‘My dad was dying of cancer any minute’: Delta customer says workers ‘abused’ their power, wouldn’t let her on flight
A Los Angeles-based ride-share driver and aspiring songwriter is accusing Delta Air Lines of canceling her flight home to Guatemala to visit her cancer-stricken father.
Erika Miranda (@musicalridela) has posted her accusations against the airline and footage that she claims shows the airline's denial of her flight to her TikTok account. The video, posted Friday, currently has over 601,900 views and counting.
What happened?
Miranda begins her claims in the video's lengthy caption, "Delta employees canceled my flight! My dad was dying of cancer at any minute, and I was flying to Guatemala to go be with him. They discriminated against me, not caring my dad was dying even after I told them several times, they canceled my flight! #Deltaairlines your employees did something cruel and illegal."
In the video, a visibly distraught Miranda addresses her viewers. She states that she is weeping "because my dad is in the hospital" and claims, "They're [Delta] not letting me fly, and this is why [I'm crying]. I'm not disturbing anyone."
In the video's screen text, Miranda claims, "Delta employees #illigally [sic] abused their authority and canceled my flight due to their negligence not being able to read my servire [sic] dog vaccines."
Do you need to vaccinate service animals before flying?
According to Delta's website, to fly with a service animal, customers must submit a Department of Transportation (DOT) service animal request. The airline's website states, "You’re not required to visit the check-in counter for your service animal, but we recommend having the necessary DOT form handy to help you save time at the airport."
It is not apparent in Miranda's video if she was kept off the flight due to any lack of service animal paperwork. It is not known precisely what she means regarding animal vaccines. However, the service animal request does have a section that asks for confirmation that the animal is vaccinated against rabies.
In the video, Miranda films herself addressing two women who appear to be Delta gate agents. She says, "No, I have the vaccines right here! She's just not looking them up!"
Miranda cuts to another confrontation at the boarding desk and says, "So I am here, on time to board my flight, ready. Here is my bag. I already tried to check-in. Somebody is coming to pick up my dog."
She pans the camera to the dog in question and then back to the gate employees and states, "They don't even want to allow [her dog] on the flight even though I have all the vaccines."
One of the masked workers seems to respond, claiming, "You do not have them."
"OK," Miranda responds. "Let's say he doesn't have the vaccines," she says. "Don't worry about the dog. The dog is not going. Please check my bag so I can go."
"OK," the Delta employee responds while continuing to look at her phone. When asked why Miranda's bag is not being checked in, the employee responds, "I cannot check your bag until you are checked in."
The employee responds that Miranda can check in at the gate's automated kiosk.
In response to one viewer's comment, "I’m sorry you went through this but I did hear them tell you to check yourself in at the kiosk and and can check ur bag once you were checked in…." Miranda posted a follow-up video.
Why didn't she check in herself?
In the follow-up, she shows the kiosk and says, "OK, I came to try to check in, and they won't let me check in." Indeed, the kiosk shows a message that says, "Sorry ... It is too late to check in for this flight. Please see an agent for help."
In the screen text of the video, Miranda adds, "I did hear her, I heard her for over one and a half hours, and I did tried [sic] the kiosk but it wouldn't let me check in."
At this point in the initial video, the gate employee tells Miranda, "I don't give you permission to film me." Miranda responds, "Well, this is a public place." She continues to claim, "They don't want to check me in. I already told them my dog is not going."
Is filming in an airport allowed?
According to a June article published by the travel blog View From the Wing, "Filming in public is not illegal, and there is no [Federal Aviation Administration] or Department of Transportation [rule] against filming inside an airport or on board an aircraft. Filming is even permitted at TSA security checkpoints provided 'the screening process is not interfered with or sensitive information is not revealed.'”
However, per Aviation Pros, "In International Society for Krishna Consciousness Inc. vs. Lee (1992) the U.S. Supreme Court determined that airports are a nonpublic forum because they exist for air travel, not for expressive activity."
As of 2019, American Airlines policy states, "Use of still and video cameras, film or digital, is permitted only for recording personal events. Photography or video recording of airline personnel, equipment, or procedures is strictly prohibited," according to The Points Guy.
Delta outlines how it may use customers' photos in its User-Generated Content Terms of Use policy; however, the policy does not specifically prohibit the filming of airline personnel at the gates.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Delta via its website for more information.
At a later point in the video, Miranda asks the gate employees to "give me a legal explanation of this."
