A woman says she skipped rent to book a $572 United flight from California to Tennessee to see her mom after five years, then hit a $100 carry-on fee

A woman says she skipped paying rent to afford a $572 United flight from San Francisco to Tennessee, only to find it would cost an extra $100 to bring a carry-on bag. Mel, known as @maestermel827 on TikTok, shared her frustration in a video that has drawn tens of thousands of views.

Mel explained that she has not seen her mother in five years, mainly because of long-term unemployment and the high cost of living and travel. She said she decided to forgo paying rent to cover the flight, adding that she was already spending money she does not have.

As detailed by BroBible, the round-trip United flight to Knoxville was priced at $572 for a Wednesday departure. Other options she saw included $1,082 for a Thursday flight and $763 for a Friday flight.

Commenters said the timing was the real problem

After committing to the flight, Mel discovered the airline wanted an extra $100 to bring a carry-on bag. The seat map also showed that securing an aisle or window seat would cost anywhere from $68 to $172. She asked viewers if they understood “how uncomfortable it is to be in an airplane seat when you are overweight,” let alone in the middle.

Mel opened the video by saying, “I hate this garbage can of a country so much.” Many viewers, however, were not sympathetic and felt her issue stemmed from booking the flight at the last minute.

One commenter wrote, “It’s not a country thing, it’s a timing thing.” Another said air travel needs to be planned months in advance, while several pointed out that booking only three days out was why the prices were so high, suggesting that even a month ahead would be much cheaper.

Mel later explained that she could only arrive and depart on certain days and did not want to risk going several more years without seeing her mom. She said income from odd jobs and financial aid left her with limited funds that she could only access a week before her travel window, which was set around grad school, job interviews, and ongoing habitability issues at her apartment.

Mel emphasized that her frustration was not with the general price of last-minute tickets, which she knows are more expensive. Instead, she was venting about the markup in prices from one day to the next, the carry-on fee, and the premium costs for even the cheapest seats.

Viewers also offered advice for avoiding similar costs. One suggested booking on an incognito browser and looking at one-way options, saying two one-way tickets often cost less than a round trip. Another recommended the Hopper app, claiming it often has some of the best prices. Some have also turned to tricks like using a VPN to cut flight prices.

Research suggests timing matters more than any trick, though. A Berkeley Haas study of a major U.S. airline’s pricing debunked many popular hacks, from booking on specific days to browsing incognito. Co-author Olivia Natan said the one clear pattern is that “prices do go up significantly 21, 14, and seven days before a flight,” adding, “Just buy your ticket before then.”

Attack of the Fanboy was unable to independently verify United’s side of the story, as this account comes solely from a TikTok video.