American Airlines Bends The Knee After Facing The Hookstead Wrath

Ladies and gentlemen, it appears my grudge against American Airlines can officially be put to rest.

As OutKick readers were alerted about Monday, I had an absolutely nightmare scenario unfold this past Sunday with the powerhouse airline.

It was all tied to my tickets to the Wisconsin/Alabama game in Madison this September. My nearly $5,000 trip was off to a rocky start with months to go.

Here's a quick recap of what happened:

• American Airlines changed my direct flight from MSN to DCA to one with a connection through the hellhole that is Chicago's O'Hare Airport.
• American Airlines then, for no reason at all, changed my September 13th flight to June 15th leaving from Madison. This happened after an extended phone call where at no point did I ever suggest such an absurd change be made.
• American Airlines then made me pay again for seats I'd already paid for once because it switched flights on me without asking.

If you want the full breakdown of the carnage and chaos of Sunday and my nightmare afternoon with AA, you can read it here.

It now appears we can officially move on.

American Airlines bends the knee after now-viral feud.

My biggest issue with this entire fiasco - other than the massive amount of time wasted and stress endured - was whether or not I was ever going to get my money back that I paid for specific seats.

At the end of the day, I'm a capitalist. I like money. I like it a lot, and I hate wasting it. I nearly threw my phone into a pitcher of beer when I was told I had to rebuy my seats and hope for a refund.

Well, I'm happy to report the American Airlines/Hookstead Crisis of 2024 (Wikipedia page pending) has been resolved.

Shortly before lunch Tuesday, I got two messages from American Airlines confirming that I would be getting every single penny back. Not only did I receive messages about getting all my money back, but a rep for American Airlines also reached out and left a very nice and polite message about remedying the situation. I later connected with AA directly, and it was made clear not only would all the fees I had to pay again be reimbursed, but all other money spent regarding getting my seats back would be taken care of.

American Airlines officially signed off on refunding all my money after a ticket fiasco. (Photo by Etienne DE MALGLAIVE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

You never know when your number is going to be called to stand up for the common man. All you can do is execute your job to the best of your abilities when it happens. Sunday, I was pressed into service to deal with our horrific air travel industry in America, and I lost my entire Sunday because of it. I wasn't happy about it, but nobody asks to be a hero. It just sometimes shakes out that way. Now that I have all my money back and American Airlines has bent the "Game of Thrones"-style, I'm *OFFICIALLY* declaring this conflict resolved after a brief period lasting less than 48 hours. Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.