A couple was shocked to find an unexpected service charge from American Airlines on their bank cards: an African American service fee. American says it is disturbed and blames Mastercard.
Black Couple Charged “African American” Service Fee On American Airlines
Kyetra Bryant and her boyfriend traveled with American Airlines to Denver (DEN) over Thanksgiving, departing from Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT). During check-in, she used a kiosk to pay for her checked baggage. Her boyfriend did the same.
However, when she reviewed her bank statement, she found an odd charge for the luggage:
African American, African service charge.
At first she thought it was a display error, since she was viewing her statement using her mobile phone. But she looked again at home and verified the charge did indeed appear with that description. The same charge description appeared on her boyfriend’s statement, who paid for his baggage separately.
Hey @AmericanAir
What is an African American African service charge??!?!? pic.twitter.com/UmR0sBGLPT
— A Simp Named Slickback (@___seeryandavis) January 29, 2021
She reached out to American Airlines and even returned to the airport to complain. No one was helpful. In fact, the telephone agents thought she was crazy. Bryant told Fox 46:
“She’s like I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m like I have a screenshot here on two different phones and a computer, and it says it’s from American Charlotte, and I want to know why it’s listed this way?”
She also reached out to her bank, who blamed American Airlines. American Airlines now says it is investigating and blames Mastercard and a rogue kiosk at CLT for the issue.
The customer alerted American to the offensively labeled baggage fee on her bank statement in mid-December. We were disturbed by what we saw and immediately launched an investigation to understand what occurred.
The baggage fee was purchased at a self-service kiosk in Charlotte. Our team members are unable to change text when processing a charge and we’ve determined the issue originated with the credit card company and bank issuer.
We reached out to Mastercard who confirmed that American submitted the baggage fee information correctly during the payment process and Mastercard is conducting its own investigation.
CONCLUSION
I cannot imagine any scenario in which this was deliberate. Still, terrible optics even if this was a purely a Mastercard issue. Whatever the root cause, hopefully it is quickly addressed to avoid future heartache and headaches.
image: American Airlines
Ok I will play devil’s advocate, even though I know that’s a dangerous game in this case. The “Appears on statement as:” is very interesting to me. What are the chances she changed the title of the charge herself? Reason I say that is I just worked a case where an employee changed the title of the charge, but the metadata still showed the original.
I suppose that is possible. Did you watch the interview in the Twitter link above? I find it very unlikely, though I cannot imagine why/how this charge description was used.
I did. What a wild story. I can’t imagine American modifying the charge or having the ability to so I tend to agree it was the bank. Again, I hate to be the cynical one – I feel terrible for her.
But why does Capitol One even have that description, African American fee?
It’s pretty clear what happened. AA is a common abbreviation for African American. AA is also used to denote American Airlines.
Anyways, bizarre that the computer would expand it out. I’ve seen similar but different scenarios: charges at merchants containing the letters “uber” getting the uber discount. One of my biggest pet peeves with Mint is it recategorizes my Apple music purchases as Big Apple gas purchases. So frustrating, obviously a human wouldn’t make that mistake and I should hope computers aren’t that dumb anyone either! I’ll just have to let it go… https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/gyxb2a/weekly_offtopic_thread_week_of_june_08_2020/ftli438/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
That makes a lot of sense.
Was a monetary amount stated ? Is that such a mystery that nobodies disclosed it ?
$25 I believe. The fee aligned with the first checked baggage fee.
I thought the same. Sometimes even credit cards computer guess what the category is. I use eMoney and it automatically adds charges to a category and while most of them are correct, many are not and have to be changed manually by me.
You guys actually believe this. LMFAO! Just someone looking for a hand out!!!! No personal responsibility. Let’s blame the police for killing but we don’t care when when we kill each other. Just wait for the wealth redistribution that is coming because a mcdonalds worker will be making as much as a lawyer like you!
I think you have solved the mystery.
What???
Don’t you people have any new material besides the same old, tired troupes and b.s., about “handouts” and “personal responsibility”? “Personal responsibility” needs to be taken in light of the recent riot at the Capitol where those of your ilk, now want to cast all of the blame for their own actions and criminal acts, on Trump.
