A passenger waiting in line for over 90 minutes at Orlando International Airport ended up being escorted out by armed police after he accused the airline of scamming customers. TikTok user James was trying to catch a flight from Orlando to St. Louis on January 16, 2026, when things went wrong.
After standing in the check-in line for about an hour and a half, James and several other travelers were told they were too late to board their flight. The airline then told them they could rebook, but only if they paid a fee. James noticed about seven or eight other passengers facing the same problem.
“You guys overbooked the flight,” James told the employees at the desk, according to Bro Bible. “Now you guys are trying to charge people another $100. All of these people are being scammed out of their money.”
Frontier’s strict policy creates a loophole that punishes passengers stuck in slow lines
When James refused to accept the situation, airport police arrived and asked him to leave. He stayed calm and said he would book with a different airline instead. James was never reimbursed or rebooked by Frontier and ended up paying over $400 for a ticket with another carrier.
If the flight was actually overbooked, Frontier should have compensated the passengers instead of charging them fees. According to the Department of Transportation, airlines must pay significant compensation when they involuntarily bump passengers due to overbooking. For delays between one and two hours, airlines owe 200% of the one-way fare, up to $1,075. For delays of two hours or more, passengers could get 400% of the fare, up to $2,150.
However, Frontier has a strict policy that creates a major loophole. Passengers must be checked in with bags dropped off at least 60 minutes before departure. If you miss that deadline, even while waiting in a long line, the airline considers you a no-show cancellation. Similar to how a thief’s six-day standoff ended, airport confrontations can escalate quickly when people feel trapped by unfair circumstances.
The check-in desk at Orlando International Airport is reportedly known for moving extremely slowly. Many travelers have complained that arriving two hours early isn’t enough because the wait often lasts well over an hour.
One commenter pointed out, “Over booking flights is a standard practice across all airlines, but charging you for it is crazy.” Another person warned, “Never fly frontier – that was your first problem.” A third user joked, “when you buy a ticket with Frontier or Spirit youre just buying a chance to reach your destination in 2 days.”
This frustrating experience appears to be common with Frontier. A recent study found that the airline had the worst complaint ratio of any American airline, with 23.3 complaints for every 100,000 passengers. Frontier also holds the worst records for delays, cancellations, and involuntary bumping.
The airline has been fined in the past for violating regulations about bumped passengers, including failing to ask for volunteers before forcing people off oversold flights. James is now seeking full compensation for himself, his friends, and everyone else affected, along with a public apology from the airline. While his confrontation didn’t end like the Florida man’s doormat prank with a humorous response, passengers hope Frontier will take accountability.
Published: Jan 17, 2026 04:15 pm