It seems like TikTok is chock-full of two things: Karens and flight horror stories. In between the makeup tutorials and the cringy thirst traps, many a For You Page is perfect at showing viewers horrifying situations that they never want to be in.
This particular video is no different. Rayne McGowan shared a video of a nightmare United Flight in which the ceiling fell on her head as they were taking off. She told viewers that initially, she and her travel mate were screaming for help because they thought the plane was crashing. In reality, the faulty ceiling was the only thing crashing to the ground (no big deal, right?). Rather than turn the plane around, which Rayne suggests to the flight attendant several times, in favor of switching to one that does have a ceiling, the crew and passengers flew the full nine hours ceiling-less. On top of all of that, her convertible flight wasn’t even refunded.
Commenters were quick to encourage Rayne to lawyer up, and many even advised her to fake an injury in order to get some sort of financial compensation for the disastrous flight. Others said that, put in the same situation, they would’ve blown the incident as far out of proportion as they possibly could. “You better than me I would be on every news station airing out the dirty laundry,” a viewer said.
Viewers were happy to stage United to get their attention on the incident and even shared United horror stories of their own. Many people shared that they’d already sworn off United themselves.
Rayne and her comment section aren’t the exception when it comes to experiences on United Airlines. According to CNN Business, United is leading the way when it comes to flight issues for its passengers. CNN claims that delays and other issues for the airline are largely human-made. Experts say that United management is to blame for travel disruptions. Nerd Wallet claims that 22% of United’s flights are delayed. It seems as though, in an effort to avoid an even higher number, United has taken to flying ceiling-less planes.
Though TikTok might not be enough to black-list an airline from your travels, this video may be a word of warning. Next time you want to guarantee that the ceiling above you doesn’t come crashing down during takeoff, maybe try a different airline. Or take a boat — they don’t have ceilings.