The “livid” passenger shared his recent Delta experience. Credit: Mondadori Portfolio / Getty
The passenger, who shared their frustration on Reddit under the username @ben_bob, explained how they were upgraded to first class, only to be downgraded shortly before boarding. At the gate, a Delta employee offered little clarity, saying only that “something changed.”
Although disgruntled, the traveler reluctantly boarded the plane, but what they saw next left them fuming. A dog was occupying the first-class seat they had originally been assigned.
“Okay, fine, I am disgruntled but whatever,” the passenger wrote. “I then board only to see this dog in my first-class seat… And now I’m livid.”When they contacted Delta Support for an explanation, the airline reportedly told them that passengers may be moved to accommodate service animals, adding that there was “nothing they can do” in such scenarios.
“There is no way that dog has spent as much with this airline as I have,” the passenger fumed, calling the situation an “absolute joke.”
The incident also made them question their loyalty to the airline, stating, “What’s the point of being loyal to this airline anymore, truly?”
The Reddit post quickly gained traction, sparking a heated discussion among other travelers. Some users sided with the jilted flyer, questioning the increasing prevalence of service animals on flights.
“Notice how nowhere else in life do you see this quantity of service animals? Go to the airport and all the sudden they appear,” one commenter remarked.
Another user commented: “Exclusively in the US. It doesn’t happen anywhere else. It’s American main-character syndrome.”
Others couldn’t resist poking fun at the situation, joking that the dog must be a top-tier frequent flyer.
“The dog is probably a Diamond Medallion 2 million miler,” one quipped.
“2 million miler good boi,” another chimed in.
Amid the outrage, a Delta employee stepped in to clarify that the airline is legally required to prioritize passengers with disabilities and their service animals for bulkhead seating, as outlined in the Air Carrier Access Act.
“When I was in reservations, anytime people wanted the blocked seats I had to advise them that Delta has the legal obligation to move them if a passenger with disabilities requires it,” the employee explained.
However, not everyone agreed with Delta’s handling of the situation. Travel expert Gary Leff argued that the airline could have resolved the issue without bumping a first-class passenger.
“To be sure, airlines are generally required to provide reasonable accommodations under the Air Carrier Access Act, and one way they do that can be with bulkhead seats,” Leff noted in a blog post for View From The Wing. “However, a last-minute seat switch certainly wouldn’t be required.”
Leff also highlighted other questionable incidents involving Delta, including reports of dogs sitting at tables in exclusive Delta One lounges and emotional support animals taking priority over paying customers.
“Delta does seem to have gone to the dogs,” he concluded.
In a statement to VT, a spokesperson for Delta Air Lines said: “Delta teams are aware of the customer complaint and are researching the details of what may have occurred. We invite the customer to contact us directly.
“Service animals are routinely accommodated on Delta without impacting customer seat assignments.”
For now, it seems some passengers are left wondering whether their loyalty to the airline is worth it—or if they’ve simply been outmatched by the airline’s furriest frequent flyers.
Horrifying simulation details how a teenager survived falling 10,000 feet after plane she was on was struck by lightning
A terrifying simulation has amassed thousands of views after detailing how a teenager became the sole survivor of a tragic plane crash.
On Christmas Eve in 1971, 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke sat by the window of LANSA Flight 508, unfazed as dark clouds gathered outside. Minutes later, her life changed forever.
A lightning strike sent the aircraft plummeting, breaking apart mid-air and leaving her alone, strapped to her seat, hurtling toward the Amazon rainforest, per The Washington Post.
Koepcke miraculously survived the 10,000-foot fall. But her fight to safety was just beginning: for 11 days, she braved the Amazon jungle, injured and alone, before being rescued.
Her story of resilience became one of history’s most astonishing survival tales, with YouTuber Zack D. Films creating a simulation of Koepcke’s experience, sharing her story with a whole new generation:
The journey began uneventfully. Koepcke and her mother, Maria, were flying from Lima to Pucallpa, Peru, to reunite with her father, Hans-Wilhelm, for Christmas. The teenage girl, fresh off her high school graduation, settled into her favorite window seat.
About 20 minutes before landing, turbulence shook the plane. Packages and suitcases tumbled as passengers grew anxious. Then, lightning struck the aircraft’s right wing.
“My mother is no longer at my side, and I’m no longer in the airplane,” Koepcke wrote in her memoir, When I Fell From the Sky. “At an altitude of about ten thousand feet, I’m alone. And I’m falling, slicing through the sky…”
As the plane disintegrated, Koepcke, still strapped to her seat, fell into the rainforest canopy. She has no memory of hitting the ground.
When she awoke the next morning, her collarbone was broken, her glasses gone, and her dress torn. Yet she was alive. “The forest saved my life,” she later wrote, crediting the dense foliage with cushioning her fall.
Koepcke’s parents were scientists who had raised her in the Amazon, founding a research station called Panguana. Her father’s advice about surviving in the wild echoed in her mind: find water and follow it downstream. Water leads to people.
