“He is baiting for a lawsuit”: Internet reacts to viral video of American Airlines passenger booted off plane over telling crew to shut up

A video of an American Airlines crew member responding to a passenger who asked her to “shut up” has gone viral, with netizens commenting on the conversation between the two. As per The New York Post, an American Airlines flight heading to Texas from Costa Rica was held up when a crew member reading the pre-flight safety instructions was asked to stop talking by a passenger.

As per the video posted by Jay Crenshaw on Instagram, a passenger during the flight said “she should shut up” while the safety instructions were being read out. When approached by the crew member, the passenger attempted to backtrack and claimed that she was having trouble hearing the instructions.

The crew member, however, could be seen insisting that because of non-compliance, she would be removing the passenger from the plane. The passenger could be heard retaliating with claims that she was being harassed, as per The New York Post, but eventually left the plane. While reacting to the viral video, most netizens emphasized the professional stance of the flight attendant, while decrying the attitude of the passenger.

A netizen took to the comments section of the video to suggest that the passenger’s claims of harassment by the flight attendant was “baiting.” Though the netizen misidentified the passenger as a man, they wrote,

“Flight attendant was a true professional.  He is baiting for a lawsuit”

An Instagram user provided some context on the situation, and while providing details on why the passenger was probably asked to leave, wrote,

“Failure to comply with crew instructions is a violation of FAA regulations. If you don’t comply that’s a goodbye. Easy."

Referring to the flight attendant’s pushback, an internet user wrote in her appreciation and opined,

“She mama'd that lady!”

Another netizen emphasized airplane regulations and while lending some advice to the passenger, wrote,

“Federal regulations require all passengers to comply with crew instructions” You will NEVER win against a flight attendant. Treat them with respect or you will find yourself back at the gatehouse watching the aircraft leave without you.”

‘Shut Up’: American Airlines Passenger Sasses Flight Attendant During Safety Demo—Sends Plane Back To The Gate https://t.co/5t3MLZBjt6 via @garyleff pic.twitter.com/6gz32nqkH2

— BoardingArea (@BoardingArea) September 4, 2025

The flight attendant received a special appreciation from a netizen who claimed to have frequently flown alongside her. The netizen remarked,

“I fly with AA weekly, and I have flown with this Flight attendant many times, she’s amazing!”

Despite the majority of people supporting the American Airlines’ crew member’s stance, some observers felt that kicking the passenger off the plane was a bit too harsh. A netizen commented on the viral video and noted,

“She, the flight attendant, seems fragile. So much for de-escalation, immediately threatens to kick someone off a flight?”

The person who recorded the viral video on the American Airlines flight urged people to be considerate towards the passenger as well

Jay Crenshaw, who recorded the viral video while seated next to the passenger who was removed from the American Airlines flight, spoke to The New York Post about the incident. Crenshaw urged people to be mindful of both, the flight attendant as well as the passenger, who might have been having a bad day. He told the publication,

“The flight attendant might’ve caught a stray. I think the passenger knows she was wrong. She mentioned that she also lost her phone and had to borrow one. I’m definitely not excusing her behavior [but] we’ve all had bad days and have said bad things because of it, but we weren’t filmed.”

Crenshaw hoped that people would have a “a bit of grace” for the passenger who was kicked off the plane.