Reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump has blasted American Airlines after being forced to board three different aircraft while flying out of Miami. The American jets all reportedly experienced mechanical issues one after the other, leading to multiple boarding and deboarding attempts and around 12 hours of delay for passengers.

While it isn’t uncommon for passengers to be delayed by mechanical problems, its occurrence across three separate aircraft in a row is more of a rarity. Unfortunately for passengers, US airlines are not legally required to pay compensation for long delays.

Reality Star’s 12-Hour American Airlines Delay

As first reported by Parade, in a post on her Instagram account, British reality TV personality Vanderpump spoke out against AA for delaying her and other customers by around 12 hours. Attributing the reason for the delay as « mechanical issues, » the TV star said they were « on their third plane, » with the previous aircraft suffering mechanical problems before departure. The incident occurred at Miami International Airport (MIA), with Vanderpump recording the video while waiting in a departure lounge.

Apparently, even the third aircraft had experienced some kind of issue, with Vanderpump claiming to have boarded and deboarded three times. Miami is one of American’s busiest hubs and a key gateway for international services to the Caribbean and Latin America, with the airport typically handling around 1,000 flights per day.

Details on the particular route and aircraft involved are not known at this stage, but Simple Flying has reached out to American Airlines for clarification on this incident, and will provide the carrier’s response when received. Vanderpump said:

« Stuck here at Miami Airport for essentially 12 hours now, and two planes had mechanical issues, and they’ve said we can’t fly. So we’ve sat on the plane twice. Not a good look for you guys. »

What Happens During Long Delays?

With an estimated delay of 12 hours, passengers booked on this flight were kept waiting for a period of time far beyond the industry average. Unfortunately for them, they will not be in line for automatic reimbursement due to the delay, with such rules only kicking in if a flight is canceled or a passenger is involuntarily denied boarding.

In instances involving extremely long delays, it is up to the discretion of the airline to pay out any compensation. Unlike in Europe, US airlines are not legally mandated to compensate customers for delays. Although airlines still have a duty of care to provide accommodation and food, passenger rights in the US are more limited in this respect.

The Biden Administration had hoped to introduce new regulations guaranteeing cash compensation for delays, but this was withdrawn before taking effect. Under these provisions, customers would have received anywhere from $200 to over $750 each, building on Europe’s successful EU261 bill. However, the Trump Administration revoked the proposal last year, which would have cost airlines billions each year and likely driven up fares.

American’s Operational Challenges Laid Bare

American Airlines has faced its fair share of criticism over the past year for its operational shortcomings, which have led to a high level of cancellations, delays and other inconveniences for its customers. For example, comparing the six largest airlines in the country, US Bureau of Transportation Statistics data from July 2024 to June 2025 shows that American came bottom in terms of reliability metrics.

This included the highest level of flight cancellations and mishandled bags, and the second-lowest on-time performance score. AA’s cancellation rate during this period was also 45% higher than that of the next airline, Delta, underscoring the significant operational challenges it has faced in recent months.

According to Finance Buzz, American Airlines delays averaged out at 78 minutes in 2024, with over 20% of the airline’s flights being categorized as delayed. Customer satisfaction scores have also been plummeting, with a recent study on airline satisfaction by J.D. Power placing American above only Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines.