Melissa Francis, former Fox News anchor and CEO of Sailfish Productions, has publicly criticized American Airlines, citing a series of customer service issues that she claims are endemic to the carrier.
Francis recounted an incident where she purchased a first-class ticket, only to find her seat had been changed to coach by the time she reached the gate. According to Francis, a desk agent informed her that such occurrences "happens all the time" and denied her a refund, suggesting she use social media to seek recourse.
"She said no and I can get on Twitter and complain if I want to ask for a refund or I can sit on hold, but she suggest tweeting because nobody answers the phone," Francis stated in a post on X, formerly Twitter. She added that the agent's comment implied the practice was a "scheme of theirs to boost revenue."
Francis also expressed frustration with issues related to TSA lines when flying with American Airlines, asserting that these problems have not occurred with other airlines. She concluded that while she aims to avoid the airline, route limitations sometimes force her to fly with them.
An American Airlines spokesperson responded to Francis's post, apologizing for the experience and asking her to send a direct message with her confirmation code to review the seat change and TSA PreCheck concerns.
Francis's complaint adds to a list of recent controversies involving American Airlines. In 2025, CEO Robert Isom faced criticism for his attire in a video statement about a plane crash. Earlier this month, a passenger was restrained on an American Airlines flight after allegedly engaging in racist and homophobic behavior, necessitating the flight's diversion. In August, the airline altered its upgrade policy for frequent flyers on certain routes, drawing customer dissatisfaction. Additionally, in July, hundreds of passengers were stranded on the tarmac for hours at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, and last winter, a flight was delayed for over 15 hours before being canceled entirely.