Plausible, but do we know if this has happened to any White or non African Americans, ever?
BINGO!
No because AA can stand for American Airlines or African American . What initials would stand for Caucasian? It’s a computer program that couldn’t read AA fee and printed something else out . Now this would not happen on delta or southwest since their appreviation wouldn’t be AA . Could also stand for alcohol anonymous .
Agree. When I read a story like this with such a spectacular (and – if true – idiotic) claim, my first thought is that it’s a hoax. Perhaps an elaborate one. Then again, the vendors will figure it out if it is a hoax.
Not such a hoax now it seems, eh?
Of course, that’s the new Right playbook…don’t like the surplus evidence in front of you, call it a “hoax” and live by “alternative facts”.
Sounds like someone was hacked! So glad you looked into it.
The computer would not know if anyone was black
I would more believe this story if it references a different race. Any other race
And there you said it, Ken! Wallah! Someone (American Airlines) manually inserted it in. Whomever had access to her bio, or it was a hack. Shall the Truth Cometh Outeth!
This woman has altered “nicknamed” her bank statement transaction. Most with online banking are able to do so. Check you information before you post trash articles on the internet for click bait revenue. Pretty weak journalism.
I call BS on this. Either it is a fabricated story altogether or the couple doctored the documents hoping to win a lawsuit.
Maybe the kiosk had White privilege and is racist. Just a thought.
It’s an indictment of the times when something that would normally be laughed away causes a race brouhaha.
To mollify Americans i suggest white Republicans males engage in rituals of self flagellation. I pick on white Republican males because they refuse to acknowledge race based differences in experiences of every day Americans. And while it’s possible that most white Republican males are dumb as rocks given they have kids with their sisters, i think more likely they are just evil. Self- flagellation is to drive away the evil.
I’m with you, that was not a credit card charge that was an “I am a victim” change.
Dude really. Such hate .
Wow you took this to a whole different angle. I hope hod forgives you and helps take the hate out of your heart and will help you heal the obvious hatred you have for republicans and therefore unity in this great country of ours. God bless you
I wonder if this is someone who knows how to use Inspect Element for some attention. A rogue kiosk seems somewhat unlikely.
Of course, I fully welcome a compressive investigation. If true, it’s a huge gaff, but race is not asked for when booking the ticket, and I can’t imagine the kiosk making this mistake.
More self flatuation from debit. Where is my $2,000 that your New Messiah promised? Since you want to bring up racial disparity, let us talk about the disparity over what Democrats promised in the Georgia races.
Obstinate Republicans who refuse to negotiate. Playbook vs Obama all over again. No worries, your party will come out of this looking as terrible as ever.
Oh, and Biden is just a president. Only your crew creates all powerful false idol deities.
Did anyone say who was the issuing bank? With Capital One, I’m able to put a 30 character memo on my deposits. Is this similar to where the issuing bank allows you to add your own tags?
Why is there an African American charge for anything. I am insulted. I always knew that I had to pay more for a car or home. This just confirms that things have not changed.
Hahaha…..
Pretty funny !!
Lighten up…..
I think African Americans should be paying reparations for making us put up with their bs. Oh and let’s have them pay for all the damn prisons we have to build. It’s either section 8 or Cell Block 3. Y’all get food, Obama tones, welfare. We can’t afford y’all anymore. Back to work.break out the whips.
@Matthew – this is straight racism and White Nationalism. You can’t let this stuff stand.
Let’s all condemn it as filthy and vile. This is not a statue honoring it, but a forum in which we can call it out for the hate that it is.
You’re a [redacted by admin] idiot
That was for no name about the reparations
No name your quite clearly in the running for worst human on the planet.
Of course you have no name. I wouldn’t put my name either in front of that ignorant poop.
Vile, disgusting and delusional. Poor excuse for a human being.
Bold enough to post it but coward enough to hide behind a No Name.
Your an a**hole but you will figure it out once you go to hell!!!
@ NDG… my first thought as well. “inspect elements” in Safari or “document.designMode = “on” in Chrome. screenshot and reap attention.
Hahaha…..
