A woman travelling aboard American Airlines Flight AA258 from Philadelphia to Lisbon on October 10 found herself stuck inside the aircraft’s lavatory after the door reportedly failed to open. After banging on the door without success, she turned to social media for help.
The passenger, known as Cat on X (@DBATCats), posted about her predicament online. Her post attracted more than 1.2 million views and quickly became a source of amusement. American Airlines responded by asking her for her booking reference, prompting users to joke about whether the six-character code was actually the secret password to unlock the bathroom door.
The airline’s request was intended to help identify her reservation and investigate the incident. However, social media users questioned why someone could not simply be sent to free her. The situation became even funnier when Cat was eventually released, returned to her seat and fell asleep without updating her followers.
Three hours later, she confirmed that she was safe and back in her seat. Meanwhile, her post had continued gaining attention, flooding her phone with notifications. Cat eventually asked people to stop commenting because the activity was draining her battery, which she needed for her solo trip to Europe.
Aircraft lavatory doors can occasionally jam, turning a routine bathroom visit into a stressful experience. A similar incident occurred on a Delta Air Lines flight in March 2024, when a passenger named Brent reportedly remained trapped for around 35 minutes before the pilot helped force the door open.