- A passenger accused American Airlines of racism and banning her from a flight, per an NYP report.
- In a tweet, she alleged that a manager said her tone was a threat when she spoke about a delay.
- An American Airlines spokesperson told the NYP it takes all discrimination claims seriously.
A passenger has accused American Airlines of racism, saying that the carrier banned her from boarding a delayed flight because of the tone of her voice.
The New York Post first reported the news.
Kyleema Norman tweeted on Sunday about her flight from LaGuardia Airport, New York, to Grenada in the Caribbean being delayed by three hours because of mechanical problems. Later, Norman tweeted that the airline had prevented only her and her daughter from getting on the plane because she "spoke up."
According to Norman, a staff member told her: "'Your tone at 35,000 feet — I don't think I'd be able to trust you'd be safe in the air with a pilot and other people."
Norman said she spoke to a staff member in her "teacher voice" to express concern about the flight delay. "I didn't curse him, threaten him, show bodily harm or make a scene," she added.
Norman said in another tweet that she had been denied the option of rebooking her flight or obtaining her luggage. In response to one of Norman's tweets, American Airlines replied: "Delays can be very upsetting. Please continue to work with the airport team for assistance with any possible rebooking."
The following day, Norman said in a Twitter post that she had tried to get in touch with the company, but staff told her they couldn't help. American Airlines replied to her tweet, saying: "It will take some time to review what happened at the gate."
Norman posted a video on Twitter of what she claims is her conversation with Port Authority Police about the situation in LaGuardia airport.
"This is what American Airlines is calling erratic behavior! Please watch. At which point do I look like a threat to anyone's safety!" she said in the post.
American Airlines and Norman didn't immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment made outside of US operating hours.
An American Airlines spokesperson told The Post that it took all discrimination claims seriously and was investigating the incident internally. The airline's customer service team is in contact with Norman to find out more about what happened and apologize for her experience, the spokesperson told The Post.
Norman said in a tweet that the flight to Grenada was a graduation present from her husband for her and their daughter. "Who knew the gift would be her watching me getting banned from our flight on American Airlines and witnessing the outrage of racism," she said.
The Post reported that it had obtained emails that showed the Passenger Refunds Department referring Norman to the travel agency for reimbursement, but the agency referred her back to American Airlines.