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The Case of the Runaway American Airlines Beverage Cart

Dec. 16, 2016
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4 min read
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The Case of the Runaway American Airlines Beverage Cart
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It's amazing that we don't hear more stories about out-of-control beverage carts while in the air, considering the number of flights where drinks are served. In case you missed it, a couple of weeks ago, Gilbert Ott, who runs the blog God Save the Points, was on a redeye flight with American Airlines from Los Angeles (LAX) to New York (JFK) when he came face to face with a runaway beverage cart.

The injuries to Ott's leg looked pretty gruesome and extremely painful. As the cart crashed into his leg, Ott says bottles came out of the cart and ice scattered on the ground. Any frequent flyer can agree — this scenario sounds like something out of a nightmare.

Images courtesy of Gilbert Ott.

Following the incident, however, Ott says he didn't hear from American Airlines. A couple of weeks after the incident, he received a check in the mail, covering the costs of his medical expenses, as well as $800 in travel vouchers with AA. But other than that, he says he hasn't heard from the carrier, including any word about refunding his one-way ticket.

"I would like a refund and a non digital form of apology. No phone call, no email," Ott said in an email. "... I'm a travel journalist, a freaking simulator ride or getting to ride around on a baggage cart all day or something would've been a really fun way of saying sorry, I'm not holding my breath. I just want my money back. The rest is on them..."

On the other hand, a rep from AA told us that the carrier has apologized and offered Ott compensation:



We have apologized multiple times to Mr. Ott. American has provided him a full refund of his one-way ticket, in addition to an $800 travel voucher.
Upon his arrival at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport Nov. 18, medical personnel met the aircraft; he declined any medical assistance. However, we have offered to reimburse any medical bills resulting from the knee injury sustained on American Airlines flight 10.

With regards to the ticket refund, the AA rep said that the delay has to do with the third party through which the ticket was booked. The rep said that the refunds team is working with the travel agency in order to issue Ott a refund on the one-way ticket.

The story is a tense one, and is sure to make any flyer cringe at the thought of having to deal with this. But, enter some comedic relief. A couple weeks after the incident and when he went public with the story, Ott got flowers and a gift delivered to his front door — but they weren't from American. In fact, they were from Virgin Atlantic. And along with the flowers, the carrier sent Ott a set of knee and elbow pads along with a note, which read:



"We might not be who you expected these to be from, but we heard what happened and everyone at Virgin Atlantic wishes you a speedy recovery. And in case you ever fly AA (American) again, we've got you covered. Get Well soon." - The Virgin Atlantic Team
Images courtesy of Gilbert Ott.

For such a bad situation, the move by Virgin Atlantic definitely helped to sweeten it up a bit. "Virgin Atlantic truly made my year with that," Ott said. "The knee pads made both my wife and I laugh and turning pain into happiness is a rare gem these days."

What do you think of this situation? What would you have expected from the airline?

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
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