A Louisiana family is suing American Airlines in federal court after a ticket agent allegedly lied about an oversold flight, ejected a 4-year-old boy from a Disney World trip, and refused to accommodate a deaf mother travelling alone with four children.
Coby and Emily Stewart paid over $5,000 (£3,683) in airfare alone on 2 January 2025 as part of a larger vacation investment for their family of six. The couple and their four children, aged 4 to 11, were flying from Lake Charles Regional Airport in Louisiana to Orlando, Florida, for what their lawsuit describes as a 'once-in-a-lifetime trip' to Disney.
Military Veteran Forced to Split Family
The Stewarts arrived nearly two hours early and checked in immediately. Coby, a US military veteran, informed the ticket agent that his wife was deaf and that he served as her sign language interpreter.
The agent then told the couple the flight was 'oversold' and one person in their party would have to be bumped. Despite their pleas that the family could not be separated due to Emily's disability and her inability to supervise four children without her husband's assistance, the agent 'refused to accommodate' them.
The airline targeted their youngest son, 4-year-old Archer.
A Phone Call That Changes Everything
Left with no alternatives, Coby took Archer and raced more than 90 minutes to Jack Brooks Regional Airport in Beaumont, Texas, hoping to catch a different flight. The Lake Charles agent promised him a $1,200 (£884) voucher and 'guaranteed' he would reunite with his family at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport later that day.
But while Coby was racing to an airport in another state, the agent phoned to rescind the voucher. The reason given was that the original flight was not actually oversold after all.
If the flight was never truly overbooked, why was a 4-year-old boy ejected from his seat?
Complaint Alleges Disability Discrimination
The federal complaint makes an additional accusation that raises questions about potential disability discrimination. 'It was only after learning of Emily Stewart's special needs that the American Airlines ticketing agent advised the Stewart family that they were the one and only passengers in the lottery to be ejected from a full flight,' the lawsuit states.
Attorney Chris Leyoub told The Independent that Coby and Archer 'risked life and limb' speeding to Beaumont. They never reunited with the family in Dallas as promised and arrived at the Disney resort that night, 'frazzled, well after the others.'
The lawsuit comes at a difficult time for the carrier. In October 2024, the US Department of Transportation issued a $50 million (£37 million) penalty against American Airlines for 'numerous serious violations' of disability protection laws between 2019 and 2023.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at the time that 'the era of tolerating poor treatment of airline passengers with disabilities is over.'
Airline Seeks More Time to Respond
Under federal regulations, passengers bumped from oversold flights and delayed more than two hours can claim up to four times the one-way ticket value, capped at $2,150 (£1,584). The Stewarts say they never received any compensation.
The family filed their complaint on February 27 in the Louisiana state court. The case was moved to federal court on March 10. They are seeking damages for intentional infliction of emotional distress, fear, and anxiety, plus court costs and interest.
American Airlines has requested an additional 21 days to formally respond, stating it has 'recently retained' counsel and needs more time to investigate.
