First-Class Passenger Blindsided by ‘Flight’ That’s a Bus

Italian Air Force / via REUTERS Some airline passengers are discovering a little too late that their “flight” never leaves the ground. A string of travelers say they were caught off guard after booking tickets through American Airlines—only to find themselves boarding a bus instead of a plane. The confusion stems from routes operated by Landline Company, a service that partners with airlines to offer bus routes that carry official flight numbers. Kennedy Woodard-Jones, 27, told The Washington Post she believed she had booked a first-class flight from South Bend, Indiana, to Chicago O’Hare. Nothing seemed unusual—she checked in online, selected a seat, and went to the gate as normal, she told the outlet. It wasn’t until an American Airlines–branded bus pulled up that she realized something was off. The arrangement isn’t hidden, exactly. The airline’s website notes when a route is “operated by Landline” and includes a small bus icon indicating that part of the journey is on the ground. Still, she’s not alone. Another traveler, Shawnte Crossley, told the outlet she was left baffled during a similar booking—at one point asking bus staff how passengers would get to the plane. Read it at Washington Post Read more at The Daily Beast.

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