Chrissy Teigen's Airplane Nightmare is Going Viral
The supermodel's transit tribulations lit up the Internet.
On Tuesday night, Chrissy Teigen and her husband, John Legend, were four hours into an 11-hour flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo when the plane did something that people previously didn't know was possible: It made an abrupt U-turn and headed back to LAX.
What's even more shocking is that the reason wasn't bad weather or safety concerns. It turns out there had been a mix-up, and someone had boarded the wrong flight. As a result of this administrative flub, the plane carrying 226 passengers had to return to its original destination even though it was already mid-flight.
Teigen, an active Twitter user, began live-tweeting the nightmare soon after it began, writing, "a flying first for me: 4 hours into an 11 hour flight and we are turning around because we have a passenger who isn't supposed to be on this plane. Why…why do we all gotta go back, I do not know."
a flying first for me: 4 hours into an 11 hour flight and we are turning around because we have a passenger who isn't supposed to be on this plane. Why…why do we all gotta go back, I do not know
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
So many questions and I have no answers. Either do they. This person must be mortified though
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
Everyone had the same questions. Did the airline suddenly realize their mistake mid-flight or did said person notify them? Why did it take so long to figure it out either way? Was it intentional? How did this happen? Why does an entire flight of people have to pay for one passenger's mistake? Wouldn't it make more sense to just continue on to Tokyo and send that one person back? Isn't this an insane waste of fuel? Why has flying become such a test on the limits of human patience?
Why did we all get punished for this one person's mistake? Why not just land in Tokyo and send the other person back? How is this the better idea, you ask? We all have the same questions.
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
One eagle-eyed reader saw Teigen's tweets and managed to identify her flight as All Nippon Airways Flight 175. He checked the flight status and, sure enough, the graphics were bonkers.
I read this and immediately tried to figure out what 11-hr flights celebrities take that left 4 hours ago. My money is on an LAX departure to London or Tokyo. Specifically, ANA175. https://t.co/ErqxvhDThs
— Amol (@PointsToPointB) December 27, 2017
That's an abrupt U-turn pic.twitter.com/Y5EZEiJawQ
— Amol (@PointsToPointB) December 27, 2017
Teigen handled the nightmare with her usual blend of humor and sardonic wit.
Lmao after all this I will have spent 8 hours on a flight to nowhere. Like we were all just havin a great time up here flyin in the sky watching gran torino time to go home now
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
And she had just one request: that someone explain how this happened.
This person is so lucky that we will all have to deplane. Imagine having to walk off alone. The shame!
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
I won't be able to sleep until I know how this person figured out they were on the wrong flight. That's all I ask. 150 people have been majorly inconvenienced, please, just tell me
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
ANA has still failed to provide a reasonable explanation for the huge error. In a statement to CNN, they simply said that "the cabin crew notified the pilot that one of the passengers boarded the incorrect flight, and the pilot in command made the decision to return to the originating airport." They apologized for the inconvenience and said that an investigation is underway.
According to Teigen's sleuthing, it looks like that boarding pass scanner is completely decorative.
They keep saying the person had a United ticket. We are on ANA. So basically the boarding pass scanner is just a beedoop machine that makes beedoop noises that register to nowhere
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
All in all, it took them 8 hours to get from LAX back to LAX, the same time as a transatlantic flight.
LAX —> LAX flight complete. Flight time, 8 hours and 20 minutes.
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
Back at the airport, they moved them into a room, put on Bravo, and downed a bowl of ramen. I think this kind of mess calls for a live performance and a stiff drink, personally.
I have been moved to a room with Bravo. Clearly the authorities are trying to keep me quiet so I don't BLOW THE LID OFF THIS "SITCH" pic.twitter.com/ohhpCmjviG
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
They….they gave me ramen pic.twitter.com/0o9tk0wPrQ
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
We live here now. This is our new life pic.twitter.com/ero7e5kFOm
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
Luckily, Teigen always knows how to turn a nightmare into a fun time.
I don't know why I'm not more upset about this. The pleasure I get out of the story is worth more to me than a direct flight to Tokyo
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
My first tweet can't be more epic than this: just survived an 8-hour LAX-LAX flight with @chrissyteigen and @johnlegend on #ANA #NH175 pic.twitter.com/yY0vIqfcja
— Raffy (@Raffywu) December 27, 2017
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
And she got quite a kick of the conspiracy theories that Teigen and Legend were trying to flee the country because apparently Legend is part of the Illuminati and also both of them want to create a Muslim slave race?
Hands down my favorite takes of the night. Not just 2 people wanting to go to tokyo for new year's eve and sushi nope pic.twitter.com/axMO0bwdqf
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
Hours later, they finally managed to get on another flight, one that seemed to belong in a galaxy far, far away.
Yoda is in a seat and they're playing Star Wars music
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
Let's hope that the food is better this time around, and that they actually make it safe!
Taking off!!! Please don't be the same menu please don't be the same menu
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
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