An employee responds, "At this point, I do not give you permission to record me, so if you continue to record me, I'm not going to be able to assist you."
Miranda states, "I'm not recording you," and pans the camera away from the employee's face, although her recording does continue.
The employee states, "I'm going to have to rebook you for the next available flight." When Miranda asks why, the employee tells her, "Because of the irate behavior. We can't allow that at the airport because it is a disruption for us and other passengers."
"To record someone is not normal," another gate employee continues, despite Miranda's protestation. "It is not respectful if they don't give you permission, and my agent told you she did not give you permission."
Miranda replies, "There is a reason. There is a reason because you don't want to let me on the flight." The employee continues, "It's not that I don't want to; I even looked it up on my phone."
At this point, Miranda responds, "This is urgent." The employee claims, "This is why you aren't traveling—because you are recording, and you are recording false lies."
Miranda demands an explanation, to which the employee responds that the "falsification" is that she is not letting Miranda travel. She states, "It's not me that's not letting you travel." When asked, "Who is it?" the employee responds, "It's Guatemala."
Miranda insists, "No. That's not true!"
Do you need to vaccinate your dog before flying to Guatemala?
It is unclear what exactly the employee means when she states that Guatemala is prohibiting Miranda from traveling. However, if Miranda is correct that the issue is related to her dog's paperwork, it may have been because of a new regulation.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, as of June 5, animals traveling from the United States to Guatemala must have a Veterinary Health Certificate stating the animal was:
- "examined and found to be healthy and free from clinical signs of infectious, transmissible, and parasitic diseases;"
- "vaccinated against rabies"
- "treated for endo- and ectoparasites with products approved by the country of origin."
It is unclear whether Miranda had this paperwork or presented it to the Delta employees.
At this point in the video, the employee tells Miranda that she must contact customer service.
At the video's conclusion, Miranda claims, "I started recording because they would not let me fly."
@musicalridela Delta employees canceled my flight!My dad was dying of cancer at any minute and i was flying to Guatemala to go be with him. Theu discriminated against me not caring my dad was dying even afer I told them several times, they canceled my flight! #Deltaairlines your employees did something cruel and Ilegal#Delta#deltaairlines#deltadiscrimination#deltaemployees#discrimination#iligal#cruelty#cancer#cancelbattle#cancerkilledmdad#LAX#LAXtrauma#deltaLAX#LAXdog#servicedog#laxservicedog#losangeles#deltalosangeles#servicedogdelta#deltaservicedog#myfatherdied#deltanegligence#deltaemoloyeesneglicence#ignorance#deltaemployeesignorance#cruelty#deltacruelty#sweetestdog#needtoseemydad#mydaddying#lastchancetoseemydad#deltacanceledmyfligbt#flightcanceled#ilegal#justice#ijustwanttofly#theycanceledmyflight#flightcancel#Guatemala#dogvaccination#dogvaccines#readingdogvaccinnes ♬ original sound - Musicalride LA
Another video shows Miranda addressing another employee regarding her refund, which will take five business days. The employee tells her, "That's just the normal refund process with the banks. This is America."
The gate employee tells her she does not have the correct paperwork, but Miranda interrupts the worker. "Correct what?" she asks. "I'm not taking the dog!"
Miranda continues to demand answers, but the gate employee repeatedly tells her that he cannot book a new flight because it will take five business days to refund the ticket and rebook.
Was she able to see her dad?
In the comments section of the video, one of Miranda's comments seems to indicate she was able to get to Guatemala before her father passed away. She wrote, "One day after an angel friend of mine bought me a ticket! My father passed 40 minutes after I arrived."
Some viewers criticized Miranda's behavior, suggesting she would have been better off if she hadn't revealed her emotions at the gate.
Ari (@chicago_girl06) wrote, "Emotional regulation. It’s important to stay calm in these situations. They rebooked you because of behavior."
"You gotta be unbelievably kind in these situations. Even when you know they a wrong. I’m so sorry," another viewer added.
However, most commenters expressed sympathy for Miranda's situation and implied that the gate employees were out of line.
"The way the employees have a smile on their face and look like they don’t even care I’m so sorry," Lydia Ponce (@peachy_0818) wrote.
Another viewer commented, "They did not seem to try and get to a solution and get her moving forward. Probably won’t ever choose Delta if this is what it's like everywhere."
"Too many cases like this. People need to start getting fired. It’s ridiculous. She needs to lawyer up," another added.
The Daily Dot reached out to Miranda via TikTok comment and direct message for more information.
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