Pretty funny !!
Lighten up people…..
I’m not sure why you titled this piece “AMERICAN AIRLINES CHARGES BLACK COUPLE AN “AFRICAN AMERICAN” SERVICE FEE” when in your own story it says the problem was caused by Mastercard not American. I would think you’d want to pin the blame where it lies not perpetuate a myth that will only hurt American.
I’m not pinning the blame on either Mastercard or American Airlines. But at least now, the customer has alleged that the charge came from American Airlines and provided a screenshot to prove it.
I fully agree and think the media loves nothing better than talking out both sides of their mouths. Anyone reading this entire article can see the situation was nothing like the title lead one to believe. I would fire staff for such shoddy journalism. Another attempt to create racial differences, is my guess. I hope AA takes them to court for distorting the truth.
May lighting strikes me if I’m lying but I once reviewing my car insurance policy and I noticed an itemized coverage that says ” limited Mexico coverage” I called my insurance company since I never have a plan to go to Mexico and I’m not Mexican but I happened to have a Spanish last name. Surprisingly, no one can explain why so my wife and I just chalked it down as profiling. We live in northern California and I wonder if northern u.s. has a “limited Canada coverages ” on their policies.
It’s likely. Might not even be an algorithm. We had a case a while back of a non-native speaker of English sending an academic article to a native speaker to be polished. Now, in this article, there was a discussion of Benedictine monks, who for centuries have also been called “Black Monks”, because the habits they wear are dyed black. Sure enough, the paper came back with “African American Monks”.
It’s too stupid to be fake or racist; I vote idiocy. But if someone wants to make the claim that baggage fees are inherently racist, count me in.
I think it would be laughed away if it said “White Caucasian American fee surcharge”. Now, that would be funny
I call BS. They obviously tagged the charge as this. You can tag any of your purchases whatever you want. It says “appears on statement as…”
I am satisfied with the machine misinterpretation of AA. What saddens me as an American of african decent is seeing the bitter and racist comments and accusation from others who blame the victims of the error for daring to be offended as any reasonable person of any color would and should be in when seeing such a item ob their bill. I notice that when such things happen many Whites feel called upon to make excuses for other Whites or white-owned institutions or, worse, launch into mean insults against those who feel justifiably harmed. It would be so much simpler, more humane and more adult to just acknowledge the mistake and move on…
Barry, of all the comments that I read posted thus far, yours was by far the most reasonable, intelligent and less insulting. It really is sad that some people have a heart and mind that is filled with all types of malice. They have no shame, and many others quickly jump in to validate their hate. I came to this conclusion only by reading what I saw posted. No worries, if hate stayed in your heart. There are some promises made just for those that hate in the Bible. In these last years I have found that many people who are supposed to love everyone, quickly jump onto that same hate wagon. This wagon is about something as simple as a lady feeling wronged, because of her bank statement indicating that she was charged a special fee because of her race. Now, more likely than not, it was an error in some way, but still it happened to her. Immediately people began insulting her character and race. For the ones that did that, pat yourself on the back, go look in mirror and see what really wrong with this picture! Life can be a whole lot better if you just quit the hate!!! Thanks again Barry for being the voice of reason!
Of course she HAD to go public with it by tweeting. Why not just call?
I don’t blame her if this is true (versus manipulating her statement).
It is what it is! Stop speculating. It was a racist joke. Not funny whoever did it. Enough is enough! Sometimes humanity makes me I’ll!
How does is there a mistake AND the couple just happen to be African American? That’s a HUGE coincidence.. unlikely coincidence, likely deliberate within someone who has access to the system
The service fee in the articles are listed as African American African, not African American. It does sound like a category type of charge pertaining to the service and not race. Was she using a Capital One credit or debit card with African American expressions perhaps, similar to those on postage stamps or greeting cards?
Unfriggin’ believable!
Ridiculous bigotry will get you nowhere. I wouldn’t fly with you ever again. Maybe you only want white customers who are sometimes very rude. Hate will destroy the haters ! A quote from President Ronald Regan. Heavenly Father rid America of her racism against your people of color in Jesus Christ Name! Amen!