Passenger ‘erased' from flight records, forced to pay hundreds to get home

Дата публикации: 07-04-2026 17:00:55

A North Texas woman says an airline had no record she boarded a flight — even after she completed the trip.
Tessa Ilaoa said she was traveling from Dallas-Fort Worth to Tampa, Florida, for her father’s 80th birthday. She said she boarded her outbound flight without issue, settled into her seat and even took a photo of a chihuahua sitting next to her.
But after landing in Tampa, Ilaoa said she received a notification that her trip had been canceled, including the flight she had just taken.
“And it wasn’t until I went to my return flight to check in that I found out that my entire trip had then canceled. And so I called American Airlines and spoke with someone, and they said that I was not on the initial flight. And they canceled my entire trip,” Ilaoa said.
She said airline representatives told her they had no record of her checking in or boarding the outbound flight. Ilaoa said she offered proof.
“And they said, we have no record of you being on the flight. She said, do you have your boarding pass? And I said yes, I do,” Ilaoa said.
“She said, ‘Show that to the ticket counter when you go tomorrow and show them your proof that you were on the flight, the picture that you have,’” she added.
But when she arrived at the airport for her return trip, Ilaoa said that documentation was not accepted.
“They wouldn’t take my picture or my boarding pass or any of my documentation and told me that I needed to pay full price for another flight to get home. And, you know, they even charged me the $35 service fee for using the ticket counter,” she said.
She said the replacement ticket cost nearly $400, about double what she originally paid for the round trip.
Back home, Ilaoa said she repeatedly tried to get answers and a refund.
“Any time that I did speak with somebody, it was, we’re sorry for the inconvenience, but we have no proof of you being on this flight,” she said.
She also questioned safety and accountability, saying she wondered whether her family would have been notified in an emergency if she was not listed on the passenger manifest.
After Ilaoa contacted NBC 5 Responds, a refund for her original trip appeared in her bank account. A few days later, she said she also received a refund for the return ticket and the service fee.
“I appreciate you guys so much and all that you do,” Ilaoa said.
American Airlines did not explain how a ticketed passenger could board a flight without being recorded on the manifest or what steps, if any, it is taking to prevent similar incidents.

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