Yesterday, the internet was divided after an American Airlines passenger shared a video of her seat being hit after she decided to recline her chair mid-flight. Now, she has revealed that she has been left "in pain" and missing work as a result of the incident.
Wendi Williams, who uses the Twitter handle @steelersfanOG, shared a video to her Twitter account of the annoyed male passenger, along with the caption:
"Here’s a great jackhole! He was angry that I reclined my seat and punched it about 9 times - HARD, at which point I began videoing him, and he resigned to this behavior. The other jackhole is the @AmericanAir flight attendant who reprimanded me and offered him rum!"
Check out the video below - who do you think was in the wrong?Williams further explained that the flight attendant was "crazy" and "threatened" to have her escorted from the plane for complaining about the man's actions, writing:
"He punched my seat about 9 times then I started videoing. The flight attendant didn’t look at the video and took his side. She gave me a passenger disturbance notice & threatened to have me escorted off the plane! My crime was reclining my seat."
She continued in a later tweet:
"Had I not recorded this, no one would’ve believed it! As far as speaking up for myself, he was crazy and so was the FA. He should be shamed! He knew he was being recorded and still acted that way".
The incident occurred on American Airlines flight AA4393 from New Orleans to Charlotte, but after attempting to complain to the airline, she claims she was told to "contact the FBI" if she wants any further resolution.
Williams Tweeted: "I was contacted by @AmericanAir via phone. Apparently I really do have to contact the FBI to get any resolution. The airline didn’t really accept any culpability, although she apologized and said what happened was wrong - that’s it."
But in response to a concerned Twitter user asking how she has been post-flight, Williams has explained that she has been "in pain" and "missed work", writing:
"I’m in pain. I have 1 cervical disk left that isn’t fused - the first 1 which allows me some mobility. It’s scary bc it’s this the kind of injury that could do it in. I am grateful for the limited movement I still have and shouldn’t have had to endure the repeated blows #whiplash"
In a previous tweet she informed the official American Airlines Twitter account that she has lost time at work, experienced "headaches", and required a doctor following the interaction:
"My name is Wendi Williams. It was flight AA4393, from New Orleans to Charlotte, seat 20D. You clearly want me to do this quietly through a DM. I tried 3 times to do this quietly. I’ve lost time at work, had to visit a doctor, got x-rays, and have has horrible headaches for a week"
Regardless, despite many Twitter users defending Williams and saying she had a right to recline the seat she paid for, many people believe she is the one in the wrong, and that it is poor plane etiquette to recline your chair:
Per the Daily Mail, a spokesperson for American Airlines has said: "We are aware of a customer dispute that transpired on American Eagle flight 4392, operated by Republic Airways, on January 31.
"The safety and comfort of our customers and team members is our top priority, and our team is looking into the issue."
