AN AMERICAN tourist has stirred up controversy by calling one country’s national carrier a “budget airline” in a travel review.
When travelers visit foreign countries without doing their research, funny faux pas can quickly ensue — just ask Autumn Gruber (@autumn_gruber).
A self-proclaimed “corporate bestie” and expert in travel and marketing, the American traveler angered hundreds of people by accidentally labeling Ireland’s national carrier as a budget airline in a recent TikTok video.
Gruber kicked off the controversy by sharing a positive review of a cheap flight she got on Aer Lingus, calling it the “best money I’ve ever spent.”
“I flew from New York City to Dublin by myself for $150 on a budget airline. And here’s how it went,” she said in the video.
She explained that because she was flying on a budget airline, she was not sure what to expect.
“So as soon as I made it to the airport, I decided to go grab some snacks because I wasn’t sure what the airline would have available on the plane,” she said.
She then doubled down on the disbelief by praising the “budget airline’s” spacious seats and freebies.
“I was impressed because, for a budget airline, in a flight this cheap, I expected nothing,” she said.
She said her only critique of Aer Lingus was that its flight arrived at 4:30 am, earlier than most places were open.
THE COMMENTS FLOODED IN
With over 85,000 followers on TikTok, the traveler’s post quickly garnered hundreds of comments — many about the “budget airline” mistake.
“How to annoy a whole country! Call our national airline a budget airline. It’s a national institution,” one person replied.
“All flights from North America arrive very early in the morning regardless of whether it’s United, Delta, Aer Lingus, Air Canada. It’s not an Aer Lingus thing,” another explained.
SOME TOOK IT PERSONALLY
“Budget airline!! Girl that’s our national airline — you should have been turned away at the border,” a third person quipped.
“It hurts to hear budget airline so much, I am cabin crew for Aer Lingus and it’s a 4-star airline,” a fourth added.
“Unintentionally started a war from calling our beloved Aer Lingus a budget airline,” another joked.
Representatives for Aer Lingus did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The U.S. Sun.