launching an investigation about aisle chairs. I will keep you all posted! Thank you again! #americanairlines #specialneeds #spreadtheword #travel ♬ original sound - Susan Grove
Reactions to American Airlines not providing a wheelchair
Many TikTok users expressed anger and frustration in the video’s comment section. "Unacceptable ???? No child should have to go through this????," one commenter wrote. Another, who identified as a flight attendant, added, "I've never had a situation like this. It makes me think they just didn't want to wait for the aisle chair and preferred to force her to drag herself down the aisle."
Others shared similar stories, suggesting this wasn’t an isolated case. One person recalled being told to "scoot to the bathroom" because the aisle chair was missing.
Some even called for legal action. "File a lawsuit against that airline! That goes against the ADA in more ways than one," one user urged.
"How can people be blaming the parents? It’s the d*mn airline’s fault for not bringing the chair!" one TikToker commented.
American Airlines’ history with disability complaints
This isn’t the first time American Airlines has faced criticism for its treatment of disabled passengers. According to Forbes, in October 2024, the Department of Transportation fined the airline $50 million, the largest ever penalty of its kind. The fine stemmed from complaints made between 2019 and 2023. They revealed "cases of unsafe physical assistance that at times resulted in injuries and undignified treatment of wheelchair users, in addition to repeated failures to provide prompt wheelchair assistance."
At the time, American Airlines said it would "continue the airline’s significant actions to improve the travel experience for customers traveling with wheelchairs and mobility devices."
Susan Grove and American Airlines did not respond immediately to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok comment and email, respectively.
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