I’m just going to come out and say it here: no, a family was denied boarding on American Airlines because they were Jewish. Shame on this family for–who arrived late to the gate–for trying to blame their tardiness on antisemitism, a very serious and unfounded charge.

Rude American Airlines Passenger Claims He Was Denied Boarding Because He Was Jewish, But He Was Really Just Late…The Gate Agents Were Rude Too

Let’s review what happened and then I’ll offer my thoughts:

• The incident occurred on April 21, 2025, involving American Airlines Flight AA1011 from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA).
• A Jewish family—comprising a father, mother, and three children—was traveling from Cancun, Mexico, connecting through DFW to LGA.
• Upon arrival at the gate, the family was last in line to board. The passenger immediately ahead of them was allowed to board, but the family was denied boarding.
• A supervisor informed the family that the boarding door closes 10 minutes before departure (“D minus 10”) and that they had arrived too late, despite the door still being physically open.
• The father did not accept that explanation and questioned whether their denial of boarding was due to their Jewish identity, claiming, “We didn’t get any other valid reasons for it.”
• Per the father, the family was on “legitimate tickets” and not flying standby.
• The father recorded a video of the incident, which was shared on social media and garnered significant attention, with millions of views across various platforms.

I’ve personally seen situations like this many times over the years…Airlines generally close flights 10-15 minutes before the scheduled departure time to finalize paperwork and prepare for departure, which can result in passengers being denied boarding if they arrive after the cutoff time. AA’s “Automated Reaccommodation Tool”  (AURA) likely rebooked them before they even reached the gate after they stepped off their Cancun flight late…a separate issue AA must fix if it wants to be a leading carrier. Many have suggested that the passenger allowed to board ahead of the family might have been on standby and was cleared at the last minute, just before the flight was closed out. I see no other possible explanation in this case.

You can see in the video that the “flight closed” signs were already on display in gate area monitors. It’s only after the final boarding cutoff that passengers who have not shown up in time are unseated and standby passengers who were hoping for a seat are seated.

Folks, this is what happened here. And it’s disgusting that this guy would try to blame antisemitism for it… especially when there is so much real antisemitism, prejudice, and racism that exists in this world (like when American Airlines removed all the black passengers from a plane because one of them reportedly smelled, even though they were all unrelated).

> Read More: Lawsuit Claims Eight Unrelated Black Men Were Thrown Off American Airlines Flight After White Flight Attendant Complained About Body Odor

I think the gate agent could have explained it better (most folks don’t know what “D minus 10” is) and holding a flight for late-arriving connecting passengers is a great customer-service move if it does not delay the arrival of the flight (airlines generally pad schedules). The gate agent also should have helped to rebook them…the customer service was poor.

But please…in a deeply-divided country full of mistrust, please don’t cry wolf. Shame on this very rude man. Shame.