For days, she trudged through the jungle, battling hunger, exhaustion, and insects. She ate only a bag of sweets from the crash site. On the tenth day, she stumbled upon a boat and a nearby shack.
Initially thinking the boat was a hallucination, she touched it, realizing it was real. The next day, she was found by local fishermen, who treated her wounds and reunited her with her father.
“We didn’t exchange a lot of words,” she recalled to Vice. “But we had each other again.”
In the crash, all 91 others aboard the flight perished, including her mother. “Why was I the only survivor?” Koepcke reflected years later. “The thought haunts me. It always will.”
She pursued her parents’ passion for science, earning a doctorate in biology and returning to Panguana to study bats. Now the research station’s director, she calls it her “sanctuary.”
More than 50 years later, Koepcke’s story resonates.
Koepcke acknowledges the lingering trauma of her experience but finds peace in her work. “The grief about my mother’s death and that of the other people came back again and again,” she said. “But I’ve found meaning in life, and that helps me cope.”
In the comments section of Zack D. Films’ post, social media users were amazed by Koepcke’s incredible will to survive.
“In school we learned about her. Julianne Koepcke is her name. Even tho she lost her mom and went through the suffering of the jungle, she was still able to make it out when others couldn’t. Being one of the amazing feats if survival,” one person commented.
A second added: “Her surviving this is absolutely amazing.”
“She’s the definition of never give up,” another wrote, with a fourth adding: “That is such a miracle.”
Her extraordinary story remains a testament to resilience, courage, and the will to survive against all odds.
Woman who lives for months at a time on a cruise ship reveals what she’s not allowed to do
Now, when you think of a cruise, you think of a vacation, right? The sun, the sea and shuffleboard.
But for those who make cruising a regular part of their lives, there are actually a few rules that they must abide by in order to make life on the waves.
Meet Christine Kesteloo, a lifestyle influencer who lives on board a cruise ship with her husband, who is a Staff Chief Engineer.
Branding herself a “wife onboard”, she gets to stay for free wherever her husband is working, even getting free food during her trip – sounds like heaven, right?
Well, it is, as long as Christine follows four particular rules, the first being no gambling.
Taking to TikTok in a video, the influencer explained that she can’t gamble while on board because “it would look a little weird if I, as the wife of the staff chief engineer, won a big jackpot.”
The second rule she must abide by is no lateness.
While Christine is considered an extension of the crew, the ship will not wait for her if she’s late.
“No, they will not wait for us,” she said in the clip.
The same goes for her husband too. If they “miss ship [sic], someone else will take over the role.”
The third rule is strictly no filming of the crew or passengers on board the vessel – especially during emergencies.
With almost a million followers on TikTok alone, it’s no wonder why this is a rule for Christine.
“If there is a crew member or guest that has gone overboard and we do a search, I am not showing you videos of the medical evacuation,” she said, still adding that when she’s off the ship, she can do as she pleases.
She gives up her space in guest areas if it’s packed, because “it’s just the right thing to do” and while she gets her food for free, she does have to pay for sodas and alcohol – but with a 50 percent discount.
I mean, that sounds like a good deal to me.
‘Flying naked’ is the new travel trend not many saw coming – but some fliers swear it has changed their lives.
Flying is often the part of traveling people look forward to the least, from waiting ages at security to having to lug your cases with you and into the overhead lockers, it can be a bit of a pain.
But people who ‘fly naked’ believe they’ve got it nailed and have made their lives a whole lot more comfortable.
However, the phenomenon has left others pretty divided.
So what actually is it?
Well, you’ll be pleased to know it doesn’t involve stripping off on board the aircraft.
People who fly naked are essentially ditching their clothes by not bothering with a suitcase or large carry-on.
Bethany Ciotola, from New York, is a big fan of the trend, having shared a TikTok video captioned: “When you travel without luggage.”
In it, the mom-of-four was seen pirouetting and skipping down the entryway to the plane with just a small shoulder bag as the voiceover says: “I’m f**king crazy, but I am free”.
People flooded her comments to write: “Wait how? You didnt have another suitcase? How long was this trip? So many questions,” to which Bethany responded: “Trip was 3 days, had all my outfits/skincare/makeup/extra pair of shoes in the bag I was carrying.”
Others added: “That’s impressive honestly,” and: “How????”
She’s not the only person to embrace the trend – and save some cash on baggage fees – as many others have opted to start traveling with minimal luggage.
Hillary Conheady also shared a clip of her travelling with no baggage, telling her followers: “Travelling with no bags makes me feel so rich, like I’m heading to my second home in the Maldives where my entire additional wardrobe is.
“When in reality I’m flying to my parents’ house in South Carolina, where I will proceed to wear all my old clothes from high school for the entire weekend.”
She added in the caption: “No extra bag fees for this gal.”
However, not everyone is on board with it, as one flier added: “I don’t get how some people are on the JFK AirTrain with no bags. Traveling with no inventory is insane to me.”
He also commented: “Minimalism, sure, but that’s extreme. Maybe venturing into negatively minimalist.”
While traveling without any checked bags is impressive, personally, I always overpack and always will – but each to their own!
Pilot reveals the real reason your cell phone needs to be in airplane mode during flights
Have you ever wondered why you need to switch your phone to airplane mode before takeoff?
It’s something many of us do – in fact, I’ve done it on every flight I’ve ever been on – but I’ve really got no idea why.
Fortunately, one TikTok-famous pilot is setting the record straight, and his viral PSA has already racked up more than 730,000 on the video-sharing platform.
And spoiler alert: It’s not just a pointless rule to make you groan before takeoff.
The pilot, who goes by @perchpoint on TikTok, explained that keeping your phone in airplane mode isn’t some grand conspiracy — it’s actually about keeping the skies safe and the cockpit chatter-free.
“If you have an aircraft with 70, 80, 150 people on board, and even three or four people’s phones start to try to make a connection to a radio tower for an incoming phone call, it sends out radio waves,” the pilot explained in the video.
Those rogue radio waves can interfere with the radio waves pilots use to communicate with air traffic control.
The interference isn’t catastrophic, but it can be seriously distracting. “It’s like there’s a mosquito in your ear,” the TikTokker revealed.
On a recent flight, he recalled struggling to hear instructions clearly while his headset buzzed with interference. “It’s definitely not the end of the world, but it’s pretty annoying when you’re trying to copy down instructions.”
In case you were thinking of ignoring that friendly flight attendant’s announcement next time, keep in mind that airplane mode isn’t just polite—it’s the law.
The code of federal regulations states: “Cellular telephones installed in or carried aboard airplanes, balloons or any other type of aircraft must not be operated while such aircraft are airborne (not touching the ground).”
Once the wheels leave the runway, those devices need to be switched to airplane mode—or turned off altogether.
The pilot’s straightforward and humorous explanation struck a chord with viewers, many of whom admitted they didn’t fully understand why airplane mode mattered until now. “I thought it was just so the plane didn’t explode or something,” one commenter joked.
Another user summed it up perfectly: “So basically, airplane mode stops us from being that one annoying person who ruins the vibes for everyone else. Got it.”
Another person suggested letting passengers know this when they board the plane, saying: “You should say this ON the flight, to the passengers.”
Next time you hear the pre-flight reminder to toggle airplane mode, remember: it’s not just for show. You’re helping ensure that your pilot doesn’t have to swat at invisible “mosquitoes” while navigating 30,000 feet in the air.
And let’s face it—one tap is a small price to pay for a smooth flight.
Adult star Bonnie Blue is slammed over ‘disturbing’ father and son sex act
Bonnie Blue has been slammed for engaging in a “disturbing” sex act with a father and son.
The 25-year-old OnlyFans star was reportedly banned from Australia and then kicked out of Fiji for seeking out 18-year-old high school leavers to make content with her.
In a recent interview, Blue has claimed she slept with a dad and his adult child “at the same time”.
She left podcast host Liam Tuffs disgusted after telling him she was happy to be part of a lifelong memory for the father and son in question.
She also said their engaging in a threesome was a hallmark of a “good relationship”.
In a new episode of his YouTube show, titled ‘Bonnie Blue Shocks the Adult Industry’, Tuffs clashed with the adult star over her views on sex.
“I think it’s brilliant, to have that much of a good relationship with your son or for the son to have that much of a good connection with their dad, I think it’s fantastic,” she said of the experience.
“Too many people, especially the 18-year-olds I knew when I was at school, would argue with their dads and not get on.
“I think to be able to come with your dad and sleep with me it’s great.”
Tuffs, a professional security guard who typically centers his content around reformed criminals and retired cops, challenged her and stated he and Blue were on a “different page”.
“I think the father needs his head kicked in for that,” Tuffs argued.
Blue replied: “No definitely not.”
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But Tuffs continued, claiming it was “one of the most outrageous things” he’d ever heard.
Blue described the dad “just a guy” who deserves to be pleasured just as much as his son.
The p*rn star, who also claims to have slept with more than 400 18-year-olds, caused great backlash online.
The father-son sex act was branded “disturbing”, with one person writing on X: “That’s disgusting behaviour for a father.”
“Good job calling her out on this! That’s incest,” another claimed.
As another declared: “What an extremely disturbing mindset.”
It comes after the sex work was reportedly kicked out of Fiji by the country’s Minister for Immigration, Pio Tikoduadua, this week after filming X-rated content at the hotel she was staying at in Nadi alongside Gold Coast sex worker Annie Knight.
Tikoduadua reportedly said the decision was made to “safeguard Fiji’s integrity and immigration system”, local outlets reported.
Blue, whose real name is Tia Billinger, is believed to have had her Australian visa cancelled on November 8.
